Thompson v. State

Decision Date28 May 1968
Docket Number3 Div. 345
Citation211 So.2d 505,44 Ala.App. 414
PartiesJames THOMPSON v. STATE.
CourtAlabama Court of Appeals

Warren S. Reese, Jr., Montgomery, for appellant.

MacDonald Gallion, Atty. Gen., and David W. Clark, Asst. Atty. Gen., for the State.

JOHNSON, Judge.

Appellant was indicted by the Grand Jury of Montgomery County under an indictment charging that he did 'unlawfully, wilfully and feloniously possess, sell, furnish, or give away five capsules containing 50 milligrams of Pentobarbital Sodium each and five capsules containing 100 milligrams of Pentobarbital Sodium each, narcotic drugs, contrary to the provisions of Chapter 8 of Title 22 of the 1940 Code of Alabama, as the same has been amended, against the peace and dignity of the State of Alabama.'

After a trial by jury, appellant was found guilty as charged and sentenced to a term of two years in the penitentiary, from which judgment and sentence he now appeals.

J. G. Ward, a member of the Montgomery, Alabama, Police Department, testified for the State that on November 8, 1966, he obtained a warrant to search the residence of the appellant; that he and two other officers went to appellant's residence where, after a search, they found a bottle containing drugs of varying description.

Officer M. E. Bailey testified that he was one of the officers who searched appellant's residence; that there were seven different types of drugs (there were both capsules and pills) and that six of each were sent to the State Toxicologist at Auburn; and that the bottle in which the drugs were found bore no label or markings.

James M. Small testified that he was a chemist with the Alabama State Department of Toxicology; that he analyzed the drugs sent to him by the Montgomery Police Department; that he found there were eight different types of drugs; and that six of these types were Barbital or its salts or compounds.

Dr. C. B. Relfe testified that he had been treating appellant since 1959; that he had on occasions prescribed Pentobarbital in February, June and July of 1966.

Appellant contends in brief that possession of Pentobarbital Sodium as set out in the indictment is a misdemeanor and not a felony, citing Ramsey v. State, 43 Ala.App. 617, 197 So.2d 763. In that case, the indictment read that the appellant 'unlawfully did possess secobarbital sodium and amobarbital sodium, salts of barbital.' There, the trial court assessed a fine of $1.00 and two years in the penitentiary.

As this court, speaking through Price, P.J., stated in Ramsey, supra:

'The pertinent parts of Section 242 of Title 22, Code of Alabama, 1940, as amended, read as follows:

'It shall be unlawful for any person * * * to sell, furnish, or give away any * * * barbital * * * or any derivatives, compounds, or mixtures of any of the drugs possessing hypnotic properties or effects or any salt or compound of any of the foregoing substances, or any preparation or compound containing any of the foregoing substances or their salts, * * *.'

'Section 255(b), Title 22, Code of Alabama, 1940, as amended, reads in part as follows:

'Any person who possesses any narcotic or other drug enumerated in section 242 of this chapter * * * is guilty of a felony, * * *.'

'Section 258(9) of Title 22, Code of Alabama, supra, by reference to section 258(3) of said Title 22, makes the possession of a...

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11 cases
  • Pryor v. State, 1 Div. 147
    • United States
    • Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals
    • August 15, 1972
    ...a misdemeanor. Schenher v. State, 38 Ala.App. 573, 90 So.2d 234; Ramsey v. State, 43 Ala.App. 617, 197 So.2d 763; Thompson v. State,44 Ala.App. 414, 211 So.2d 505; Brandies v. State, 44 Ala.App. 648, 219 So.2d 404; Jordan v. State, 44 Ala.App. 21, 201 So.2d Isonipecaine and methadone hydroc......
  • Greathouse v. State, 1 Div. 34
    • United States
    • Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals
    • June 29, 1971
    ...is limited to those matters at which rulings are invoked at nisi prius. Smith v. State, 40 Ala.App. 600, 119 So.2d 202; Thompson v. State, 44 Ala.App. 414, 211 So.2d 505; Volunteer State Life Ins. Co. v. Danley, 33 Ala.App. 543, 36 So.2d 123, cert. denied 250 Ala. 702, 36 So.2d Testimony of......
  • Conner v. State
    • United States
    • Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals
    • September 25, 1973
    ...is limited to those matters at which rulings are invoked at nisi prius. Smith v. State, 40 Ala.App. 600, 119 So.2d 202; Thompson v. State, 44 Ala.App. 414, 211 So.2d 505; Volunteer State Life Ins. Co. v. Danley, 33 Ala.App. 543, 36 So.2d 123, cert. denied 250 Ala. 702, 36 So.2d At the risk ......
  • Wade v. State, 2 Div. 72
    • United States
    • Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals
    • March 13, 1973
    ...since a review on appeal applies only to rulings invoked at nisi prius. Smith v. State, 40 Ala.App. 600, 119 So.2d 202; Thompson v. State, 44 Ala.App. 414, 211 So.2d 505. On the night of the alleged burglary, witness James Lawrence, Chief of Police of Centreville, testified that he, along w......
  • Request a trial to view additional results

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