Opinion ID: 1165079
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: sufficiency of the evidence

Text: The appellant seeks to support his assertion of error that there was insufficient evidence to sustain these convictions because of the failure to prove that the material delivered was a controlled substance as defined by § 35-7-1016(a & b)(iv), W.S. 1977, which is as follows: (a) The controlled substances listed in this section are included in Schedule II. Schedule II shall consist of the drugs and other substances, by whatever official name, common or usual name, chemical name or brand name designated, listed in this section. (b) Substances, vegetable origin or chemical synthesis.  Unless specifically excepted or unless listed in another schedule, any of the following substances, except those narcotic drugs listed in other schedules, whether produced directly or indirectly by extraction from substances of vegetable origin, or independently by means of chemical synthesis, or by combination of extraction and chemical synthesis:       (iv) Coca leaves and any salt, compound, derivative, or preparation of coca leaves, and any salt, compound, derivative, or preparation thereof which is chemically equivalent or identical with any of these substances, but not including decocainized coca leaves or extractions which do not contain cocaine or ecgonine. In the course of his brief, defendant-appellant contends that D-cocaine is not covered thereby and inasmuch as no test was made to determine if this were L-cocaine or D-cocaine, there is no proof that this is a controlled substance under the statute. This position cannot rest in either the law or the evidence. The State's expert witness testified without equivocation that the material was cocaine. He made no test to determine if this were L-cocaine or D-cocaine. He also testified that L-cocaine occurs naturally and that D-cocaine is a synthetic composition which is the equivalent of L-cocaine. We must view the evidence in a light most favorable to the prosecution and resolve the evidence in favor of the State. Hovee v. State, Wyo., 596 P.2d 1127, 1133 (1979). The evidence was clearly sufficient to sustain a conviction. United States v. Wilburn, 10 Cir., 549 F.2d 734 (1977); People v. Harper, 193 Colo. 116, 562 P.2d 1112 (1977). We are unable to understand appellant's reliance upon United States v. Orzechowski, 7 Cir., 547 F.2d 978 (1977), certiorari denied 431 U.S. 906, 97 S.Ct. 1701, 52 L.Ed.2d 391 (1977), which is the only authority he cited. It is our view that if Orzechowski was the sole authority available, we would be forced to rule against appellant based thereon.