Opinion ID: 2582263
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: Drug Tax Stamp Instruction

Text: In a related argument, the defendant contends the trial court erred in failing to instruct the jury that, in order to convict defendant of possession of methamphetamine without affixing drug tax stamps, it must find defendant had the opportunity to affix the stamps. Again, the defendant relies on State v. Edwards for the proposition that opportunity to affix the stamps is an element of the crime. The defendant did not request such an instruction at trial; therefore, this court reviews the issue under a clearly erroneous standard. State v. Pabst, 273 Kan. 658, 660, 44 P.3d 1230, cert. denied 537 U.S. 959 (2002). The Court of Appeals panel in this case relied on Alvarez and Curry in rejecting the defendant's argument. The panel followed the holding of Curry : `Where the evidence will support a jury finding that a defendant had actual possession of a controlled substance or possession with sufficient control to allow any opportunity to immediately affix drug tax stamps to the drugs, it is not clearly erroneous for the district court to fail to give an instruction, sua sponte, requiring the jury to find defendant had sufficient possession of the drug to allow defendant an opportunity to affix the drug tax stamps.' Schoonover, slip op. at 24 (quoting Curry, 29 Kan. App. 2d 392, Syl. ś 3). As discussed in the preceding issue, the Curry analysis is more persuasive than Edwards. In this case, where the defendant clearly had sufficient possession and control over the methamphetamine found in the cooler to permit his immediately affixing drug tax stamps, the trial court did not err in failing to instruct the jury that the defendant must have had an opportunity to affix the drug tax stamps. The jury in this case was instructed on the definition of possession as provided in PIK 3d 67.13-D. The PIK instruction, which focuses on control, was sufficient. See Curry, 29 Kan. App. 2d at 398. There was no error in the instruction.