Commonwealth v. Kaufman

34 Pa. D. & C.5th 137
CourtPennsylvania Court of Common Pleas, Berks County
DecidedOctober 18, 2013
DocketNo. CP-06-CR-1985-2013
StatusPublished

This text of 34 Pa. D. & C.5th 137 (Commonwealth v. Kaufman) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Pennsylvania Court of Common Pleas, Berks County primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Commonwealth v. Kaufman, 34 Pa. D. & C.5th 137 (Pa. Super. Ct. 2013).

Opinion

BOCCABELLA, J.,

FINDINGS OF FACT

1. On December 9th, 2012, at approximately 6:45 p.m., Chief William J. McEllroy III and Officer Peter J. Witman were dispatched to 220 Maple Drive, Tilden Township, Berks County for a possible domestic in progress involving Michael Dennis Kaufman Sr. (defendant) and his 21-year-old daughter.

2. The defendant’s daughter called her mother who was not at the location of the dispute. The mother called the police to report the dispute and was heading home where her daughter was located.

[139]*1393. Chief McEllroy and Officer Witman were advised by Berks County Communications that it was unknown if the domestic dispute was physical. All that the officers were told was that the dispute involved the defendant attempting to kick his daughter out of the residence.

4. When the officers arrived, they parked their patrol vehicles on the comer of Maple Drive. As they began to walk toward the residence, Chief McEllroy noticed a white mini-van leaving the rear of220 Maple Drive. Chief McEllroy did not see who was driving the vehicle. Not knowing if there had been any domestic violence, the officers, nevertheless, decided to return to their patrol vehicles and stop the white van.

5. Chief McEllroy stopped the vehicle on Diamond Drive. He approached the vehicle and asked the defendant (Michael Kaufman) to shut off his vehicle. The defendant complied. Chief McEllroy explained to the defendant that he stopped him because he was dispatched to domestic dispute at his residence. The defendant responded “I was just trying to leave the argument and go to my mother’s house.”

6. Chief McEllroy asked the defendant to step out of the vehicle to speak to him. The defendant complied. During the conversation, Chief McEllroy noticed a strong odor of an alcoholic beverage coming from his person.

7. Chief McEllroy asked Officer Witman to perform the Standardized Field Sobriety Tests on the defendant. The defendant failed the tests. Chief McEllroy made the decision to place the defendant under arrest for DUI.

8. Officer Witman was then asked to retrieve the keys and lock the vehicle. When he sat in the vehicle to reach for the keys, he observed a plastic liquor bottle of the floor [140]*140directly next to the driver’s seat. Officer Witman picked up the bottle and saw that it was approximately half-full of whiskey. The bottle was 1.75 liters of Canadian Hunter whiskey.

9. Chief McEllroy took the defendant to St. Joseph’s Medical Center and read the chemical testing warnings. The defendant refused the blood draw and did not sign anything. The defendant demanded to speak to his attorney.

10. Chief McEllroy completed the form indicating the refusal of the chemical testing and transported the defendant to his mother’s residence and released him to the custody of his wife.

11. Bill of Information was filed which charged Michael Kaufman Sr. with Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol, in violation of 75 Pa.C.S.A. §3802(a)(l) and 75 Pa.C.S.A §3809(a), Restriction on Alcoholic Beverages.

CONCLUSIONS OF LAW

1. “Where a defendant files a motion to suppress, the burdens of production and persuasion are on the Commonwealth to prove the challenged evidence was not obtained in violation of the defendant’s rights.” Commonwealth v. West, 834 A.2d 625 at 629 (Pa. Super. 2003), citing Commonwealth v. Wilmington, 729 A.2d 1160 (Pa. Super. 1999); See also Pa.R.Crim.P. 581(H).

2. The Constitution of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania provides:

The people shall be secure in their persons, houses, papers and possessions from unreasonable searches and seizures, and no warrant to search any place or seize any person or things shall issue without describing [141]*141them as nearly as may be, nor without probable case, supported by oath or affirmation subscribed to by the affiant.

Pa. CONST, art. I, §8.

Section 6308(b) of the Vehicle Code provides:

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.A. §6308(b) (Emphasis added).

3. “Thus, when an officer has reasonable suspicion a violation of the Vehicle Code is occurring or has occurred, he may interrupt the privileged operation of a vehicle on the public highways and stop the vehicle for the investigative purposes stated therein.” Commonwealth v. Chase, 960 A.2d 108, 112 (Pa. 2008) citing 75 Pa. C.S.A. §6308(b).

4. “To establish grounds for ‘reasonable suspicion’... the officer must articulate specific observations which, in conjunction with reasonable inferences derived from these observations, led him reasonably to conclude, in light of his experience, that criminal activity was afoot and the person he stopped was involved in that activity.” Commonwealth v. Little, 903 A.2d 1269, 1272 (Pa. Super. 2006) citing Commonwealth v. Bennet, 827 A.2d 469, 477 (Pa. Super. 2003) (citing Commonwealth v. Cook, 558 [142]*142Pa.50, 735 A.2d 673, 676 (1999)).

5. “In order to determine whether the police had a reasonable suspicion, the totality of the circumstances-the whole picture-must be considered.” In the Interest of D.M., 781 A.2d 1161, 1163 (Pa.2001) citing United States v. Cortez, 449 U.S. 411, 417 (1981).

6. In making this determination, we must give “due weight...to the specific reasonable inferences [the police officer] is entitled to draw from the facts in light of his experience.” Commonwealth v. Cook, 735 A.2d 673, 676 (Pa.1999) quoting Terry v. Ohio, 392 U.S. 1, 27 (1968).

7. Also, the totality of the circumstances test does not limit our inquiry to an examination of only those facts that clearly indicate criminal conduct. Rather, “[e]ven a combination of innocent facts, when taken together, may warrant further investigation by the police officer.” Commonwealth v. Cook, 735 A.2d 673, 676 (Pa.1999) quoting Terry v. Ohio, 392 U.S. 1, 22 (1968).

8.

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Commonwealth v. Marti
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Commonwealth v. Wilmington
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Commonwealth v. Smith
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Commonwealth v. Cook
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Commonwealth v. Kowalek
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Commonwealth v. Wojdak
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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
34 Pa. D. & C.5th 137, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/commonwealth-v-kaufman-pactcomplberks-2013.