Opinion ID: 427399
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: facts

Text: 2 In 1978 Penn pleaded guilty to theft of a check from the United States mails. He was placed on probation for five years on the usual general conditions; special conditions were that he should make restitution of the amount of the check, that he should be regularly employed during probation, and that he was not to be involved with firearms. 3 A jury found Penn guilty in 1980 of illegal possession of four Valium tablets, and the conditions of his probation were modified accordingly: he was required to submit to urine drop testing as directed by his probation officer. In 1981, on petition of Penn's probation officer, Busby, Penn's probation conditions were modified again to include requirements that he participate in both a residential community treatment program and a drug aftercare treatment program. 4 Busby filed for revocation of Penn's probation in 1982, alleging as violations of the conditions of probation that he had been in a state of public intoxication in violation of the city code of Birmingham, that he had violated the drug aftercare conditions by having within his body on several occasions Talwin (a controlled substance) or THC (the active ingredient in marijuana), and that he had been in possession of a stolen and forged check for $290 drawn on the account of Cameron Furniture Co. 5 Penn waived his right to a preliminary hearing, and at the revocation proceeding evidence centered on the drug and stolen check allegations. 1 Busby gave the only testimony regarding the drug charge. He said that he had received a urine sample from Penn during July 1981 and had requested that the sample be tested for evidence of drugs. When the government sought to elicit from Busby the results of the urine test, Penn's counsel objected, based on U.S. v. Caldera, 631 F.2d 1227 (5th Cir.1980) (per curiam). The court held that Caldera was distinguishable, and Busby was allowed to testify to the results of the July 1981 test as well as several others. According to Busby, urine samples taken from Penn (on July 14, 1981, February 16, 1982, May 10, 1982, and September 20, 1982) tested positive for Talwin. After this testimony, the court admitted the lab reports from Fairfield Medical Laboratories, a lab in Connecticut, subject to Penn's continuing objection. The court also admitted an unsworn letter from the laboratory that summarized the results. The letter indicated that at least five people participated in the analysis of each urine specimen. 1 Supp. Record at 13. On cross-examination Busby admitted that Penn had submitted to more than 50 such urine tests, that Busby had taken only one of these samples himself, and that all others had been taken by another officer at Busby's request. 6 Penn's only witness gave testimony that went to the appropriateness of revocation as a sanction rather than to the specifics of either of the two offenses.