Vasquez v. State

An informant identified the defendant at trial as the man he bought $6,500 of methamphetamine from during a controlled buy.

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A Whitfield County jury found Jose Raudel Vasquez guilty of trafficking in methamphetamine, OCGA § 16-13-31. Vasquez appeals from the judgment of conviction, raising the general grounds. Finding no error, we affirm. When a criminal defendant challenges the sufficiency of the evidence supporting his or her conviction, “the relevant question is whether, after viewing the evidence in the light most favorable to the prosecution, any rational trier of fact could have found the essential elements of the crime beyond a reasonable doubt.” Citation omitted; emphasis in original. Jackson v. Virginia , 443 U. S. 307, 319 III B 99 SC 2781, 61 LE2d 560 1979. The trier of fact, not this Court, resolves conflicts in the testimony, weighs the evidence, and draws reasonable inferences from basic facts to ultimate facts. Id at 318-319 III B. Viewed in this light, the record reveals the following.

On July 16, 2002, a confidential informant called a narcotics supervisor with the Whitfield County Sheriff’s Office and said he could set up the sale of a pound of methamphetamine from a dealer through the dealer’s contact, Marco Cruz. The supervisor, who had worked with the informant on and off for four years, authorized the informant to proceed. That same day, the supervisor searched the informant and the informant’s car to make sure no drugs were present. Then the supervisor and other deputies watched as the informant picked up Cruz, drove to a carpet plant, and went inside. One deputy witnessed Cruz and the informant make contact with a Hispanic male in a white T-shirt. The informant testified that he bought $6,500 of methamphetamine from Cruz’ contact inside the plant. The informant described the contact as Hispanic, wearing a white T-shirt, and working on a piece of machinery called a “hyster.” The informant identified Vasquez at trial as the contact who sold him the drugs. Cruz, however, refused to testify.

Vasquez v. State

An informant identified the defendant at trial as the man he bought $6,500 of methamphetamine from during a controlled buy.

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