J-S02017-23
NON-PRECEDENTIAL DECISION - SEE SUPERIOR COURT I.O.P. 65.37
COMMONWEALTH OF PENNSYLVANIA : IN THE SUPERIOR COURT OF : PENNSYLVANIA : v. : : : DASEAN DAMONT MORRIS : : Appellant : No. 1060 MDA 2022
Appeal from the Judgment of Sentence Entered June 6, 2022 In the Court of Common Pleas of York County Criminal Division at No(s): CP-67-CR-0004509-2020
BEFORE: PANELLA, P.J., OLSON, J., and DUBOW, J.
MEMORANDUM BY OLSON, J.: FILED: MAY 3, 2023
Appellant, Desean Damont Morris, appeals from the judgment of
sentence entered in the Court of Common Pleas of York County on June 6,
2022, as made final by the denial of his post-sentence motion on June 17,
2022. On appeal, Appellant challenges the trial court’s order denying his
motion to suppress. We reverse the trial court’s suppression ruling, vacate
Appellant’s judgment of sentence, and remand for further proceedings.
The following facts were revealed at the May 12, 2021 suppression
hearing. On August 18, 2020, Officer Chris Martin and his partner, Officer
Harris,1 were “assigned to roving patrol detail” in York City, Pennsylvania.
N.T. Suppression Hearing, 5/12/21, at 6. At approximately 4:00 p.m., the
two officers were traveling in a marked patrol vehicle “in the east end of the
____________________________________________
1 Officer Harris’s first name is not of record. J-S02017-23
[c]ity,” “heading northbound on Pattison Street.” Id. At that time, the officers
observed Appellant traveling southbound on Pattison Street in a blue Toyota
Corolla with a Florida license plate. Id. at 7.
Upon observing Appellant and his Corolla, Officer Martin “made a
U-turn” and began to travel southbound on Pattison Street. Id. at 8. As
Officer Martin turned, Appellant “made a right-hand turn onto Prospect” Street
and then turned onto Courtland Street. Id. When Appellant turned onto
Courtland Street, Officer Martin noticed Appellant “gain[] speed” but,
eventually, lost sight of the Corolla. Id. at 9. Shortly thereafter, Officer Martin
located the Corolla, parked and empty “at the northwest corner” of the South
Street and Gerard Street intersection. Id. at 10. The officers also spotted
Appellant “walking westbound from the vehicle, maybe two or three-car
lengths” away from the Corolla. Id. The officers identified Appellant after he
“looked over his shoulder” at them. Id.
The officers pulled up next to Appellant, exited their vehicle, and
commanded Appellant to stop.2 Id. at 56. Appellant complied. Id. Officer ____________________________________________
2 Appellant testified at the May 12, 2021 suppression hearing and explained the circumstances of the initial stop. In particular, Appellant explained that he was “walking up the street” and then heard Officer Harris say “hey, hey hey, can you stop?” N.T. Suppression Hearing, 5/12/21, at 56. Per Appellant, he stopped in response to the officer’s command. Id. Officer Martin was specifically asked about the circumstances of this encounter with Appellant but stated he did not recall “whether [he] or [Officer Harris] attempted to get [Appellant’s] attention” prior to turning on his body camera. Id. at 52. Officer Martin also testified that he did not turn on his body camera until after he made contact with Appellant. Id. at 46-47. Our review of the body camera (Footnote Continued Next Page)
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Martin asked Appellant for his name. Id. Appellant responded that his name
was “Sean” but refused to provide his last name. N.T. Preliminary Hearing,
9/25/20, at 6.3 During the interaction, the officers noticed “a faint smell of
unburn[ed] marijuana.” Id. at 7. At that time, the officers placed Appellant
under arrest. Id. Appellant then informed the officers that he had a gun in
his right front pocket. Id. A subsequent search of Appellant’s person revealed
a firearm and a small amount of marijuana. Id. at 7-9.
The Commonwealth charged Appellant with firearms not to be carried
without a license and possession of marijuana. On November 19, 2020,
Appellant filed an omnibus pre-trial motion seeking to suppress the evidence
obtained pursuant to the search of his person, arguing that the officers
detained him “illegally without reasonable suspicion of criminal activity and
without probable cause.” Appellant’s Omnibus Pre-Trial Motion, 11/19/20, at
footage supports Officer Martin’s testimony. Hence, Appellant’s testimony regarding the circumstances of the encounter with police was uncontradicted by the Commonwealth’s evidence and the testimony of the Commonwealth’s witnesses. See Commonwealth v. Griffin, 116 A.3d 1139, 1142 (Pa. Super. 2015) (“When reviewing the rulings of a suppression court, [the appellate court] considers only the evidence of the prosecution and so much of the evidence for the defense as remains uncontradicted when read in the context of the record as a whole.”), quoting Commonwealth v. Johnson, 33 A.3d 122, 125-126 (Pa. Super. 2011).
3 The Commonwealth admitted the transcripts of the September 25, 2020 Preliminary Hearing as an exhibit during the May 12, 2021 suppression hearing. See N.T. Suppression Hearing, 5/12/21, at 16; see also In re. L.J., 79 A.3d 1073, 1087 (Pa. 2013) (holding that the scope of review from a suppression ruling is limited to the evidentiary record created at the suppression hearing).
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2. A suppression hearing was held on May 12, 2021, during which Officer
Martin and Appellant testified. See N.T. Suppression Hearing, 5/12/21, at
1-66. On June 4, 2021, the trial court denied Appellant’s motion. Trial Court
Order, 6/4/21, *1-*3 (unpaginated).
On June 6, 2022, the Commonwealth withdrew the marijuana
possession charge and the case proceeded to a stipulated bench trial. That
same day, the court found Appellant guilty of firearms not to be carried
without a license4 and sentenced him to two to four years’ incarceration. On
June 16, 2022, Appellant filed a post-sentence motion. On June 17, 2022,
Appellant’s counsel filed a motion to withdraw as counsel. That same day, the
court denied Appellant’s post-sentence motion and granted counsel leave to
withdraw. This appeal followed.5 ____________________________________________
4 18 Pa.C.S.A. § 6106(a).
5 The trial court denied Appellant’s post-sentence motion on June 17, 2022 and, as such, Appellant was required to file his notice of appeal on or before July 18, 2022. See 1 Pa.C.S.A. § 1908; see also Pa.R.A.P. 903(a) (explaining that an appellant has “30 days after the entry of the order from which the appeal is taken” to file an appeal). Appellant’s notice of appeal is time-stamped July 19, 2022. Appellant, however, is incarcerated and filed his notice of appeal pro se. Under the prisoner mailbox rule, the filing date for a submission by an incarcerated pro se party is measured from the date the prisoner placed the filing in the institution’s mailbox. See Commonwealth v. Patterson, 931 A.2d 710, 714 (Pa. Super. 2007) (“Pursuant to the prisoner mailbox rule, we deem a document filed on the day it is placed in the hands of prison authorities for mailing.”). Appellant’s certificate of service indicates that he placed the pro se notice of appeal in the institution’s mailbox on July 14, 2022. The Commonwealth has not challenged the certification. We therefore conclude that Appellant’s notice of appeal was timely filed on July 14, 2022. On July 25, 2022, the trial court ordered Appellant to file a concise (Footnote Continued Next Page)
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Appellant raises the following issue on appeal:
[Whether the trial court erred in denying Appellant’s omnibus pre-trial motion to suppress evidence?]
See generally Appellant’s Brief at 4.
Herein, Appellant argues that the trial court erroneously denied his
suppression motion. In its order denying suppression, the trial court held that
Appellant’s initial seizure was constitutional because “the [o]fficers had
reasonable suspicion to [] stop [Appellant].” Trial Court Opinion, 6/2/21, at
*3 (unpaginated); Trial Court Opinion, 8/19/22, at 4. In support of this
conclusion, the trial court cited the fact that “the [o]fficers observed
[Appellant’s] vehicle begin to lean while making a turn at an unsafe rate of
speed, in violation of the [Motor Vehicle Code (“MVC”)].”6 Id. The trial court
also concluded that, following Appellant’s initial seizure, the “[o]fficers had
probable cause to make an arrest” because Appellant “refused to provide his
full name” and because the “[o]fficers could smell unburn[ed] marijuana
coming from [Appellant].” Id. Based upon the foregoing, the trial court ____________________________________________
statement of errors complained of on appeal pursuant to Pa.R.A.P. 1925(b). Appellant timely complied. The trial court issued an opinion pursuant to Pa.R.A.P. 1925(a) on August 19, 2022. All issues raised on appeal were included in Appellant’s concise statement.
6 The trial court did not set forth the particular section of the MVC that Appellant violated. The Commonwealth, however, both in its response to Appellant’s omnibus pre-trial motion and on appeal, argued that Appellant violated 75 Pa.C.S.A. § 3361, Driving Vehicle at Safe Speed. See Commonwealth’s Response to Omnibus Pre-Trial Motion to Suppress, 5/24/21, at *4 (unpaginated); see also Commonwealth Appellate Brief, 12/2/22, at 12, 14, 16 and 19-20.
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denied suppression, holding that the firearm and marijuana were obtained via
a constitutional search “incident to [a] lawful arrest.” Id.
On appeal, Appellant points out that, in reviewing the constitutionality
of a traffic stop, the trial court wrongly applied a reasonable suspicion
standard, as opposed to a probable cause standard, which is required to
conduct a lawful vehicular detention for suspected violations of the MVC.
Appellant’s Brief at 24. In addition, Appellant maintains that, when viewed
under a probable cause standard, his seizure for an alleged MVC infraction
was not justified. Id. at 26-31. Appellant thus concludes that the trial court
erred in failing to suppress evidence, including a firearm and marijuana, which
was seized after a subsequent, and constitutionally unsupported, police
interaction. Id. at 31-32. We agree.
Our standard of review for an order denying a motion to suppress is well
established.
[We are] limited to determining whether the suppression court's factual findings are supported by the record and whether the legal conclusions drawn from those facts are correct. Because the Commonwealth prevailed before the suppression court, we may consider only the evidence of the Commonwealth and so much of the evidence for the defense as remains uncontradicted when read in the context of the record as a whole. Where the suppression court's factual findings are supported by the record, we are bound by these findings and may reverse only if the court's legal conclusions are erroneous. Where, as here, the appeal of the determination of the suppression court turns on allegations of legal error, the suppression court's legal conclusions are not binding on an appellate court, “whose duty it is to determine if the suppression court properly applied the law to the facts.” Thus, the conclusions of law of the courts below are subject to our plenary review.
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Commonwealth v. Mbewe, 203 A.3d 983, 986 (Pa. Super. 2019), quoting
Commonwealth v. Kemp, 195 A.3d 269, 275 (Pa. Super. 2018).
Initially, we consider Appellant’s claim that the trial court applied the
wrong constitutional standard in assessing the validity of the traffic-related
stop in this case. With respect to vehicle stops based on suspected violations
of the MVC, Section 6308(b) of the MVC provides:
(b) Authority of police officer.—Whenever a police officer is engaged in a systematic program of checking vehicles or drivers or has reasonable suspicion that a violation of this title is occurring or has occurred, he may stop a vehicle, upon request or signal, for the purpose of checking the vehicle's registration, proof of financial responsibility, vehicle identification number or engine number or the driver's license, or to secure such other information as the officer may reasonably believe to be necessary to enforce the provisions of this title.
75 Pa.C.S. § 6308(b).
In Commonwealth v. Feczko, 10 A.3d 1285 (Pa. Super. 2010), this
Court explained the state of the law with respect to vehicle stops:
Traffic stops based on a reasonable suspicion[,] either of criminal activity or a violation of the [MVC] under the authority of Section 6308(b)[,] must serve a stated investigatory purpose. [Commonwealth v.] Chase, 960 A.2d [108,] 116 [ (Pa. 2008)].
Mere reasonable suspicion will not justify a vehicle stop when the driver's detention cannot serve an investigatory purpose relevant to the suspected violation. In such an instance, “it is encumbent [sic] upon the officer to articulate specific facts possessed by him, at the time of the questioned stop, which would provide probable cause to believe that the vehicle or the driver was in violation of some provision of the Code.” [Commonwealth v. Gleason, 785 A.2d [983,] 989 [(Pa. 2001)].
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Id. at 1291. “Accordingly, when considering whether reasonable suspicion or
probable cause is required constitutionally to make a vehicle stop, the nature
of the violation has to be considered.” Commonwealth v. Salter, 121 A.3d
987, 993 (Pa. Super. 2015).
If it is not necessary to stop the vehicle to establish that a violation of the [MVC] has occurred, an officer must possess probable cause to stop the vehicle. Where a violation is suspected, but a stop is necessary to further investigate whether a violation has occurred, an officer need only possess reasonable suspicion to make the stop.
Id.
Here, Appellant was alleged to have violated 75 Pa.C.S.A. § 3361,7
which states:
§ 3361. Driving vehicle at safe speed
No person shall drive a vehicle at a speed greater than is reasonable and prudent under the conditions and having regard to the actual and potential hazards then existing, nor at a speed greater than will permit the driver to bring his vehicle to a stop within the assured clear distance ahead. Consistent with the foregoing, every person shall drive at a safe and appropriate speed when approaching and crossing an intersection or railroad grade crossing, when approaching and going around curve, when approaching a hill crest, when traveling upon any narrow or winding roadway and when special hazards exist with respect to pedestrians or other traffic or by reason of weather or highway conditions.
Importantly, Pennsylvania case law holds that an officer must possess
probable cause, not simply reasonable suspicion, prior to conducting a stop ____________________________________________
7 See Footnote 6, supra.
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for a violation of Section 3361 of the MVC. See Commonwealth v. Smith,
237 A.3d 580, 583 (Pa. Super. 2020) (noting that the “parties agree[d] that
[the police officer] was required to have probable cause before stopping [the
appellant] for violation of Section 3361 of the [MVC], Driving Vehicle at Safe
Speed, because the stop would not enable the trooper to learn anything more
about whether [the appellant] was driving at an unsafe speed”); see also
Commonwealth v. Nell, 245 A.3d 1067 (Pa. Super. 2020) (unpublished
memorandum) (applying a probable cause standard to determine whether the
appellant violated Section 3361 of the MVC); Commonwealth v. Hissim,
2017 WL 765935, *1, *3 (Pa. Super. Feb. 27, 2017) (unpublished
memorandum); Commonwealth v. Lewis, 2016 WL 941979, at *4 (Pa.
Super. Mar. 11, 2016) (unpublished memorandum) (accord). Based upon the
foregoing, we conclude that Appellant is correct that the trial court erroneously
examined the validity of the traffic-related stop under the reasonable suspicion
standard since probable cause was required.8 Trial Court Opinion, 6/2/21, at
*3 (unpaginated); Trial Court Opinion, 8/19/22, at 4.
Next, Appellant argues that his traffic-related detention was
unconstitutional because the officers did not have probable cause to believe ____________________________________________
8 The Commonwealth argues that the trial court “correctly applied the standard of reasonable suspicion” to the traffic stop. Commonwealth’s Brief at 12. The Commonwealth, however, relies heavily upon this Court’s recent decision in Smith, 237 A.3d at 583, which clearly states that officers are “required to have probable cause before stopping [a] vehicle for violation of Section 3361 of the [MVC], Driving Vehicle at Safe Speed.” (emphasis added); see also Commonwealth’s Brief at 17-18. As such, the Commonwealth’s argument lacks merit.
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that he violated Section 3361 of the MVC. Appellant’s Brief at 26-31. Upon
careful review, we agree.
Our Supreme Court has defined probable cause as follows:
Probable cause is made out when the facts and circumstances which are within the knowledge of the officer at the time of the [stop], and of which he has reasonably trustworthy information, are sufficient to warrant a man of reasonable caution in the belief that the suspect has committed or is committing a crime. The question we ask is not whether the officer's belief was correct or more likely true than false. Rather, we require only a probability, and not a prima facie showing, of criminal activity. In determining whether probable cause exists, we apply a totality of the circumstances test.
Commonwealth v. Martin, 101 A.3d 706, 721 (Pa. 2014) (citation omitted).
In Commonwealth v. Heberling, 678 A.2d 794 (Pa. Super. 1996), this
Court set forth the criteria for evaluating the sufficiency of the evidence to
support a conviction under Section 3361 of the MVC. Notably, the Heberling
Court explained that “speeding alone does not constitute a violation.” Id. at
795. Instead, “a violation depends on the speed in relation to the ‘conditions’
and ‘actual and potential hazards’ of the roadway.” Smith, 237 3d at 583,
citing Heberling, 678 A.2d at 795. Said conditions and hazards included, but
are not limited to, “the amount of traffic, travel and weather conditions, [and]
also the nature of the roadway itself (e.g., whether four-lane, interstate, or
rural; flat and wide, or narrow and winding over hilly terrain;
smooth-surfaced, or full of potholes; clear, or under construction with abrupt
lane shifts).” Heberling, 678 A.2d at 795-796.
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This Court has used the criteria set forth in Heberling to evaluate
whether an officer possesses probable cause to effectuate a stop for violation
of Section 3361. See Smith, 237 A.3d at 584 (explaining the officer’s
testimony demonstrating that the appellant was “driving upwards of 70 miles
per hour in an area where the limit was 45 or 50 miles per hour” and that such
a speed “was unreasonable given the specific conditions of the road” i.e.,
“’windy, curvy, hilly’ with ‘lots of intersections’ and with houses alongside of
it” supported “the conclusion that [the officer] had probable cause to stop [the
appellant] for violating Section 3361”); Commonwealth v. Minnich, 874
A.2d 1234, 1237 (Pa. Super. 2005) (holding that the traffic stop was
supported by probable cause based upon the officer’s testimony that, “in a
highly trafficked area,” the appellant traveled “around a sharp bend” at a “high
rate of speed” causing the vehicle to drift “outside its normal lane” which
“create[ed] a likelihood of a collision with oncoming traffic around a blind
curve”).
Here, Officer Martin testified that he and Officer Harris observed
Appellant driving southbound on Pattison Street in York City at approximately
4:00 p.m. on a sunny, summer afternoon. N.T. Suppression Hearing,
5/12/21, at 6-8. This area, per Officer Martin, is mixed commercial and
residential and the speed limit is generally 25 miles per hour. Id. at 7 and 9.
Officer Martin also testified that, at the time they encountered Appellant, there
was light traffic. Id. at 6. Upon seeing Appellant, Officer Martin explained
that he “made a U-turn in the middle of Pattison Street” and, “as [he] did that,
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Appellant’s Corolla made a right-hand turn onto Prospect” Street. Id. at 8.
After Appellant turned onto Prospect Street, Officer Martin testified Appellant
“accelerate[d]” and took a “high speed turn” onto Courtland Street. Id. 8 and
38. Officer Martin characterized this turn as “erratic[]” and “careless[.]” Id.
at 9. Officer Martin, however, could not say whether Appellant was speeding.
Id. at 9 and 40. In addition, Officer Martin testified that he did not see
Appellant “cross any of the white lines dividing the street” or “interfere with
any other traffic.” Id. at 40-41.
Hence, the only reason proffered by Officer Martin as possible
justification to initially stop Appellant for violating Section 3361 was the
alleged “high speed turn” in which Appellant did not interfere with traffic, run
the risk of causing an accident, or otherwise pose a risk to any other person
on or around the street. Id. at 38. Based upon our review of relevant case
law, a single turn at an elevated, but not necessarily unlawful, speed, without
more, is insufficient to establish probable cause to support a traffic stop for
violation of Section 3361 of the MVC. See Minnich, 874 A.2d at 1239
(explaining that the appellant’s “single act of ‘hugging the east part of the
shoulder’” of the road did not provide sufficient basis for the officers to conduct
a traffic stop but, when combined with the officer’s testimony regarding other
actual and potential hazards, there was sufficient evidence that the appellant
was “operating his vehicle at an unsafe speed”). We therefore conclude that
the officers did not have probable cause to carry out a lawful traffic stop and,
as such, did not have probable cause to detain Appellant.
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We have concluded that, in issuing its suppression ruling, the trial court
erred in applying a reasonable suspicion standard when assessing the
constitutionality of Appellant’s traffic-related detention because a Section
3361 stop requires probable cause. Upon a review of the record, the facts do
not demonstrate probable cause to support a Section 3361 violation. As such,
we must now review the record to determine whether any other
constitutionally valid police-citizen encounter supported the trial court’s
decision to deny suppression.
Here, the evidence presented during the suppression hearing
demonstrated that, as Officer Martin and his partner were driving northbound
on Pattison Street, they saw Appellant driving in the opposite direction in a
blue Toyota Corolla. N.T. Suppression Hearing, 5/12/21, at 6-7. Upon seeing
Appellant, Officer Martin made a U-turn in the middle of Pattison Street and,
as he did so, Appellant turned off Pattison Street, and then turned onto
Courtland Street. Id. at 8. Officer Martin attempted to follow Appellant but
lost sight of the Corolla. Id. at 9. Shortly thereafter, the officers located
Appellant’s Corolla parked legally at the intersection of Girard Street and
South Street. N.T. Preliminary Hearing, 9/25/20, at 5 and 12. After spotting
the Corolla, the officers also located Appellant “two or three-car lengths from
[his] vehicle.” N.T. Suppression Hearing, 5/12/21, at 10. Officer Martin
indicated that, at the time they spotted Appellant, he “turned around [and]
looked over his shoulder at [them].” Id. The officers then pulled their marked
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police car “up . . . to where [Appellant] was walking,” exited the vehicle, and
requested him to stop. Id. at 42-43 and 56.
Upon review, we conclude that, at the time the officers exited the vehicle
and requested Appellant to stop, a relevant encounter occurred. Hence, to
determine the requisite level of suspicion required, we must first determine
the nature of this interaction. Under Pennsylvania law, there are three
categories of police-citizen interactions. As our Supreme Court has clearly
articulated:
The first of these is a “mere encounter” (or request for information) which need not be supported by any level of suspicion, but carries no official compulsion to stop or to respond. The second, an “investigative detention” must be supported by a reasonable suspicion; it subjects a suspect to a stop and a period of detention, but does not involve such coercive conditions as to constitute the functional equivalent of an arrest. Finally, an arrest or “custodial detention” must be supported by probable cause.
Commonwealth v. Gutierrez, 36 A.3d 1104, 1107 (Pa. Super. 2012),
appeal denied, 48 A.3d 1247 (Pa. 2012), quoting Commonwealth v. Ellis,
662 A.2d 1043, 1047 (Pa. 1995) (citations omitted). Further, this Court
previously explained:
[t]o determine whether a mere encounter rises to the level of an investigatory detention, we must discern whether, as a matter of law, the police conducted a seizure of the person involved. To decide whether a seizure has occurred, a court must consider all the circumstances surrounding the encounter to determine whether the demeanor and conduct of the police would have communicated to a reasonable person that he or she was not free to decline the officer's request or otherwise terminate the encounter. Thus, the focal point of our inquiry must be whether, considering the circumstances surrounding
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the incident, a reasonable person innocent of any crime, would have thought he was being restrained had he been in the defendant's shoes.
Id., quoting Commonwealth v. Reppert, 814 A.2d 1196, 1201-1202 (Pa.
Super. 2002).
The testimony elicited at the suppression hearing revealed that, after
the officers spotted Appellant outside the Corolla, they pulled up next to him
in a marked vehicle, exited the car, and requested Appellant to stop. See
N.T. Suppression Hearing, 5/12/21, at 56. A review of the body camera
footage demonstrates that, upon asking Appellant to stop, the officers
immediately directed Appellant to a porch, commanded him to sit down and
stood around him, thereby prohibiting him from leaving. See id. at Exhibit 2.
Based upon the foregoing, we find that Appellant was subjected to an
investigative detention at that time. See Commonwealth v. Cauley, 10
A.3d 321, 325 (Pa. Super. 2010) (explaining that “’[a]n investigative
detention occurs when a police officer temporarily detains an individual by
means of physical force or a show of authority for investigative purposes.’ In
other words, in view of all the circumstances, if a reasonable person would
have believed that he was not free to leave, then the interaction constitutes
an investigatory detention.”) (quotations omitted); see also
Commonwealth v. Adams, 205 A.3d 1195, 1201 (2019) (explaining that
the appellant was subjected to an investigatory detention after the officer
“restrained his freedom to walk away”). Thus, the issue is whether, prior to
commanding Appellant to sit down and restraining his ability to leave, the
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officers possessed reasonable suspicion that Appellant was engaged in
criminal conduct. See Reppert, 814 A.2d at 1203 (“Our Supreme Court has
mandated that law enforcement officers, prior to subjecting a citizen to an
investigatory detention, must harbor at least a reasonable suspicion that the
person seized is then engaged in unlawful activity.”)
“Instantly, [we conclude that] there is not one fact which would give
rise to the reasonable belief [Appellant] was involved in illegal activity.”
Commonwealth v. Jeffries, 311 A.2d 914, 917 (Pa. 1973). Indeed, Officer
Martin testified that Appellant made a quick turn, and then subsequently
parked his car and exited his vehicle. It is apparent from the body camera
footage that the officer’s considered this activity evasive. See N.T.
Suppression Hearing, 5/12/21, at Exhibit 2 (revealing the officer’s statement
to Appellant that they “knew [Appellant] was in that car” and they “knew
[Appellant] took off from [them]”). Even if Appellant engaged in unprovoked
flight, no facts connected him to criminal activity. Further, there is no
indication that Appellant’s vehicle was parked in a suspicion manner. To the
contrary, Officer Martin specifically stated the vehicle was parked “legally.”
Preliminary Hearing, 9/25/20, at 5 and 12. Accordingly, even if we were to
construe Appellant’s actions as evasive or akin to unprovoked flight, such
conduct, in and of itself, is insufficient to give rise to suspicion of criminal
conduct. See Commonwealth v. Washington, 51 A.3d 895 (Pa. Super.
2012) (holding the appellant’s unprovoked flight, without more, was
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insufficient to give rise to reasonable suspicion justifying an investigatory
stop).
We find the Supreme Court’s decision in Commonwealth v. DeWitt,
608 A.2d 1030, 1033 (Pa. 1992), to be instructive to our present analysis. In
DeWitt, at approximately 11:50 p.m. two Pennsylvania State Troopers
observed a vehicle parked in a parking lot of a church with the interior lights
on, but the exterior lights off. Id. at 1031. Based on concerns that the vehicle
was disabled and due to the church’s previous request to check for suspicious
vehicles on the property, the troopers pulled up next to the parked vehicle.
Id. at 1031-1032. Upon doing so, the vehicle’s “interior lights were
extinguished and the four occupants made ‘furtive [] and suspicious
movements as if they were trying to hide something.’” Id. at 1032. The
vehicle also began to pull away. Id. The troopers then initiated a traffic stop,
approached the vehicle, and discovered alcohol and drugs in plain view. Id.
The appellant was later charged with various drug violations. Id.
“Following a hearing on [the] appellant’ omnibus pre-trial motion, the
[trial] court suppressed the evidence of illegal drugs and paraphernalia.” Id.
In so doing, the court concluded that “the [troopers] were not authorized to
make the stop of the vehicle either as an investigative or traffic stop because
they did not have probable cause to believe a traffic violation occurred . . .
and there was insufficient evidence to reasonably warrant suspicion of criminal
conduct.” Id. The Commonwealth appealed and this Court reversed the
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suppression court’s decision. Id. at 1032, 1034. Our Supreme Court,
however, reversed and reinstated the order suppressing the evidence.
In so doing, the Supreme Court initially noted that the stop was not a
valid traffic stop because, inter alia, the troopers did not have probable cause
to stop the vehicle for violating the MVC. Id. at 1033. Then, the Court went
on to determine whether the stop was otherwise justified, i.e., whether the
officers “had sufficient information to reasonably suspect that criminal activity
may have been afoot.” Id. at 1034. Ultimately, the Court concluded that
there was “absolutely no evidence” that the vehicle in question was engaged
in the type of behavior similar to that previously reported by the church. Id.
Moreover, the DeWitt Court specifically noted the alleged “flight” of the
vehicle after the police arrived, “in and of itself,” did not give rise to
“reasonable suspicion of criminal conduct.” Id. (citation omitted).
Our Supreme Court reached a similar conclusion in Jeffries, supra, the
facts of which are as follows. On an afternoon in November, four police officers
traveling in an unmarked police vehicle “observed Jeffries walking along a
public street in Pittsburgh, [Pennsylvania].” Id. at 916. When “Jeffries saw
the officers, he ‘quickened his pace.’” Id. The officers “left the police vehicle
and started to pursue Jeffries, who then began to run.” Id. During his flight,
Jeffries discarded a cigarette package. Id. Jeffries was eventually
apprehended and, when the officers retrieved the discarded cigarette
package, they discovered it contained several small packages of heroin. Id.
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Jeffries eventually moved to suppress the evidence of the cigarette
package, arguing that the police engaged in an unconstitutional search and
seizure. Id. The trial court held that Jeffries’ flight supplied probable cause
to arrest Jeffries. Id. Our Supreme Court disagreed and ultimately reversed
the trial court’s denial of suppression. In so doing, the Court explained that
“flight, standing alone . . . is not sufficient to establish probable cause for an
arrest.” Id. at 917. Further, the Court concluded that “there [was] not one
fact which would give rise to the reasonable belief that Jeffries was involved
in criminal activity” sufficient to support an investigatory detention. Id. In
particular, the Court found that “Jeffries was simply walking along a public
street in Pittsburgh in broad daylight” and, even though he “’quickened his
pace’ and started to run when the officer[s] began to chase him,” such action
was “not enough to justify a seizure . . . absent some other factor which would
give rise to suspicion of criminal conduct.” Id.
As in DeWitt, the officers in this matter lacked probable cause to believe
that a traffic violation occurred. In addition, as demonstrated in DeWitt and
Jeffries, even if we view Appellant’s actions (making a quick turn after he
saw police, parking the Corolla and exiting the vehicle), as evasive conduct or
unprovoked flight, such action, in and of itself, does not give rise to reasonable
suspicion of criminal conduct to justify Appellant’s non-traffic investigatory
detention, rendering Appellant’s detention unlawful.
We have reviewed the opinions offered by the trial court in support of
its order denying suppression. As discussed above, the trial court examined
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and justified Appellant’s traffic-related detention under a reasonable suspicion
standard. See Trial Court Opinion, 6/2/21, at *3 (unpaginated); Trial Court
Opinion, 8/19/22, at 4. Building upon this error, the trial court went on to
hold that Appellant’s arrest was supported by probable cause and the officer’s
subsequent search of Appellant’s person was incident to a lawful arrest. Id.
The court based its finding of probable cause on Appellant’s refusal to provide
his full name in response to police questioning in violation of 75 Pa.C.S.A.
§ 6308, as well as the fact that the officers smelled unburned marijuana on
Appellant’s person. Id. On appeal, the Commonwealth argues that the
officers had probable cause to arrest Appellant because his failure to provide
his full name violated 18 Pa. C.S.A. § 5101, Obstructing Administration of Law
or Other Government Function. See Commonwealth Brief at 20-31. Upon
review, it appears that the “theories advanced by [the trial court] and the
Commonwealth are after the fact justifications,” and do not alter our analysis
of the constitutionality of Appellant’s detention, his arrest, or the search
conducted incident to his arrest. Dewitt, 608 A.2d at 1033.
As discussed above, Appellant was subjected to an unlawful
investigatory detention unsupported by reasonable suspicion when the officers
stopped him without first pointing to articulable facts that linked Appellant to
criminal activity. Importantly, we note that Appellant’s failure to provide his
last name, as well as the smell of unburned marijuana, occurred after the
officers detained him. Therefore, neither circumstance demonstrates
reasonable suspicion that Appellant engaged in criminal activity prior to his
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detention. See Reppert, 814 A.2d at 1203 (explaining that police officers
must have reasonable suspicion of criminal activity prior to subjecting a citizen
to an investigatory detention).
Second, even if we were to assume Appellant’s detention was lawful–
which it was not–the evidence presented at the suppression hearing did not
support a finding of probable cause to arrest Appellant. Indeed, contrary to
the Commonwealth’s contentions and the trial court’s conclusion, Appellant’s
failure to provide his full name in response to police questioning is not a
violation of 75 Pa.C.S.A. § 6308 or 18 Pa. C.S.A. § 5101. See
Commonwealth v. Shelly, 703 A.2d 499, 504 (Pa. 1997) (holding that the
appellant did not violate the statute prohibiting obstruction of administration
of law by giving a false name to police). Furthermore, pursuant to
Commonwealth v. Barr, 266 A.3d 25 (Pa. 2021), “the smell of marijuana
alone cannot create probable cause to justify a search under the state and
federal constitutions.” Id. at 41. The Commonwealth concedes this very point
on appeal. See Commonwealth’s Brief at 28-31.
Herein, the traffic-related stop was invalid, the non-traffic investigatory
detention was unsupported by reasonable suspicion, and the discovery of
contraband and other grounds cited by the Commonwealth and trial court
supporting Appellant’s arrest occurred after his unlawful detention
commenced. The firearm and marijuana, found as a result of the
unconstitutional search and seizure, “was a direct product, and hence, an
exploitation of the initial illegality,” warranting suppression. Commonwealth
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v. Shabezz, 166 A.3d 278, 291 (Pa. 2017), citing Wong Sun v. United
States, 371 U.S. 471 (1963). We therefore conclude that the trial court erred
in denying suppression.
Judgment of sentence vacated. Case remanded. Jurisdiction
relinquished.
Judgment Entered.
Joseph D. Seletyn, Esq. Prothonotary
Date: 5/3/2023
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