State v. Crewe

         Argued March 7, 2019

         Appeal from the Superior Court, Judicial District of New Haven, Klatt, J.

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[Copyrighted Material Omitted]

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          Timothy H. Everett, assigned counsel, with whom were Adam Antar, certified legal intern, and, on the brief, Karen Mitchell, certified legal intern, Julie Moscato, certified legal intern, and Uriel Lloyd, certified legal intern, for the appellant (defendant).

         Lisa A. Riggione, senior assistant state’s attorney, with whom, on the brief, were Patrick J. Griffin, state’s attorney, and Robert F. Mullins, assistant state’s attorney, for the appellee (state).

         Keller, Moll and Beach, Js.

          OPINION

         BEACH, J.

         [193 Conn.App. 565] The defendant, Jeffrey Orlando Crewe, appeals from the judgment of conviction, rendered after a jury trial, of possession of a narcotic substance in violation of General Statutes § 21a-279(a). The defendant’s sole claim on appeal is that the evidence presented at trial was insufficient to support his conviction. We affirm the judgment of the trial court.

          The jury reasonably could have found the following facts. On August 18, 2014, Hamden Police Officers Greg Curran and Enrique Rivera were patrolling by bicycle in the area of Dixwell Avenue and the Farmington Canal Trail (trail). The officers were assigned to this specific area in response to reports of bicycle thefts and drug use by teens and young adults. At approximately 6:12 p.m., Curran and Rivera observed a young man walk across the trail in a westerly direction toward Dixwell Avenue and cut through a hole in a six-foot

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fence that [193 Conn.App. 566] separated the trail from the adjacent property. Rivera, who was familiar with the cut in the fence, pointed it out to Curran because he thought knowledge of the hole might be useful in a future pursuit situation.

         The officers proceeded through the hole in the fence and entered an adjacent parking lot situated behind several businesses. Upon approaching the parking lot, Curran noticed a van parked behind bushes that concealed the van’s presence from passersby on Dixwell Avenue. Curran testified that "[i]t was odd for them to be sitting there so [he] went over to check on them." As Curran approached the van he could see that there were two people in the front seats.^[1] As Curran approached the van, the front seat passenger, later identified as the defendant, quickly reached down ...