Court Opinion

ID: 9774244
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-29 18:12:35.358786+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T07:32:04.269077
License: Public Domain

PREWITT, Judge,
dissenting.
I respectfully dissent. I do not think that the evidence established beyond a reasonable doubt that there was an agreement to sell marijuana. There is an obvious difference between an intention to sell and an agreement to sell. Such an agreement is required by § 564.016.1, RSMo 1978. It states:
Conspiracy-1. A person is guilty of conspiracy with another person or persons to commit an offense if, with the purpose of promoting or facilitating its commission he agrees with such other person or persons that they or one or more of them will engage in conduct which constitutes such offense.
“The essence of the crime of conspiracy is an agreement to commit a crime.” State v. Fetty, 654 S.W.2d 150, 153 (Mo.App.1983). State v. Hokensee, 650 S.W.2d 268, 275-276 (Mo.App.1982), states that § 564.-016.1, RSMo 1978, “focuses upon the conduct of one person” and it is sufficient if that one person alone agrees to commit the offense. See also State v. Mace, 682 S.W.2d 163, 165-166 (Mo.App.1984). However, here there was no evidence that anyone agreed to sell marijuana.
The size of the anticipated purchase was sufficient for the jury to find that defendant and the two others agreed to purchase with the intent of one or more of them to sell. It was highly likely that selling the marijuana was the reason for their agreement to purchase it but to convict for a conspiracy to sell there must be evidence that defendant “agrees with such other person or persons that they or one or more of them will engage in conduct which constitutes such offense.” The question then is whether it can be reasonably inferred from the agreement to purchase that defendant agreed that he or one or more of the others who intended to purchase would sell at least part of the marijuana.
If purchased, that all or most of the marijuana was going to be sold does not infer an agreement to do so. Perhaps there was a “conspiracy” to purchase marijuana so the purchasers could sell it, but that one or more of them may have intended to sell the marijuana does not indicate that there was any agreement to do so. The marijuana could have been divided and each have done whatever he wished with it. *603Although that may have included sales of it, to do so would not require an agreement from any of them. If divided, and the evidence does not indicate whether or not it was going to be, there is nothing in the evidence from which it might be inferred that one of the prospective purchasers would have gone counter to any agreement had he, for whatever reason, not sold it It is not a reasonable or necessary inference that by agreeing to purchase the marijuana there was also an agreement to sell it.
Although it may be a fair inference that defendant or the others intended to sell, there was insufficient evidence that defendant ever agreed that he or they would do so. Absent such an agreement, under § 564.016.1 there is no conspiracy. For that reason I would reverse the judgment.