Com. v. Velez-Diaz, L.

CourtSuperior Court of Pennsylvania
DecidedApril 11, 2023
Docket279 MDA 2022
StatusUnpublished

This text of Com. v. Velez-Diaz, L. (Com. v. Velez-Diaz, L.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Superior Court of Pennsylvania primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Com. v. Velez-Diaz, L., (Pa. Ct. App. 2023).

Opinion

J-S06016-23

NON-PRECEDENTIAL DECISION - SEE SUPERIOR COURT I.O.P. 65.37

COMMONWEALTH OF PENNSYLVANIA : IN THE SUPERIOR COURT OF : PENNSYLVANIA : v. : : : LUIS MANUEL VELEZ-DIAZ : : Appellant : No. 279 MDA 2022

Appeal from the Judgment of Sentence Entered January 12, 2022 In the Court of Common Pleas of York County Criminal Division at No(s): CP-67-CR-0005167-2020

BEFORE: STABILE, J., NICHOLS, J., and STEVENS, P.J.E.*

MEMORANDUM BY NICHOLS, J.: FILED: APRIL 11, 2023

Appellant Luis Manuel Velez-Diaz appeals from the judgment of

sentence imposed after he was convicted of multiple counts of driving under

the influence (DUI) and related offenses. Appellant asserts that the trial court

erred in denying his suppression motion and challenges the sufficiency of the

evidence. After review, we reverse in part, and we affirm in part.

The trial court summarized the relevant facts and procedural history of

this case as follows:

On August 6, 2020, Trooper Elliot Wilker[1] was on Interstate 83 northbound near exit 24, Emigsville, around 1:18 am. Trooper Wilker was stationary . . . and noticed a dark color sedan severely ____________________________________________

* Former Justice specially assigned to the Superior Court.

1The notes of testimony reflect that the trooper spelled his name “Wilker” and not Walker. See N.T. Suppression Hr’g, 3/15/21, at 7; N.T. Trial, 1/12/22, at 6. We have amended the trial court’s references to Trooper Wilker accordingly. J-S06016-23

swerve from its lane, appearing to cross over a fog line. Trooper Wilker began following the vehicle northbound and observed the vehicle swerving within its lane and a fluctuation in speed. At that point, Trooper Wilker initiated a traffic stop and the vehicle pulled over with a delayed response. Everything except the initial swerve that caught Trooper Wilker’s attention was captured on the Motor Vehicle Recording [(MVR)].

Once the vehicle stopped, Trooper Wilker observed two occupants in the vehicle, and the driver was identified as [Appellant]. Trooper Wilker noticed the odor of marijuana emanating from the vehicle, a faint odor of alcoholic beverage, and a strong odor of perfume or cologne. [Appellant’s] eyes were bloodshot and glassy. [Appellant] admitted to smoking marijuana “a couple of hours ago.” [Appellant] also admitted to not possessing a driver’s license.

Trooper Wilker then had [Appellant] step out of the vehicle and perform a field sobriety test. First, the walk-and-turn test was administered. Trooper Wilker indicated that six out of eight possible clues of impairment were observed. Then, the one- legged stand test was administered where [Appellant] exhibited two out of four clues of impairment. Finally, the Romberg balancing test was administered. During the Romberg balancing test, [Appellant] was observed exhibiting rapid eyelid tremor, body tremors, as well as hand and leg tremors. After consideration of [Appellant’s] performance during the field sobriety test, Trooper Wilker asked [Appellant] to submit to a blood test.

Initially, Trooper Wilker began to transport [Appellant] to booking after placing him under arrest. On the way, Trooper Wilker could smell the odor of marijuana and asked [Appellant] if he had marijuana on him. [Appellant] admitted to having marijuana in his underwear while in the patrol vehicle. When Trooper Wilker and [Appellant] arrived at booking, no phlebotomist was available to effectuate a blood draw. Then, [Appellant] was taken to York Hospital where a phlebotomist drew [Appellant’s] blood at approximately 2:11 a.m. The blood was packaged and sent to NMS Labs. The toxicology report indicated positive findings for Methamphetamine, 11-Hydroxy Delta-9 THC, Delta-9 Carboxy THC, and Delta-9 THC.

Trial Ct. Op., 3/22/22, at 2-3 (unpaginated) (some formatting altered).

-2- J-S06016-23

Prior to trial, Appellant filed a motion to suppress claiming that the traffic

stop was illegal. Mot. to Suppress, 1/20/21. Following a hearing on March

15, 2021, the trial court denied Appellant’s motion. Trial Ct. Order, 3/15/21,

at 6.

Following a non-jury trial held on January 12, 2022, the trial court found

Appellant guilty of four counts of DUI and one count of driving on roadways

laned for traffic.2 At sentencing that same day, the trial court concluded that

Appellant’s DUI convictions merged for sentencing purposes and imposed a

sentence of three days to six months of incarceration, with credit for three

days of time served and a $1,000.00 fine for DUI under Section 3802(d)(1)(i).

The trial court also ordered Appellant to pay a $25.00 fine for the charge of

driving on roadways laned for traffic. Sentencing Order, 1/12/22.

Appellant filed a timely appeal on February 10, 2022. Both Appellant

and the trial court complied with Pa.R.A.P. 1925.

On appeal, Appellant raises two issues, which we have reordered as

follows:

1. Whether the evidence was insufficient to convict [Appellant] of 75 Pa.C.S. § 3309(1) where there was no evidence that his driving constituted a safety hazard?

2. Whether the trial court erred in denying [Appellant’s] motion to suppress the traffic stop on the basis of a lack of reasonable suspicion to stop the vehicle?

____________________________________________

275 Pa.C.S. §§ 3802(d)(1)(i), 3802(d)(1)(ii), 3802(d)(1)(iii), 3802(d)(2), and 3309(1), respectively.

-3- J-S06016-23

Appellant’s Brief at 5.

Sufficiency

Appellant argues that the evidence was insufficient to sustain his

conviction for driving roadways laned for traffic under 75 Pa.C.S § 3309(1).3

Appellant’s Brief at 15. In support, Appellant argues that the Commonwealth

failed to establish that he created a safety hazard. Id.

When reviewing a challenge to the sufficiency of the evidence, our

standard of review is as follows:

The standard we apply in reviewing the sufficiency of the evidence is whether viewing all [of] the evidence admitted at trial in the light most favorable to the verdict winner, there is sufficient evidence to enable the fact-finder to find every element of the crime beyond a reasonable doubt. In applying the above test, we may not weigh the evidence and substitute our judgment for the fact-finder. In addition, we note that the facts and circumstances established by the Commonwealth need not preclude every ____________________________________________

3 Because Appellant challenges both the sufficiency of the evidence and the ruling of the suppression court, we address the sufficiency of the evidence first. See Commonwealth v. Spence, ___A.3d___, 2023 PA Super 22, 2023 WL 2002292, at *4 n.4 (Pa. Super. filed Feb. 15, 2023) (stating that because “a successful sufficiency of the evidence claim warrants discharge on the pertinent crime, we shall address this issue first” (citing Commonwealth v. Toritto, 67 A.3d 29, 33 (Pa. Super. 2013) (en banc)). Moreover, we address the sufficiency of the evidence without a diminished record. See Commonwealth v. Gray, 867 A.2d 560, 567 (Pa. Super. 2005) (explaining that “[i]n evaluating the sufficiency of the evidence, we do not review a diminished record [and] the law is clear that we are required to consider all evidence that was actually received, without consideration as to the admissibility of that evidence or whether the trial court’s evidentiary rulings are correct” (citations omitted)).

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Bluebook (online)
Com. v. Velez-Diaz, L., Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/com-v-velez-diaz-l-pasuperct-2023.