United States v. Ronald Dennis Young

Ronald Young was convicted of conspiracy to possess cocaine with intent to distribute in violation of 21 U.S.C. § 846 , and was sentenced to six years in prison followed by three years parole. He had been tried twice previously for the same offense; the guilty verdict of the first was vacated, and a mistrial declared in the second. We affirm his conviction in the third.

On appeal, Young raises four issues: (1) that there was insufficient evidence to support his conviction; (2) that testimony of his involvement in other drug offenses was improperly admitted; (3) that the trial court erred in denying a motion for continuance to permit proper cross-examination of a key witness; and (4) that his sentence should not have exceeded the three-year sentence given at the first trial.

I. Facts and Proceedings Below

On September 17, 1974, two DEA undercover agents and co-defendants Michael Jones and Joanne Ulak met James Hunter, another co-defendant, in an alley close to Hunter’s residence for the purpose of buying one pound of cocaine. Hunter left the group twice to make phone calls; each time he indicated that he had to make contact with his supplier before the transaction could be…