Gault v. State

Henderson, J., delivered the opinion of the Court. In a trial before the court without a jury, the appellant was convicted on a charge of being a second offender under the narcotics drug law (Code (1957), Art. 27, Sec. 300). The facts are not in dispute. Early in the morning of August 12, 1962, three police officers went to 739 Newington Avenue in Baltimore City, armed with a warrant to arrest Jerry Long who had been charged with “serious assault.” Sergeant Smedberg and another officer went to the third floor apartment, where ⁸⁰ they were admitted by the owner, Shirley Bynum, and exhibited the warrant to the appellant and three other persons present.

Long was not there. In the meantime, Officer Thomas, who had taken a station in the rear alley, saw Shirley Bynum come out on the porch and put something in a garbage can. A few moments later he was struck in the head by a tinfoil package thrown from the porch of the third floor apartment by a person whom he identified as an occupant of the apartment, Gibson. He picked up the package, opened it and saw that it contained a number of white capsules.

He then went up the outside stairs and handed the package to the Sergeant. The occupants were arrested and a search of the apartment, with the permission of Shirley Bynum, revealed a brown bag containing narcotics paraphernalia in a garbage can on the porch. Subsequent examination by a United States chemist, Mills, revealed that the capsules and the paraphernalia contained heroin. The sergeant called Officer Vick of the narcotics squad.

He went to the apartment and examined the package and paraphernalia. He testified that Gault had twenty-six puncture marks on his arm, which appeared to be “fresh”. The occupants were then taken to the station house and charged. Next morning, Gault admitted to Captain Carroll that he and Shirley Bynum had put up the money with which he bought the heroin, and that they each had had an injection when the police arrived at her apartment.

Gault took the stand and testified that he never admitted anything except being in the apartment, although the officers beat him, which they all denied. Cf. Robinson v. State, 138 Md. 137 . Counsel for the appellant first raises the point that because the confession was not reduced to writing, it is inadmissible.

He argues that since the burden is on the State to establish that the confession is voluntary, it should not be permitted to prove an “oral” confession. It is universally held that, in the absence of statute, an oral confession is competent and admissible. See Thomas v. United States, 15 F. 2d 958 (C.C.A. 8th); 2 Wharton, Criminal Evidence (12th ed.) §§ 339, 340. An oral confession that has been taken down but not signed may be admissible, or at least used to refresh recollection.

Cf. Cooper v. State, 205 Md. 162, 169 , cert. den. 348 U. S. 896 . Oral con ⁸¹ fessions have repeatedly been received in evidence in this State. See Glaros v. State, 223 Md. 272 , Hall v. State, 223 Md. 158 and Felkner v. State, 218 Md. 300, 311 .

We find no error here. The appellant contends that the search of the premises was illegal. He argues that the search was not truly permissive, but that consent was given by Shirley Bynum in submission to authority and not in relinquishment of her right, citing Johnson v. United States, 333 U. S. 10 . In that case, however, there was no express consent to the search, as in the instant case.

Also the officers here were lawfully on the premises under the warrant for the arrest of Long. We have held that where there is testimony that permission was freely given, the mere fact that the request is made by officers is not enough to warrant withdrawing the question of waiver from the jury. Hubbard v. State, 195 Md. 103 ; Reed v. State, 197 Md. 540 . The testimony of Shirley Bynum was not that she was intimidated, but that she never gave any consent to anyone.

The officers all denied this. But we think the search was legal for another reason. Possession of narcotics is a misdemeanor under Code (1957), Art. 27, Sec. 276 et seq., and it is settled law that an