Opinion ID: 2621322
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Kit and Alice Burdg

Text: Detective Tim Kuzanek of the Washoe County Sheriff's Office, who was assigned to the Consolidated Narcotics Unit, received information in late 1998 and early 1999 about a methamphetamine manufacturing operation at 294 East Ninth Street in Sun Valley. Based on this information, on August 24, 2000, Detective Kuzanek examined the garbage from the property. This revealed several items that are commonly seen at methamphetamine operations, including a possible chemical bottle and ph papers, which are used to test acidic or base levels when manufacturing methamphetamine. Using this evidence, Detective Kuzanek obtained a search warrant for the property, which belonged to Kit Burdg. That same day, law enforcement officers conducted a search of the property. During the search, law enforcement officers found several items in a shed that was located on the property, including flasks, funnels, scales, gloves, stained rags, ph papers, a hot plate, duct tape, coffee filters, aspirin, an electric fan, razor blades, plastic bottles, drug paraphernalia, jars, matches without striker plates, ephedrine tablets, a bottle of hydrogen peroxide, a butane torch, a can of Coleman fuel, bottles of Red Devil lye, a bottle suspected of containing iodine, a container suspected of containing acid, and a can suspected of containing acetone. Officers also found in the shed papers with Kit's name and a pay and owe sheet. [1] Notably, a presumptive chemical test conducted on some white powder obtained from the property was positive for the presence of pseudoephedrine, a chemical used to manufacture methamphetamine. Kit Burdg voluntarily turned himself in following the search, and he was arrested. Alice Burdg, Kit's wife, was arrested soon thereafter. Alice and Kit Burdg were charged with the crime of possession of a majority of the ingredients required to manufacture a controlled substance, a felony violation under NRS 453.322(1)(b). On September 25, 2000, a preliminary hearing was held. At the preliminary hearing there was conflicting testimony regarding the ingredients required to manufacture methamphetamine. Detective Kuzanek testified that he had made methamphetamine under laboratory conditions, using red phosphorus, iodine, ephedrine or pseudoephedrine, Coleman fuel, muriatic acid, [and] Red Devil lye. Christopher Adduci, an agent for the Drug Enforcement Administration, testified that two or three substances are adequate to manufacture methamphetamine. Agent Adduci testified that the ingredients used to manufacture methamphetamine were not themselves controlled substances, but were common substances, consisting of pseudoephedrine (an ingredient in many common household cold/flu medicines), red phosphorus (which can be extracted from common household matches), and iodine. He also indicated that there can be others, but he could not testify as to what other chemical substances were needed. After the preliminary hearing, Alice and Kit were bound over on the charged crime. On November 13, 2000, Kit filed a pretrial petition for writ of habeas corpus, arguing among other things that NRS 453.322(1)(b) is unconstitutionally overbroad and vague. Alice joined in Kit's petition, adopting his argument, but she added an additional argumentthe State failed to present any evidence that Alice resided on the property when the raid occurred. On June 6, 2001, the district court granted the Burdgs' petitions for writs of habeas corpus, ruling that NRS 453.322(1)(b) is void for vagueness, and therefore is unconstitutional.