Bagwell v. State

327 P.2d 479
CourtCourt of Criminal Appeals of Oklahoma
DecidedJune 25, 1958
DocketA-12561
StatusPublished
Cited by9 cases

This text of 327 P.2d 479 (Bagwell v. State) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Criminal Appeals of Oklahoma primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Bagwell v. State, 327 P.2d 479 (Okla. Ct. App. 1958).

Opinions

POWELL, Judge.

Johnny W. Bagwell, plaintiff in error, hereinafter referred to as defendant, was charged by information in the county court of Ottawa County with the offense of unlawful transportation of intoxicating liquor, specified as 846 bottles of assorted brands. A jury was waived.

The record reflects that prior to the trial, the defendant filed a motion to suppress evidence on the ground of an illegal search and seizure. This motion was overruled after hearing, and by stipulation of the parties, the evidence introduced at the hearing on the motion to suppress was considered by the court as evidence in the trial of the case.

The court thereupon rendered judgment finding the defendant guilty as charged, and assessed punishment at thirty days confinement in the county jail, and a fine of $250 and costs of prosecution.

For reversal but one question is presented, and being whether the trial court committed error in overruling defendant’s motion to suppress evidence on the asserted ground of an unlawful search and seizure.

Counsel for defendant argues that: “The evidence clearly and conclusively reflects and shows that the pursuit and arrest of defendant by officers Peck and Lawson * * * was for the sole purpose of checking defendant’s vehicle for intoxicating liquors, and that such arrest was a subterfuge, and that the charge of speeding was a subterfuge used by said officers, in attempting to legalize their pursuit, arrest, and search of the defendant and his vehicle.”

Of course, even if the officers had probable cause to believe that defendant’s automobile was loaded with whiskey, still, in a misdemeanor case, a search without a warrant cannot be legally justified. Wallace v. State, 49 Okl.Cr. 281, 294 P. 198; Brinegar v. State, 97 Okl.Cr. 299, 262 P.2d 464; State v. Simpson, 91 Okl.Cr. 418, 219 P.2d 639; Edwards v. State, 83 Okl. Cr. 340, 177 P.2d 143.

We see, then, that if the defendant did not as a matter of fact commit an offense in the presence of the officers, in the absence of a warrant they would not be entitled to arrest and search his car. The offense must be real, and not some triviality, excuse or subterfuge to enable the officers to make a search. For cases with varying fact situations where we have so held, see Hoppes v. State, 70 Okl.Cr. 179, 105 P.2d 433; Leach v. State, 94 Okl.Cr. 334, 235 P.2d 968; Saltsman v. State, 95 Okl.Cr. 228, 243 P.2d 737; McCormick v. State, Okl.Cr., 277 P.2d 219; Barnett v. State, 94 Okl.Cr. 293, 235 P.2d 555. See also Byford v. State, 90 Okl.Cr. 230, 212 P.2d 476 where the arrest of a truck driver did not entitle the officers to search the truck, but where the owner of the truck thereafter unlocked the truck (probably thinking they would break in anyway) and invited the officers to search, thus waiving his rights.

With the above cases for guidance, still, in commencing the examination of the evidence to support defendant’s motion to suppress there are some other well developed principles to be kept in mind: [482]*482first, there where a defendant files a motion to suppress, the burden rests on him to offer evidence in proof of the allegations contained in the motion (Edwards v. State, Okl.Cr., 319 P.2d 1021; O’Dell v. State, 80 Okl.Cr. 194, 158 P.2d 180; Wilson v. State, Okl.Cr., 268 P.2d 585); and, second, that whether search and seizure from an automobile is reasonable is, in its final analysis, to be determined as a judicial question, in view of all the circumstances under which it is made. Such being so, this court will not reverse the trial court upon a question of fact where there is a conflict of evi-. dence, and there is competent evidence reasonably tending to support the finding of the trial court. Wood v. State, Okl.Cr., 316 P.2d 628; Franklin v. State, Okl.Cr., 281 P.2d 204; Kirk v. State, 92 Okl.Cr. 360, 223 P.2d 558; Scott v. State, 84 Okl. Cr. 171, 180 P.2d. 196.

The first witness called to support the motion to suppress was Art Peck, deputy sheriff of Ottawa County, who1 said that he saw the defendant the night of December 14, 1956 and arrested him. The officer stated that he and his partner, Bill Lawson, drove up to the stop sign from the west and at the junction of highway 60 with 66, and stopped, awaiting traffic to clear. He said that he noticed a light-colored Chrysler car proceeding west come to a complete stop on the opposite side of highway 66, and that it then crossed over and passed them and proceeded on west, and that they noticed defendant’s car right behind the Chrysler as it approached highway 66 slow down but that it did not stop. He further testified that as soon as defendant passed them, the back wheels of his car were throwing gravel and that he was going pretty fast so that witness and officer Lawson turned their car around and proceeded to turn on their siren and chased defendant for about a mile. He estimated defendant’s speed at ninety miles per hour or better. He said that after defendant had stopped his car witness’ car was stopped and witness got out and approached defendant, and told him that he was under arrest for speeding and reckless driving. Witness said that his partner, officer Lawson, after letting him out, drove on in effort to stop the Chrysler car. Witness admitted that he shot his pistol into the air four times in an effort to get defendant to stop, but denied that he shot at defendant or his car. Witness said that when he arrested defendant he observed packages in the back seat of his car; that some of the packages had been broken in the chase and he smelled liquor1 and recognized the packages as liquor packages. He proceeded to search the car and found approximately sixty cases of whiskey. He subsequently took defendant to jail and filed charges in the justice of the peace court against defendant for speeding in the day time, and defendant ■plead guilty to such charge and paid a fine. It was agreed that defendant was not represented by counsel in the justice of the peace court. The within charge was then filed in the county court.

Witness denied that prior to the time of the arrest of defendant he had parked at the intersection of highways 60 and 66, and denied that officer Lawson made such a statement to the defendant. Witness denied that he was looking for any particular car when defendant approached highway 66, or that he was looking for the light-colored Chrysler car and defendant’s car. He denied that he had a conversation with Mr. Taylor of Afton (endorsed on the information as a witness) within eight hours prior to the arrest respecting two cars of similar description as the two cars in question, or had any conversation with anyone else connected with the law enforcement in Afton respecting two cars described similar to the ones they chased at the time of defendant’s arrest. Witness identified the defendant at the trial as the person he arrested and the arrest as having been made in Ottawa County. Witness reiterated that prior to seeing defendant at the intersection of highways 60 and 66, and arresting him, he had no knowledge or in[483]*483formation about defendant’s car or the occupant. He said that at the time of the arrest defendant was driving a 1953 Chrysler New Yorker, four-door sedan, blue color.

The defendant next testified and said that his name was John Wayne Bagwell, and denied that he had ever been convicted on any offense except traffic violation.

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1959 OK CR 95 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Oklahoma, 1959)
Bagwell v. State
327 P.2d 479 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Oklahoma, 1958)

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Bluebook (online)
327 P.2d 479, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/bagwell-v-state-oklacrimapp-1958.