Opinion ID: 2270462
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: manufacturing methamphetamine: instructions.

Text: Appellant next asserts that, even if there was sufficient evidence to support his conviction, the trial court's instructions with respect to the offense of manufacturing methamphetamine were erroneous. We agree. Assuming evidence sufficient to support a conviction under either alternative (chemicals or equipment) of KRS 218A.1432(1)(b), the following instruction or a similar specimen would have properly framed the issue for the jury: You will find the defendant guilty of manufacturing methamphetamine under this instruction if, and only if, you believe from the evidence beyond a reasonable doubt that in this county, on or about (date) and before the finding of the indictment herein, (he)(she) knowingly: A. Had in (his)(her) possession all of the chemicals or all of the equipment necessary for the manufacture of methamphetamine; AND B. Did so with the intent to manufacture methamphetamine. [2] If, as here, the evidence is insufficient to support a conviction under the chemicals alternative but sufficient to support a conviction under the equipment alternative, the words all of the chemicals or would simply be deleted from subsection A of the instruction. In contrast, the instruction given by the trial judge in this case was as follows: You will find the Defendant guilty of manufacturing methamphetamine under this instruction if, and only if, you believe from the evidence beyond a reasonable doubt all of the following: A. That in this county on or about May 14, 1999, he possessed a quantity of methamphetamine, 6 boxes of antihistamine tablets, 2 batteries, 1 glass vial, 1 Kerr Mason jar, 1 glass jar/lid, 6 cans of starting fluid, a black cooking pot, a small glass jar, a weighing scale, 3 pieces of hose (green, black and white), 1 green funnel, 1 wooden stirring spoon, a glove with rock salt, and 1 cotton ball; AND B. That he did so with the intent to manufacture methamphetamine. This instruction was obviously inadequate under the chemicals alternative in KRS 218A.1432(1)(b) because Appellant did not possess two of the chemicals that the Commonwealth's expert testified were necessary to manufacture methamphetamine, i.e., anhydrous ammonia and sulfuric, hydrochloric, or muriatic acid. The adequacy of the instruction under the equipment alternative in KRS 218A.1432(1)(b) is a closer question. Appellant contends that the instruction could not pass muster as an equipment instruction because it also referred to chemicals that were in the vehicle. However, the instruction required the jury to find that Appellant possessed all of the items recovered from the maroon Buick; thus, it is arguable that the inclusion of the chemicals in subsection A of the instruction was harmless since such required the Commonwealth to prove more than was necessary to obtain a conviction under the equipment alternative. [3] Baze v. Commonwealth, Ky., 965 S.W.2d 817, 823 (1997). However, the instructions did not require the jury to believe beyond a reasonable doubt that Appellant possessed all of the equipment necessary to manufacture methamphetamine under some process. The resolution of factual issues in a criminal case is reserved for the jury. Medley v. Commonwealth, Ky., 704 S.W.2d 190, 191 (1985) (the jury always has the option of disbelieving the evidence offered to prove guilt and returning a `not guilty' verdict); Mishler v. Commonwealth, Ky., 556 S.W.2d 676, 680 (1977) (it is the privilege of the jury to believe the unbelievable if the jury so wishes); Rader v. Commonwealth, Ky., 242 S.W.2d 610, 611 (1951) (it is never proper for a court to direct a verdict of guilty where there is a plea of not guilty, notwithstanding the fact that the evidence of his guilt may be convincing), quoting Bardin v. Commonwealth, 191 Ky. 651, 231 S.W. 208, 209 (1921). The Commonwealth's expert did not testify that the equipment found in the maroon Buick was all of the equipment necessary to manufacture methamphetamine, though his testimony was sufficient to create a reasonable inference of that fact. But even if he had so testified, it was for the jury to decide whether to accept that testimony. Under the instruction, as given, if the jurors believed beyond a reasonable doubt that Appellant was in possession of the items found in the maroon Buick, they were to find him guiltyregardless of whether they believed that those items constituted all of the equipment necessary to manufacture methamphetamine. (Appellant questioned the Commonwealth's expert as to whether a pair of pliers or some similar piece of equipment would also be needed in order to extract the lithium from the batteries. The expert posited that the lithium could be extracted by stomping on the batteries and peeling off the cardboard.) The failure of the instructions to require the jury to find beyond a reasonable doubt that Appellant possessed all of the equipment for the manufacture of methamphetamine requires reversal and remand for a new trial.
Appellant also asserts that the trial judge should have instructed the jury on criminal attempt to manufacture methamphetamine as a lesser included offense. This argument fails for the same reason as the Commonwealth's argument that possession of some but less than all of the necessary chemicals or equipment would support conviction of the primary offense. As noted in Part III of this opinion supra, the 2002 enactment of KRS 218A.1437(1), possession of a methamphetamine precursor, created a Class D felony that is a lesser included offense of the Class B felony of manufacturing methamphetamine. Criminal attempt to manufacture methamphetamine by possession of some but less than all of the necessary chemicals or equipment, however, would be a Class C felony. KRS 506.010(4)(c). It thus would be incongruous to interpret this statutory scheme as creating a Class D felony for possession of a methamphetamine precursor but a Class C felony for possession of, e.g., lithium batteries, starting fluid, a Mason jar, a wooden spoon, or a cotton ball. Admittedly, the incongruity is less apparent where, as here, the manufacturing offense is predicated solely upon possession of equipment and not chemicals. However, if there were sufficient evidence to create a jury issue under both theories, logic would preclude a conclusion that criminal attempt would be a lesser included offense under the equipment alternative but not under the chemicals alternative. Consistency prevents us from holding that criminal attempt is a lesser included offense when, as here, the evidence supports a conviction under the equipment alternative but not the chemicals alternative, and not when the evidence would support a conviction under both alternatives. E.g., 2A Sutherland Statutory Construction § 46:05, at 175-76 (The general rule is followed that prior and later statutes dealing with the same subject matter although in apparent conflict, should as far as reasonably possible be construed in harmony with each other so as to allow both to stand and to give force and effect to each.). Such an interpretation would also bring the statute perilously close to being void for vagueness as discussed in Part VI of this Opinion, infra. Kentucky is the only jurisdiction with a statute, i.e., KRS 218A.1432(1)(b), that specifically equates possession of the chemicals or equipment necessary for the manufacture of methamphetamine with manufacturing methamphetamine (though the Supreme Court of Kansas has interpreted its manufacturing methamphetamine statute, Kan. Stat. Ann. § 65-4159, as applying when the defendant could have successfully manufactured methamphetamine, State v. Martens, 54 P.3d 960, 965 (Kan.2002)). Other jurisdictions treat possession of all of the chemicals or equipment necessary to manufacture methamphetamine as evidence of a criminal attempt to actually manufacture methamphetamine. E.g., United States v. Anderson, 987 F.2d 251, 255-56 (5th Cir.1993) (conviction of attempt to manufacture methamphetamine upheld on evidence of fully functioning methamphetamine laboratory in which actual cooking of methamphetamine ingredients was in process, and of presence of a recipe for manufacturing methamphetamine); State v. Rollett, 80 S.W.3d 514, 519, 523 (Mo.Ct.App.2002) (purchase of pseudoephedrine while in possession of every other item necessary to manufacture methamphetamine sufficient to convict of attempt to manufacture methamphetamine). Thus, our General Assembly has elevated what other jurisdictions regard as a criminal attempt to the same status as the primary offense. While not unprecedented, see Mo.Rev.Stat. § 195.211(2), discussed infra, that fact does create an issue as to whether mere possession of some but less than all of the necessary chemicals or equipment can constitute a Class C criminal attempt under KRS 506.010 to violate what otherwise would be a Class B criminal attempt under KRS 218A.1432(1)(b). Missouri's courts have held that mere possession of some but less than all of the necessary chemicals or equipment for the manufacture of methamphetamine is insufficient to prove even the intent element of the lesser included offense of possession of a precursor with the intent to manufacture methamphetamine. Mo.Rev.Stat. § 195.420. See State v. Agee, 37 S.W.3d 834, 838-39 (Mo.Ct.App.2001) (possession of 168 tablets of pseudoephedrine and a propane tank insufficient to prove intent to use pseudoephedrine to manufacture methamphetamine); State v. Arles, 998 S.W.2d 136, 139-40 (Mo.Ct.App.1999) (purchase of twelve boxes of suphedrine, lamp oil, solvent, coffee filters, air line tubing, propane, Coleman fuel, and alcohol insufficient to prove possession of suphedrine with intent to manufacture methamphetamine); State v. Morrow, 996 S.W.2d 679, 683 (Mo.Ct.App.1999) (purchase of five bottles of pseudoephedrine and ephedrine, toluene, and Liquid Fire drain cleaner insufficient to prove possession of precursors with intent to manufacture methamphetamine). In State v. Withrow, 8 S.W.3d 75 (Mo.1999) (en banc), the Supreme Court of Missouri addressed the relationship between a Missouri statute proscribing both manufacturing methamphetamine and attempting to manufacture methamphetamine, Mo.Rev.Stat. § 195.211(2), a Class B felony, and Missouri's general criminal attempt statute, Mo.Rev.Stat. 564.011, which is similar though not identical to KRS 506.010, [4] and which also classifies an attempt to commit a Class B felony as a Class C felony. Id. at 78. Withrow concluded that the statutory scheme did not create two levels of criminal attempt but simply elevated criminal attempt to manufacture methamphetamine from a Class C felony to a Class B felony, and overruled previous lower court cases holding that there could be a criminal attempt under Mo.Rev.Stat. 564.011 to attempt to manufacture methamphetamine under Mo.Rev.Stat. § 195.211(2). Id. at 78-80. Likewise, we conclude that the legislative intent in enacting KRS 218A.1432(1)(b) was to elevate what would otherwise support a conviction of a Class C felony under KRS 506.010 to a Class B felony, [5] and that the subsequent enactment of KRS 218A.1437(1) as a Class D felony reconfirmed the absence of a legislative intent that possession of a chemical or item of equipment other than a precursor (or anhydrous ammonia in an unapproved container) would constitute a Class C felony. Seatrain Shipbuilding Corp. v. Shell Oil Co., 444 U.S. 572, 596, 100 S.Ct. 800, 814, 63 L.Ed.2d 36 (1980); Fed. Hous. Admin. v. Darlington, Inc., 358 U.S. 84, 90, 79 S.Ct. 141, 145, 3 L.Ed.2d 132 (1958). This does not mean that there could never be a conviction of criminal attempt to manufacture methamphetamine. For example, a defendant who possessed less than all the necessary chemicals to manufacture methamphetamine could be convicted of criminal attempt to violate KRS 218A.1432(1)(a) if he had already begun the manufacturing process. United States v. Smith, 264 F.3d 1012, 1016-17 (10th Cir.2001) (though possessing less than everything needed to manufacture methamphetamine, defendant had begun the initial step in the manufacturing process, i.e., soaking the ground-up pseudoephedrine tablets in water). Or, the defendant may engage in other actions leaving no reasonable doubt of a criminal intent. In United States v. Johnson, 767 F.2d 673 (10th Cir.1985), a conviction of attempt to manufacture methamphetamine was upheld where the defendant purchased fifty-five pounds of a chemical precursor and there was additional evidence that the defendant used an alias, requested that the substance be mislabeled, and agreed to pay $900.00 per gallon for a product having a market value of $323.00 per gallon. Id. at 675. There could also be a conviction of criminal attempt to violate KRS 218A.1432(1)(b) if the defendant attempted but failed to obtain possession of all of the chemicals or equipment necessary to manufacture methamphetamine. E.g., in United States v. Leopard, 936 F.2d 1138 (10th Cir.1991), a conviction of attempt to manufacture methamphetamine was upheld where the defendant arranged to purchase from an undercover government agent a complete methamphetamine laboratory installed in a U-Haul truck, paid for it, accepted the keys to the truck, and was arrested while attempting to drive the truck away from the scene. Id. at 1140-41. The fact that the agent had failed to include in the delivery a heater, aluminum foil, and a distillation agent was held not to require reversal in light of the circumstances clearly evincing a criminal intent. Id. at 1141. Under Kentucky law, the defendant in this scenario could be convicted of at least criminal attempt to violate KRS 218A.1432(1)(b) because he had attempted to acquire possession of all the necessary chemicals or equipment to manufacture methamphetamine. Cf. State v. McAdam, 31 Kan.App.2d 436, 66 P.3d 252, 257 (2003) (evidence that defendant and others attempted to steal anhydrous ammonia when they were already in possession of everything they needed to manufacture methamphetamine except anhydrous ammonia sufficient to support a conviction of conspiracy to manufacture methamphetamine). No cases, however, are found where mere possession of some but less than all of the chemicals or equipment for the manufacture of methamphetamine was held sufficient to support a conviction of criminal attempt.
Finally, in his petition for rehearing, Appellant requests that the trial court be directed on remand to instruct the jury on possession of a methamphetamine precursor, KRS 218A.1437(1), as a lesser included offense, citing KRS 446.110, which provides in pertinent part: If any penalty, forfeiture or punishment is mitigated by any provision of the new law, such provision may, by the consent of the party affected, be applied to any judgment pronounced after the new law takes effect. See Commonwealth v. Phon, Ky., 17 S.W.3d 106, 107-108 (2000). According to Appellant, KRS 218A.1437(1), by creating a new lesser included offense, effectively mitigated the penalty or punishment imposed by KRS 218A.1432(1)(b). We need not decide here this apparently novel question of whether a newly created lesser included offense is within the purview of KRS 446.110. Since we hold that Appellant cannot be convicted under the chemicals alternative of KRS 218A.1432(1)(b), the new statute does not create a lesser included offense applicable to this case. Instead, it creates a separate offense that is not applicable to this case because it was created after the conduct for which Appellant was indicted occurred. U.S. Const., Art. I, §§ 9-10; Ky. Const. § 19.