Joseph Woods v. Robert H. Butler, Sr., Warden, Louisiana State Penitentiary

JOHNSON, Circuit Judge.

Petitioner Joseph Woods was convicted by a jury on October 16, 1979, of the crime of possession of a controlled dangerous substance — phenmetrazine. Woods now argues his 1979 conviction is constitutionally infirm as the Louisiana Controlled Dangerous Substances Law, La.Rev.Stat. 40:961 et seq., pursuant to which Woods was convicted, shifts the burden of proof on an element of the charged offense to the accused. Because we conclude that a valid prescription is a defense to the crime of possession of a controlled substance which the State may properly require a defendant…