Court Opinion

ID: 9626876
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-22 08:26:20.494148+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:06:35.426435
License: Public Domain

ADDENDUM
On Denial of Petition for Rehearing
WALTERS, Chief Judge.
Appellant has petitioned for a rehearing, questioning some factual statements made in the Court’s opinion and reiterating his assertion that an aiding and abetting instruction should not have been given in this case. With respect to the factual questions, we have reviewed the record and we find no reason to change the language of our opinion.
The aiding and abetting question appears to arise from uncertainty regarding the “delivery” that constituted the crime charged. It will be recalled that Nelson allegedly furnished the controlled substance to O’Neil, who in turn presented it to McCarthy, who then sold it to an informant. The prosecutor’s information did not specify the person to whom Nelson allegedly delivered the substance. In argument to the jury, the prosecutor stated that the “delivery” was from Nelson to O’Neil. However, on other occasions, the prosecutor referred to O’Neil as a “middleman,” inferring that the “delivery” was to McCarthy or even, perhaps, to the informant.
On remand, the trial court is directed to ascertain which theory of “delivery” the state intends to advance. Having determined the scope of the crime charged, the court then can determine whether that crime involved any third parties whom Nelson allegedly might have aided or abetted.
BURNETT and SWANSTROM, JJ, concur.