1. Criminal Law--subject matter jurisdiction--failure to instruct jury
The trial court did not err in a heroin trafficking prosecution by not instructing the jury
on subject-matter jurisdiction where the State's evidence tended to show that defendant became
involved in drug dealing between New York City and Durham and was arrested in New York in
possession of heroin. While defendant contended that the only drugs admitted into evidence
were those in his possession when he was arrested in New York, the only crimes with which
defendant was charged indisputably took place in North Carolina, the primary evidence against
defendant was an accomplice's testimony, and defendant's possession of drugs in New York was
introduced to corroborate the accomplice's testimony.
2. Constitutional Law--double jeopardy--heroin trafficking--prior conviction in
federal court--not raised at trial
A heroin trafficking defendant's contention that prosecution in North Carolina following
a federal conviction constituted double jeopardy was waived where not raised in the trial court.
Appeal by defendant Troy Anthony White from judgment entered
23 October 1997 by Judge Robert L. Farmer, in Superior Court,
Wake County. Heard in the Court of Appeals 18 May 1999.
Michael F. Easley, Attorney General, by W. Dale Talbert,
Special Deputy Attorney General, for the State.
Manning & Crouch, by James A. Crouch, for defendant-
appellant.
WYNN, Judge.
Defendant Troy Anthony White appeals his convictions for
trafficking in heroin by possession, transportation and
manufacture of 28 grams or more of heroin. We find no error in
either his trial or the sentence awarded to him. At trial, the State's evidence tended to show that in 1991
White met Roberto Arroyo while working as a contractor in New
York. At some point thereafter, the two men discussed and
eventually entered the drug-dealing business. On at least four
occasions, Arroyo supplied White with at least four hundred grams
of heroin. Although these deliveries were made in New York,
White told Arroyo that he was selling the drugs in North
Carolina.
In August 1993, Derrick Johnson, an acquaintance of White,
moved to North Carolina and began working for him in the drug-
dealing business. Johnson testified that on numerous occasions
he was involved in a cutting and bagging operation led by White.
Further, he stated that each cutting and bagging session yielded
over eight-thousand bags of heroin, each containing about one
sixteenth of a gram. Johnson also testified that he was involved
in the distribution end of the drug-dealing business.
Specifically, he stated that he would sell the drugs in Durham,
North Carolina on Reservoir Street, and in or around a house
located on Primitive Street--both areas known for the high number
of heroin sales that have taken place there.
After an extensive investigation into White's activities,
New York authorities, working in conjunction with North Carolina
authorities, arrested White in New York while he was inpossession of 365.7 grams of heroin. Thereafter, White was
charged and tried for the aforementioned crimes in North
Carolina.
Prior to and during trial, White moved to dismiss the
charges for lack of subject matter jurisdiction contending that
the State failed to produce sufficient evidence showing that he
committed the crimes within the territorial boundaries of North
Carolina. The trial court denied these motions. Further, the
trial court denied White's request to instruct the jury on lack
of subject matter jurisdiction. Following his conviction on all
counts. This appeal ensued.
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
[1]On appeal, White first argues that the trial court erred
in failing to instruct the jury on lack of subject-matter
jurisdiction. We disagree.
It is well settled law that an act must have occurred within
the territorial boundaries of the state to be punishable as a
crime in this state. State v. Jones, 227 N.C. 94, 96, 40 S.E.2d
700, 701 (1946). Accordingly, North Carolina courts have
jurisdiction over a crime if any of the essential acts forming
the offense occurred in this State. See State v. Vines, 317 N.C.
242, 250-51, 345 S.E.2d 169, 174 (1986).
When a defendant moves to challenge the State's jurisdictionover a particular crime, the burden is placed upon the State to
prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the crime occurred in North
Carolina. See State v. Rick, 342 N.C. 91, 99, 463 S.E.2d 182,
186 (1995). Further, in those cases where jurisdiction is
contested, if the trial court makes a preliminary determination
that sufficient evidence exists upon which a jury could conclude
beyond a reasonable doubt that the [crime] occurred in North
Carolina, the trial court must instruct the jury that unless the
State has satisfied it beyond a reasonable doubt that the [crime]
occurred in North Carolina, a verdict of not guilty should be
returned. Id. at 100-01, 463 S.E.2d at 187. Moreover, the jury
should also be instructed that if it is not so satisfied, it must
return a special verdict indicating lack of jurisdiction. See
State v. Batdorf, 293 N.C. 486, 497, 238 S.E.2d 497, 504 (1977).
However, when the facts upon which the court finds jurisdiction
are not in dispute, a jury instruction regarding jurisdiction is
not warranted. See State v. Callahan, 77 N.C. App. 164, 169, 334
S.E.2d 424 (1985).
In the case sub judice, White contends that North Carolina
did not have jurisdiction over this crime because there was
insufficient evidence that he trafficked heroin in this State.
In support of this argument, White notes that the only drugs that
were admitted into evidence were those found in his possessionwhen he was arrested in New York. This argument is misplaced.
First, the confiscated drugs introduced into evidence were
not used as part of the State's substantive evidence.
Significantly, the trial court informed the jury that you cannot
take into account any amount of heroin that the Defendant had in
his possession outside of North Carolina. Thus, the jury was
specifically instructed not to consider any of White's alleged
criminal acts that took place outside of this State.
Further, the only crimes for which White was being charged
indisputably took place in North Carolina. The State's primary
evidence against White was Johnson's testimony to the effect that
he saw White cut, bag, and sell heroin in North Carolina. The
State referred to White's possession of drugs in New York not as
a means of trying him for that crime, but rather to corroborate
Johnson's testimony.
Additionally, we note that White improperly relied on State
v. Bright, 131 N.C. App. 57, 505 S.E.2d 317 (1998) and State v.
Batdorf, 293 N.C. 486, 238 S.E.2d 497 (1977) to support his
argument. In those cases, the respective courts held that a jury
instruction regarding jurisdiction was warranted because it was
unclear whether the crime was committed in this State. For
example, in Bright the defendant was charged with rape and other
sex offenses and the question was whether those unlawful actstook place in this State. Similarly, in Batdorf the defendant
was charged with murder and it was unclear whether the murder
itself was committed in North Carolina. In the instant case,
however, it is undisputed that heroin trafficking took place in
North Carolina; rather, the sole question is whether White was
the perpetrator of that crime. Therefore, Bright and Batdorf are
distinguishable.
Indeed, this case is more analogous to State v. Callahan, 77
N.C. App. 164, 334 S.E.2d 424 (1985), where the defendant was
charged with certain drug offenses and the question was not
whether the particular drug sale took place in North Carolina,
but whether the defendant, an undisputed drug dealer in South
Carolina, was the perpetrator of the North Carolina drug offense.
That is, unlike Bright and Batdorf, the question was not whether
the crime itself took place in North Carolina, but whether the
defendant was the perpetrator of that crime in this State. In
Callahan, we ruled that in that circumstance, an instruction on
jurisdiction was properly denied. We see no reason to depart
from the precedent of that case. In sum, we find that the State
sought to prosecute White for a crime that took place in this
State. This case does not involve a situation whereby a crime
occurred that might not have taken place in North Carolina. The
trafficking at issue in the case sub judice undoubtedly occurredhere; the only issue was whether White committed that offense.
Any reference to White's alleged criminal activity outside of
this State was not used as a substantive part of the State's
evidence. Since North Carolina was the only location where the
crime White was charged with could take place, White's first
assignment of error is without merit.
White's next two assignments of error involve contentions
that the trial court improperly denied his motion to dismiss and
improperly allowed evidence concerning his arrest in New York.
We hold that these assignments of error are wholly without merit
and teeter on the edge of being frivolous. Accordingly, we
summarily reject them.
[2]Lastly, White contends that the State's prosecution for
the substantive offenses of trafficking more than 28 grams of
heroin by sale, delivery, manufacture, transportation or
possession violated both N.C. Gen. Stat. § 90-97 and the Double
Jeopardy Clause of the United States and North Carolina
Constitutions. Specifically, White contends that the acts for
which he was prosecuted in North Carolina were the same acts
for which he was previously prosecuted and convicted in federal
court. White concedes that he failed to raise this issue at the
trial court level and accordingly first sets forth this alleged
error on appeal. The constitutional right not to be placed in jeopardy twice
for the same offense, like other constitutional rights, may be
waived. State v. Hopkins, 279 N.C. 473, 475, 183 S.E.2d 657,
659 (1971). To avoid waiving this right, a defendant must
properly raise the issue of double jeopardy before the trial
court. See State v. McKenzie, 292 N.C. 170, 175, 232 S.E.2d 424,
428 (1977). Failure to raise this issue at the trial court level
precludes reliance on the defense on appeal. Id. Simply put,
double jeopardy protection may not be raised on appeal unless
the defense and the facts underlying it are brought first to the
attention of the trial court. Id. at 176, 232 S.E.2d at 428.
In the case sub judice, White failed to bring his double
jeopardy defense to the attention of the trial court. Therefore,
he has waived his right to this defense and we refuse to address
it on appeal.
No error.
Judge GREENE concurs.
Judge Martin concurs in the result.
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