Opinion ID: 1150524
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: counts i and iii: irwin

Text: Larry Irwin testified that defendants Joseph and Ward had been partners, working as narcotics detectives of the Salinas Police Department from the time of their promotion to that rank in July 1973. Defendant Backus, a sergeant in the same department, had been their immediate supervisor throughout the period in which the offenses allegedly were committed. On the evening of December 4, 1974, Irwin, a Salinas Police Department detective, and his partner, Detective Oliver, arrested Melinda Spears in her hotel room and seized approximately 30 balloons of heroin as well as a packet of uncut heroin. Spears, a companion who had also been arrested in the hotel room, and the contraband, were taken to the detective division office at the police station. The heroin was weighed and tested by a police detective who returned it to Irwin. Irwin placed it in a cellophane bag on his desk. Shortly thereafter Backus, Ward, and Joseph looked at it, after which Irwin placed it in his desk which he locked. Irwin testified that on the morning after the arrest Backus told Irwin to give the narcotics to him to be put downstairs or in the evidence room. When Irwin checked the contents of the cellophane bag before giving it to Backus, several of the balloons were missing, as was the packet of uncut heroin. On the evening of the arrest, defendants asked Irwin if Spears was willing to turn in her supplier. Irwin told them that he believed she would do anything as she did not want to go to jail. He also told them that Spears had stated that she was a heroin addict. At the request of the four officers, Spears telephoned her supplier, Minnesota, in Pinole, ordered two or three ounces of heroin puppies, and was told by Minnesota to come up the following day when he would have some puppies. Irwin could not go to Pinole. Oliver was to go. Backus told Joseph to go, but would not authorize Ward to accompany them. Ward planned to take time off to go along. Irwin overheard Ward, Joseph, and Oliver discuss a plan to have Joseph take Spears to his home for the night. Backus was not a participant in this discussion.