People v. Powell

Defendant was convicted, after jury trial, of delivery of a controlled substance. Taken together, the deficiencies in the evidence leave reasonable doubt as to Defendant's guilt. Undercover officer's identification was not reliable, and along with the other flaws to his credibility, it cannot stand. Surveillance video shows that officer had no more than 10 distraction-free seconds to observe the man from whom he purchased drugs. This perfunctory interaction undercuts his identification, given the lack of corroborating evidence. Officer did not explain the difference between the alleged purchase price of the heroin and the street value; and the prerecorded bill was not found. (WALKER, concurring; PIERCE, dissenting.)