Patterson v. State

The appellant, Benjamin Chadwick Patterson, was convicted of trafficking in illegal drugs, a violation of § 13A-12-231(3), Ala.Code 1975, and failure to affix tax stamps, a violation of § 40-17A-4, Ala. Code 1975. The circuit court sentenced Patterson to serve concurrent terms of 25 years in prison on the trafficking conviction and 2 years in prison on the failure to affix tax stamps conviction. It also imposed a $500,000 fine on the trafficking conviction pursuant to § 13A-12-231(3)c., Ala.Code 1975. This appeal followed.

The State’s evidence tended to show that on January 31, 2006, Officer…