Davis v. Simmons

100 F. Supp. 3d 723, 2015 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 135309, 2015 WL 5785067
CourtDistrict Court, S.D. Iowa
DecidedJuly 8, 2015
DocketNo. 4:14-cv-00385-JEG
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 100 F. Supp. 3d 723 (Davis v. Simmons) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, S.D. Iowa primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Davis v. Simmons, 100 F. Supp. 3d 723, 2015 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 135309, 2015 WL 5785067 (S.D. Iowa 2015).

Opinion

[727]*727ORDER

JAMES E. GRITZNER, Senior Judge, U.S. DISTRICT COURT

This matter comes before the Court on Motion to Dismiss by Defendants Desert Snow, LLC and Joe David (collectively, Desert Snow Defendants), ECF No. 12, and Motion to Dismiss by Defendants Iowa State Patrol Troopers Justin Simmons and Eric Vanderwiel and Special Agent Jessie Whitmer (collectively, State Defendants), ECF No. 13. Plaintiffs William Barton Davis and John Newmer-zhyeky resist. The parties did not request a hearing, and the Court finds a hearing is not necessary to resolve the matters. The motions are fully submitted and ready for disposition.1

I. BACKGROUND2

The First Amended Complaint (Complaint) alleges Defendants violated and conspired to violate Plaintiffs’ constitutional rights by illegally stopping and searching their out-of-state vehicle and seizing approximately $100,000 in cash pursuant to Iowa’s civil forfeiture laws. On April 15, 2013, Plaintiffs William Davis and John Newmerzhyeky, both residents of California, were driving westbound on Interstate 80 through Poweshiek County, Iowa, on their way to Las Vegas, Nevada, after competing in a World Series of Poker event in Joliet, Illinois. Davis is a professional poker player, and Newmerzhyeky occasionally plays in professional poker events. Plaintiffs were driving a rental car bearing Nevada license plates.

At approximately 8:50 a.m., Defendant Justin Simmons, an Iowa State Trooper and member of the Eastern Iowa Drug Interdiction Team, began following Plaintiffs’ vehicle. Trooper Simmons was a member of a private intelligence sharing database called Black Asphalt, which allows law enforcement officers to communicate inter-district with other officers and exchange reports and information about drivers. Trooper Simmons had received a “be on the lookout,” or “BOLO,” notice about Plaintiffs’ vehicle from another officer.3 The officer who initiated the BOLO notice had followed Plaintiffs for approximately 15 minutes before submitting the report.

Black Asphalt was formed in 2004 by Defendants Joe David and Desert Snow, LLC as a private intelligence network and notification system and currently has approximately 25,000 members nationwide. The Complaint alleges Black Asphalt is controlled in part by a limited liability company formed by Joe David called Black Asphalt LLC; however, control of the network was reportedly transferred to the Kane County, Illinois, Sheriffs Office in June 2014. On March 1, 2012, the Director of Investigative Operations for the Iowa Department of Public Safety wrote a letter to Iowa State Troopers prohibiting them from using Black Asphalt because of concerns about civil and criminal liability.

Because of the Black Asphalt BOLO report, Trooper Simmons continued following Plaintiffs’ vehicle for approximately fif[728]*728teen miles. After allegedly observing Plaintiffs fail to use a turning signal while passing another vehicle, Trooper Simmons initiated a traffic stop. Plaintiffs allege Trooper Simmons had neither reasonable suspicion nor probable cause to conduct the traffic stop and allege Trooper Simmons’ dash camera shows that Plaintiffs properly signaled while changing lanes. After executing the stop, Trooper Simmons approached the vehicle and obtained Davis and Newmerzhycky’s drivers’ licenses and a copy of the car-rental agreement. Newmerzhycky, who was the driver of the vehicle, was ordered to accompany Trooper Simmons to the patrol vehicle to receive a warning for failure to signal while passing. Trooper Simmons then engaged in a “motorist interview” with Newmerzhycky, asking him about his travel plans, itinerary, employment, and criminal history. Newmerzhycky informed Trooper Simmons that he and Davis were traveling east from a poker tournament in Illinois to participate in another poker tournament in Las Vegas. Trooper Simmons then exited his patrol car and approached and questioned Davis, who was in the front passenger seat of the vehicle. Trooper Simmons then returned to his patrol car, issued Newmerzhycky a warning, and told him he was free to go.

_As Newmerzhycky was walking back to his rental vehicle, Trooper Simmons exited his patrol car and asked Newmerzhycky to answer a few moré questions. Trooper Simmons asked whether Plaintiffs had any controlled substances, cash, or other contraband in the vehicle. Plaintiffs denied the presence of any illegal items or substances. Trooper Simmons then asked for consent to search the vehicle, which Plaintiffs denied. Trooper Simmons told Plaintiffs he believed they were involved in criminal activity and that they were being detained to have a drug dog conduct a sniff search of their vehicle. Trooper Simmons informed Plaintiffs that another officer with a drug dog was “just over the hill.” Compl. ¶ 76, EOF No. 11. Iowa State Trooper Eric Vanderwiel, a member of the Eastern Iowa Drug Interdiction Team, arrived on the scene with his drug dog and conducted a sniff search of the vehicle. The Complaint does not indicate how long Plaintiffs waited for Trooper Vanderwiel to arrive on scene. The dog allegedly gave a positive alert on the back left corner of the trunk of the car; Trooper Vanderwiel’s dash camera cannot confirm the positive hit because his camera was turned off during the search. Based on the alleged positive alert, Trooper Simmons and Trooper Vanderwiel conducted a physical search of the vehicle. The officers located a locked leather bag in the trunk. After obtaining the combination from Davis, the officers opened the bag and found $85,020 in U.S. currency and an Apple iPad. Davis explained that the money was used as his bankroll to fund his participation in poker events. The presence of several poker magazines in the back seat of the car supported Davis’ explanation. Trooper Simmons then explained to Plaintiffs that they were not being arrested but that they were being detained to conduct a further search of-the vehicle.

Plaintiffs and their rental vehicle were taken to a Iowa Department of Transportation (DOT) facility. Newmerzhycky and Davis were separated while the vehicle was searched. Simmons located a computer bag in the backseat that contained $15,000 in U.S. currency, two cell phones, and a grinder containing marijuana residue. Special Agent Jessie Whitmer of the Department of Public Safety in Johnson County, Iowa, was also present during the search. Trooper Simmons and SA Whit-mer questioned Newmerzhycky and Davis separately about the currency and whether they were involved in criminal drug activity. Plaintiffs denied involvement in criminal activity and repeatedly asked if they [729]*729were free to leave. Trooper Simmons and SA Whitmer told Plaintiffs they were not free to leave. Plaintiffs remained at the DOT facility for approximately two to three hours while they continued tó be questioned and their rental vehicle was searched. Before Plaintiffs were told they were free to leave, Trooper Simmons issued Newmerzhycky a citation for possession of drug paraphernalia for the grinder found in the computer bag. Trooper Simmons and SA Whitmer retained the U.S. currency (totaling $100,020), the two cell phones, and the Apple iPad found in the vehicle. Once Plaintiffs were told they were free to leave, they left the DOT facility in their rental car and continued on their trip to Las Vegas.

SA Whitmer relayed the information obtained during the search to the Humboldt County Narcotics Task Force in Humboldt, California.

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Related

Baldwin v. Estherville, Iowa
218 F. Supp. 3d 987 (N.D. Iowa, 2016)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
100 F. Supp. 3d 723, 2015 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 135309, 2015 WL 5785067, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/davis-v-simmons-iasd-2015.