Court Opinion

ID: 9567565
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-21 19:55:38.888717+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T10:00:40.950611
License: Public Domain

*684CLEMENTS, J.,
concurring, in part, and dissenting, in part.
I continue to agree with that part of the majority opinion that affirms appellant’s conviction for assault and battery of a law enforcement officer. Therefore, I join Part IIB of the majority opinion.
Upon consideration of the petition for rehearing and appellant’s brief in response thereto, however, I conclude that this Court is duty-bound to also affirm appellant’s conviction for possession of an imitation controlled substance with the intent to distribute it. Therefore, I dissent from Part IIA of the majority opinion.
My quarrel with the majority opinion hinges on a fundamental disagreement over the interpretation of and application of the appropriate standard of review. The majority emphasizes the tenet that the evidence must exclude every reasonable hypothesis of innocence and concludes the evidence in this case leaves open such a hypothesis. I believe the majority, in doing so, fails to view the evidence in the light most favorable to the Commonwealth and to defer, as required by our case law,5 to the conclusion of the fact finder that no reasonable hypothesis of innocence remains.
Familiar principles of appellate review require us to examine the evidence in the light most favorable to the Commonwealth, granting to it all reasonable inferences fairly deducible therefrom. See Haskins v. Commonwealth, 31 Va.App. 145, 149-50, 521 S.E.2d 777, 779 (1999). When reviewing the sufficiency of the evidence presented at the trial of the offense to prove the elements of the crime, we “ ‘presume the judg*685ment of the trial court to be correct.’ ” Davis v. Commonwealth, 39 Va.App. 96, 99, 570 S.E.2d 875, 876-77 (2002) (quoting Broom v. Broom, 15 Va.App. 497, 504, 425 S.E.2d 90, 94 (1992)). We reverse only if the trial court’s decision is “plainly wrong or without evidence to support it.” Code § 8.01-680. A court considering a challenge to the sufficiency of the evidence does not “ ‘ask itself whether it believes that the evidence at the trial established guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.’ ” Jackson v. Virginia, 443 U.S. 307, 318-19, 99 S.Ct. 2781, 2789, 61 L.Ed.2d 560 (1979) (quoting Woodby v. INS, 385 U.S. 276, 282, 87 S.Ct. 483, 486, 17 L.Ed.2d 362 (1966)). Rather, the relevant question is whether “any rational trier of fact could have found the essential elements of the crime beyond a reasonable doubt.” Id. at 319, 99 S.Ct. at 2789. In doing so, we are mindful that “[gjreat deference must be given to the fact finder who, having seen and heard the witnesses, assesses their credibility and weighs their testimony.” Walton v. Commonwealth, 255 Va. 422, 426, 497 S.E.2d 869, 871 (1998).
“Where an offense consists of an act combined with a particular intent, proof of the intent is essential to the conviction.” Servis v. Commonwealth, 6 Va.App. 507, 524, 371 S.E.2d 156, 165 (1988). “Because direct proof of intent [to distribute drugs, or imitation drugs] is often impossible, it must be shown by circumstantial evidence.” Id. “Circumstantial evidence is as competent and is entitled to as much weight as direct evidence, provided it is sufficiently convincing to exclude every reasonable hypothesis except that of guilt.” Coleman v. Commonwealth, 226 Va. 31, 53, 307 S.E.2d 864, 876 (1983). Moreover,
[i]n considering an appellant’s alternate hypothesis of innocence in a circumstantial evidence case, we must determine “not whether there is some evidence to support” the appellant’s hypothesis of innocence, but, rather, “whether a reasonable [fact finder], upon consideration of all the evidence, could have rejected [the appellant’s] theories in his defense and found him guilty of [the charged crime] beyond a reasonable doubt.” [Commonwealth] v. [Hudson], 265 Va. *686505, 513, 578 S.E.2d 781, 785 (2003) (internal quotations omitted). Additionally, “circumstantial evidence is not viewed in isolation.” Id. at 514, 578 S.E.2d at 786. “ ‘While no single piece of evidence may be sufficient, the “combined •force of many concurrent and related circumstances, each insufficient in itself, may lead a reasonable mind irresistibly to a conclusion.” ’ ” Derr v. Commonwealth, 242 Va. 413, 425, 410 S.E.2d 662, 669 (1991) (quoting Stamper v. Commonwealth, 220 Va. 260, 273, 257 S.E.2d 808, 818 (1979) (quoting Karnes v. Commonwealth, 125 Va. 758, 764, 99 S.E. 562, 564 (1919))). “Whether an alternate hypothesis of innocence is reasonable is a question of fact and, therefore, is binding on appeal unless plainly wrong.” Archer v. Commonwealth, 26 Va.App. 1, 12-13, 492 S.E.2d 826, 832 (1997).
Emerson v. Commonwealth, 43 Va.App. 263, 277, 597 S.E.2d 242, 249 (2004).
Here, the facts are not in dispute. Nor in dispute is the realization that the outcome of this case turns on the weight to be accorded the testimony of Detective Gavin, the Commonwealth’s expert witness.
Gavin gave three reasons in support of his conclusion that appellant did not possess the substance for personal use: (1) no ingestion devices were found on his person, (2) the packaging was inconsistent with personal use, and (3) the substance was imitation crack, not crack. As to the third point, the majority states the following:
Based on the detective’s trial testimony, the Commonwealth suggests that because the substance possessed was an imitation that could not be used for personal purposes, a fortiori, it must have been possessed by the appellant for distribution. We disagree. There was nothing in the record to suggest that appellant knew that the substance he possessed, which he could have just purchased from the man in the white shirt seen walking away from the porch, was not cocaine, and furthermore, the detective recognized that a person could possess an imitation controlled sub*687stance under two circumstances: “they were either ripped off or possessed it to distribute.” (Emphasis added).
Gavin’s testimony, however, dismantled the hypothesis, and the sole defense theory of the case, that appellant believed he possessed real, not imitation, crack and had indeed been “ripped off.” Gavin stated that if appellant was an experienced user he would have purchased crack in bulk rather than in three packages because he would have been able to obtain more of the substance. If, on the other hand, appellant was an inexperienced user, he would not have purchased that quantity of crack because “[t]hat’s a lot more than a new cocaine user would attempt.” Therefore, be he experienced or be he inexperienced, appellant would not have purchased three packages of the substance, believing it to be crack. As a result, the hypothesis that appellant believed he purchased crack, not imitation crack, for personal use and was “ripped off’ was undermined by Gavin’s testimony. “Merely because defendant’s theory of the case differs from that taken by the Commonwealth does not mean that every reasonable hypothesis consistent with his innocence has not been excluded.” Miles v. Commonwealth, 205 Va. 462, 467, 138 S.E.2d 22, 27 (1964). Consequently, since appellant was not “ripped off,” the only remaining reasonable hypothesis is that he “possessed it to distribute.”
The majority suggests that the evidence failed to exclude another reasonable hypothesis—i.e., “that appellant purchased [the imitation crack] at a quantity discount despite the method of packaging.” I would conclude, however, that neither the evidence nor the defense theory of the case supports this suggestion.6 It is axiomatic that “the Commonwealth need only exclude reasonable hypotheses that flow from the evidence .... ” Hamilton v. Commonwealth, 16 Va.App. 751, 755, 433 S.E.2d 27, 29 (1993) (emphasis added). It is not our task *688to engage in a game of “what if,” or to attempt to create theories that the evidence does not support. This Court should “not base its holdings on ‘what ifs.’ ” Newman v. State, 156 Md.App. 20, 845 A.2d 71, 99 (Md.Ct.Spec.App.2002), rev’d on other grounds, 384 Md. 285, 863 A.2d 321 (Md.Ct.App.2004). Were we to do so there is no limit to the theories that may arise from an inventive mind’s eye—e.g., what if appellant found the imitation crack or was merely holding it for the other man the police observed in the area.
I also disagree with the majority’s assertion that “appellant’s conduct—it is undisputed that appellant tossed the substance away when Officer Riddle approached him—provides further support for the reasonable hypothesis that appellant was a user of cocaine who did not know the substance was not actually cocaine.” On the contrary, this conduct is entirely consistent with that of one who possesses the imitation substance, knowing it to be an imitation substance, and fears being charged with the intent to distribute it.
Finally, I disagree with the following statement by the majority:
With no direct evidence supporting any theory of possession for distribution of imitation narcotics, the Commonwealth invites us to reach the conclusion that if an individual possesses a quantity of imitation narcotics, and there is no evidence to suggest immediate personal ingestion of the substances, the imitation narcotics therefore must be possessed for distribution.
I respectfully aver that neither the Commonwealth nor I advocate the adoption of such a blanket or all-encompassing rule of law. Rather, I advocate the appropriate application of the standard of review to these facts in this case.
Here, the trial judge, sitting as fact finder, assessed Gavin’s credibility and weighed his testimony. The trial judge found appellant guilty of the offense. This Court must give deference to the fact finder and, a fortiori, his assessment of Gavin’s credibility and testimony. I believe that giving proper deference to the fact finder compels us to conclude no reason*689able hypothesis of innocence remains. Accordingly, I am unable to say that no “rational trier of fact could have found the essential elements of the crime beyond a reasonable doubt.” Jackson, 443 U.S. at 319, 99 S.Ct. at 2789. Nor am I able to say that no “reasonable [fact finder] ... could have rejected [the appellant’s] theor[y] in his defense____” Hudson, 265 Va. at 513, 578 S.E.2d at 785. Therefore, I dissent from Part IIA of the majority opinion.

. See, e.g., Molina v. Commonwealth, 47 Va.App. 338, 369, 624 S.E.2d 83, 98, aff'd, 272 Va. 666, 636 S.E.2d 470 (2006); Emerson v. Commonwealth, 43 Va.App. 263, 277, 597 S.E.2d 242, 249 (2004); Archer v. Commonwealth, 26 Va.App. 1, 12-13, 492 S.E.2d 826, 832 (1997); Cantrell v. Commonwealth, 7 Va.App. 269, 290, 373 S.E.2d 328, 339 (1988).

. The majority focuses on the fact that Gavin testified about what "most” crack users do. However, the question is not what is conceivable or possible under any circumstance; the question is what is reasonable under these circumstances. What is reasonable is a question for the fact finder, and we must defer to its findings on appeal.