Patten v. State

Ruffin, Chief Judge.

A jury found Norval Patten guilty of possessing marijuana with intent to distribute and trafficking in cocaine. Patten appeals, and for reasons that follow, we reverse.

Viewed in a light most favorable to the jury’s verdict, the evidence shows that in April 2001, law enforcement officers were informed by UPS that a suspicious package had been shipped from California to Augusta, Georgia. Upon arriving at the UPS facility, Investigator Matthue Phares discovered an open package that contained approximately 40 pounds of marijuana, wrapped in cellophane, and smeared with a…