Morrison v. State

The defendant's convictions in three prior drug transaction offenses involving the sale of $20 worth of crack cocaine to undercover officers or informants during drug investigations in the same neighborhood as the crime at issue were properly admitted as similar transaction evidence.

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A Hall County jury convicted Jarvis Morrison of sale of cocaine, OCGA § 16-13-30 b. Morrison contends that his conviction should be overturned because the trial court allegedly erred by admitting his three prior drug convictions as similar transaction evidence at trial. We discern no error and affirm. Viewed in the light most favorable to the jury’s verdict,1 the evidence at trial showed that the Hall County Sheriff’s Office launched an investigation into drug activity in Morrison’s neighborhood after receiving several complaints. The officers conducted surveillance of the area and on November 20, 2007 coordinated a controlled buy using a confidential informant. Prior to the controlled buy, the informant and her vehicle were searched. The officers confirmed that she did not have any drugs or other contraband in her possession. The officers then gave the informant a $20 bill for her use in consummating the controlled buy and equipped her with a cell phone and surveillance equipment to record the transaction.

The confidential informant drove to the area where Morrison, his co-defendant, Tavaras Anderson, and three other males were sitting at a table on the side of the road. The informant made contact with the group by waving the $20 bill to signal her desire to make a drug purchase. Anderson approached the informant’s vehicle, retrieved the $20 bill, and walked back toward Morrison at the table. Anderson and Morrison extended their hands toward each other and made a hand-to-hand exchange of the cash for the drugs. Following the exchange, Anderson returned to the informant’s vehicle and handed her a rock of crack cocaine.

Morrison v. State

The defendant's convictions in three prior drug transaction offenses involving the sale of $20 worth of crack cocaine to undercover officers or informants during drug investigations in the same neighborhood as the crime at issue were properly admitted as similar transaction evidence.

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