Leonardi v. State, 59576
| Decision Date | 11 June 1980 |
| Docket Number | No. 59576,59576 |
| Citation | 268 S.E.2d 380,154 Ga.App. 402 |
| Parties | LEONARDI v. The STATE. |
| Court | Georgia Court of Appeals |
Michael Weinstock, Atlanta, for appellant.
Thomas J. Charron, Dist. Atty., for appellee.
The defendant was convicted on a two-count indictment charging cocaine sales. The trial chronology is substantially as follows: Garson, a friend of the defendant, was won over by statements of a waitress (who turned out to be a police informer) that she liked and needed cocaine, that there was a great deal of money to be made by supplying it, and that she had a friend who could dispose of all he could get. Garson testified for the defendant that he was convinced by these statements, repeated them to the defendant and suggested that the latter meet the girl and consider being an intermediary. They went to her apartment where she produced the supposed buyer, who was in fact a member of the narcotics squad. Garson thereafter went to Florida and decided to give up the scheme. The defendant, encouraged by both Garson and the girl, went to New York, where according to his testimony he contacted old acquaintances, turned up a supplier, and returned to Georgia with cocaine samples, two of which he sold to the police officer. Upon the ensuing trial his plea of entrapment was unavailing and he appeals from a conviction on both counts.
1. The evidence, uncontradicted as to the main events, is confused as to intent in that each witness understandably attempted to shift blame. The narcotics agent, testifying for the state, told the jury that he met the defendant at the informer's apartment, that the defendant initiated the conversation by asking him what he was in the market for and told him he had good connections in New York; that the agent said he could use one or two pounds and the defendant gave him a telephone number, and on his return from New York had two more meetings at which he sold two "samples" and took an order for 2.2 pounds.
The informer testified for the state that Garson first approached her saying he had a friend with a New York source and did she know anyone interested in buying cocaine. She accordingly arranged the meeting at her apartment at which the agent, the defendant and Garson were present. She admitted having worked for the police for over a year, being paid on a cash basis, and hearing Garson insist they could make a lot of money.
Garson testified for the defendant that the informer first begged him to find drugs for her saying she really liked cocaine, that when she persisted he decided to help her; that he was excited by her representations to him that they could make a lot of money that he conveyed this anticipation to the defendant who became eager to participate due to this urging, that the agent told them at the apartment that funds were no problem; he could take any amount they could turn up, but that he decided, when in Florida visiting his parents, that he did not want to participate but that he did not tell the defendant this.
Leonardi testified that when he went to the informer's apartment he had no intention of selling cocaine, that he at first tried to discourage Garson but later became excited over the amount of money ($50,000) they assured him he could make, that he was talked into it, that he had no drug source but after being over-persuaded he contacted old friends in New York and did turn up a drug source from whom he bought the samples which he sold to the undercover agent on his return.
"Entrapment exists where the idea and intention of the commission of the crime originated with a government officer or employee, or with an agent of either, and he, by undue persuasion, incitement, or deceitful means, induced the accused to commit the act which the accused would not have committed except for the conduct of such officer." Code § 26-905. The appellant...
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Ellis v. State
...constitute entrapment; if it did, practically every offender could find and rely on such incidents in his own past." Leonardi v. State, 154 Ga.App. 402, 405, 268 S.E.2d 380. Hoskens' assertion of the general grounds is without 2. Appellants Rickman and Ellis appeal from the denial of their ......
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State v. Glenn
...State v. Rogers, 173 Ga.App. 653, 327 S.E.2d 782 (1985); Henderson v. State, 162 Ga.App. 320, 292 S.E.2d 77 (1982); Leonardi v. State, 154 Ga.App. 402, 268 S.E.2d 380 (1980). 4. See also, e.g., Brown v. State, 223 Ga.App. 364, 477 S.E.2d 623 (1996) (Columbus Police Department used paid info......
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Gray v. State
...entrapment; if it did, practically every offender could find and rely on such incidents in his own past." Leonardi v. State, 154 Ga.App. 402, 405(1), 268 S.E.2d 380 (1980). If it was error to fail to disclose the identity of the informant in this case, it would be error to fail to disclose ......
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Paras v. State
...and cit. Even repeated requests and offers of money do not make out an entrapment situation as a matter of law. Leonardi v. State, 154 Ga.App. 402(1), 268 S.E.2d 380 (1980) and cits.; Jones v. State, 154 Ga.App. 21(2), 267 S.E.2d 323 (1980) and cits. Enumerated error 6 is without 3. Enumera......