Williams v. State

Henderson, J., delivered the opinion of the Court. This appellant was convicted by the court without a jury of being a second offender under the narcotics drug law. On May 28, 1962, three police officers from the narcotics squad went to 1716 Eutaw Place on information received. They observed the appellant come out of the rear basement door, then run back when he saw the officers.

Officer Robinson sought and obtained permission from a tenant to enter into a common hallway and observed Williams going up the stairs toward the third floor. The officer admitted the other officers. Mrs. Beale, one of the tenants on the third floor standing in her open doorway, handed the officer a package which, she said, had been thrust into her hands by Williams a few seconds before, with the remark: “Hold this for me.” The package contained white capsules and paraphernalia, such as hypodermic needles, bottle caps and eye droppers. ⁸⁵ About 15 minutes later, when Williams appeared at the front door, he was placed under arrest. That the package contained heroin was later established by the testimony of a United States chemist.

Immediately following his arrest, one of the officers testified he observed fresh needle marks on the backs of the appellant’s hands and in the bend of his left arm, and numerous old marks on both arms. At the police station, about an hour and a half afterwards, the appellant orally admitted that he had been using heroin, but refused to admit ownership of the package, or to sign any statement. However, after a hearing before a magistrate at which Mrs. Beale testified, he admitted that he had obtained the heroin from a dealer in Washington, known as “Fat Head”. The appellant first raises a contention that the oral character of the “confession” vitiated it, or imposed an additional burden on the State in proving its voluntary character.

We find no merit in the contention, for the reasons stated in Gault v. State, 231 Md. 78 . We think the State met the burden of showing that the confession was voluntary. All of the officers who were present during the interrogation of the appellant denied that there was any force or violence used, or any threats or promises made. The appellant contends, however, that the direct testimony of Officer Garrett is vitiated by the fact that when asked in cross-examination whether anyone said to Williams: “if you tell us about this case you will be better off”, he replied: “I don’t recall them saying that”.

This falls far short of a showing of inducement. Cf. Ralph v. State, 226 Md. 480, 486 . The trial court stated that he believed the officers and did not believe Williams’ story that he was beaten and threatened.

The appellant next contends that the court erred in admitting testimony as to “fresh” and “old” needle marks. This contention was also answered in the case of Gault v. State, supra, although the objection was not preserved in that case as it was in the instant case. The officer had eleven years of experience, and was qualified as an expert. He testified that he meant by “old” needle marks, those not