Court Opinion

ID: 9626850
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-22 08:25:30.116477+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:06:34.582296
License: Public Domain

Hill, Justice,
dissenting in part.
Although I concur in Division 2 of the per curiam opinion, I dissent from Division 1.
The uncontradicted evidence shows that the juvenile was an informer for the state. An undercover GBI agent initiated the marijuana purchase, the defendant contacted the juvenile and the two of them tried to contact the deputy, the agent provided the transportation, the deputy’s informant took money furnished by the defendant and bought marijuana for the agent, and *482although the defendant got neither marijuana nor profit she was convicted and sentenced to two years in prison for selling marijuana.
I am not convinced that the defendant "sold” marijuana. If anything, she was "buying” marijuana rather than "selling” it. However, I am convinced that if the defendant can be convicted of "selling” marijuana, her conduct was solicited by a government employee, the idea of the commission of the crime originated with that government employee, and the defendant would not have committed the act except for the conduct of the government employee and the informer. See Code § 26-905.
It is not the function of law enforcement officers to manufacture crimes. See Sherman v. United States, 356 U. S. 369, 372 (78 SC 819, 2 LE2d 848) (1958). In my view, law enforcement officers and agents manufactured this "sale,” if it be a sale by this defendant, and I would set the conviction aside.