Flood v. State

2007 WY 167, 169 P.3d 538, 2007 Wyo. LEXIS 179, 2007 WL 3070977
CourtWyoming Supreme Court
DecidedOctober 23, 2007
Docket06-126, 06-127
StatusPublished
Cited by29 cases

This text of 2007 WY 167 (Flood v. State) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Wyoming Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Flood v. State, 2007 WY 167, 169 P.3d 538, 2007 Wyo. LEXIS 179, 2007 WL 3070977 (Wyo. 2007).

Opinion

KITE, Justice.

[T1] After conditionally pleading guilty to two controlled substances offenses, Mr. Flood challenges the district court's denial of his motion to suppress evidence discovered during a search of the vehicle he was driving. He maintains that he was detained in violation of his constitutional rights. Concluding the highway patrol trooper did not exceed the seope of permissible detention while issuing traffic tickets to him and his passenger, who was the owner of the car, and that the officer had reasonable suspicion to justify detaining Mr. Flood after the original purpose of the traffic stop had ended, we affirm.

ISSUE

[T2] Mr. Flood states a single issue on appeal:

Did the state trooper lack reasonable suspicion to detain appellant while he searched the car, without consent, and therefore did the district court err in denying appellant's motion to suppress?

The State phrases the issue as:

Did the district court err in finding that Trooper Chatfield was justified in extending the investigatory stop of appellant's vehicle based on the totality of the cireum-stances, including: appellant's and his passenger's inconsistent accounts of their travel plans; the strong odor of cologne on them; and their inconsistent accounts involving their relationship to one another and to the young boy in the backseat?

FACTS

[T3] At approximately 1:00 p.m. on June 1, 2005, Mr. Flood was driving a car belonging to one of the passengers, Carroll Janis, east on Interstate 80 outside of Cheyenne, Wyoming. Wyoming Highway Patrol Trooper David Chatfield was patrolling the interstate with his drug detection dog and clocked Mr. Flood's car traveling 78 miles per hour in a "75 mile per hour zone. He activated his lights and stopped Mr. Flood. Trooper Chatfield exited his patrol car and spoke with Mr. Flood through the driver side window, requesting his driver's license, registration and proof of insurance. Mr. Flood provided his driver's license and Mr. Janis stated that the car belonged to him and provided the registration, but stated that the car was not insured. While gathering this information, the trooper noticed a strong smell of cologne or patchouli oil emanating from the car.

[T4] Trooper Chatfield asked Mr. Flood to accompany him back to his patrol car. As he wrote out a warning for speeding, the trooper noted a strong cologne smell coming from Mr. Flood. Trooper Chatfield asked Mr. Flood about his travel plans, and he responded that he, Mr. Janis and a boy who was sitting in the back seat had left Seotts-bluff; Nebraska that morning and traveled to Cheyenne to visit one of Mr. Flood's family members. He stated that the family member had to go to work, so they were returning to Scottsbluff. The trooper asked about Mr. Flood's relationship to Mr. Janis and the boy. Mr. Flood stated he was not. related to Mr. Janis but they were good friends, and the boy was his twelve year old nephew. The trooper gave Mr. Flood the warning and returned his documentation.

[T5] Trooper Chatfield then approached Mr. Janis and asked him to come back to the patrol car. While preparing a ticket for lack of insurance, he asked Mr. Janis about their trip. Mr. Janis stated that the three occupants of the car had driven to Cheyenne the previous afternoon, spent the night there, and were returning to Scottsbluff, He also stated that he was not related to Mr. Flood, but the boy in the backseat was his grandson. Like Mr. Flood, Mr. Janis smelled strongly of cologne or patchouli oil.

*542 [¶ 6] Trooper Chatfield gave Mr. Janis the citation for lack of insurance, returned the documents he had supplied and told him he was free to leave. As Mr. Janis was walking back to his car, the trooper exited the patrol car and asked if he could ask him some more questions. Mr. Janis agreed, and the trooper inquired whether there was anything illegal, such as guns or drugs, in the car. Mr. Janis denied having any contraband in the car, and the trooper asked if he could search the car. Mr. Janis did not respond verbally to the trooper's request, but leaned into the car and, apparently, told Mr. Flood to open the trunk. The trooper could see a blanket covering a ball-shaped object in the trunk. Trooper Chatfield again asked if he could search the car, to which Mr. Janis responded that they needed to "get going." Taking this as a negative response, Trooper Chatfield stated that he intended to have his drug dog sniff the exterior of the car.

[¶ 7] Trooper Chatfield had all three occupants of the car get out and stand in the ditch next to the roadway. He then turned his drug dog loose and the dog alerted, indicating he detected the odor of illegal drugs. Trooper Chatfield searched the car and discovered approximately two pounds of marijuana in the trunk and approximately one ounce of cocaine in the glove box. Mr. Flood was arrested and charged with four felony counts in violation of Wyo. Stat. Ann. §§ 85-7-1031(a)@), Gi) and (0)@), (M) (LexisNexis 2007): possession of cocaine, possession of cocaine with intent to deliver, possession of marijuana, and possession of marijuana with intent to deliver.

[T.8] - 'Mr. Flood filed a motion to suppress the evidence discovered during the search of the car. He claimed that he was detained in violation of the constitutional prohibitions against illegal searches and seizures. After a hearing, the district court denied Mr. Flood's motion to suppress.

[¶ 9] Mr. Flood entered into a plea agreement with the State in which he agreed to plead guilty to the two marijuana charges in exchange for dismissal of the cocaine charges. He reserved the right to appeal the district court's denial of his motion to suppress.

STANDARD OF REVIEW

[T10] We apply the following standard in reviewing a denial of a motion to suppress evidence:

Factual findings made by a trial court considering a motion to suppress will not be disturbed unless the findings are clearly erroneous. Meek v. State, 2002 WY 1, ¶ 8, 37 P.3d 1279, ¶ 8 (Wyo.2002). Because the trial court has the opportunity to hear the evidence, assess witness credibility, and draw the necessary inferences, deductions, and conclusions, we view the evidence in the light most favorable to the trial court's determination. Id. Whether an unreasonable search or seizure occurred in violation of constitutional rights presents a question of law and is reviewed de novo. Vasquez v. State, 990 P.2d 476, 480 (Wyo.1999).

O'Boyle v. State, 2005 WY 83, ¶ 18, 117 P.3d 401, 407 (Wyo.2005). See also, Ornelas v. United States, 517 U.S. 690, 116 S.Ct. 1657, 134 L.Ed.2d 911 (1996).

DISCUSSION

[¶11] Mr. Flood asserts Trooper Chat-field detained him in violation of state and federal constitutional guarantees against unreasonable searches and seizures and, consequently, the evidence discovered during the ensuing search should have been suppressed as fruit of the poisonous tree. On appeal, he presents a "combined analysis" under Wyo. Const. art. 1, § 4 and the Fourth Amendment to the United States Constitution.

A. State Constitution

[112] Although he cited to the Wyoming Constitution in his motion to suppress, Mr.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

Andrew Lee Boyer v. The State of Wyoming
2025 WY 93 (Wyoming Supreme Court, 2025)
Darrell Leonardo Alexander v. The State of Wyoming
2023 WY 127 (Wyoming Supreme Court, 2023)
Kellon Christon Pryce v. The State of Wyoming
2020 WY 151 (Wyoming Supreme Court, 2020)
Ryan Scott Simmons v. The State of Wyoming
2020 WY 132 (Wyoming Supreme Court, 2020)
Mark Alan Ferch v. The State of Wyoming
2020 WY 37 (Wyoming Supreme Court, 2020)
James Leonard Mills v. The State of Wyoming
2020 WY 14 (Wyoming Supreme Court, 2020)
Bryan Robinson v. The State of Wyoming
2019 WY 125 (Wyoming Supreme Court, 2019)
Brown v. State
439 P.3d 726 (Wyoming Supreme Court, 2019)
Rodriguez v. State
435 P.3d 399 (Wyoming Supreme Court, 2019)
Pier v. State
421 P.3d 565 (Wyoming Supreme Court, 2018)
Harris v. State
2018 WY 14 (Wyoming Supreme Court, 2018)
People of Michigan v. Leslie Elijah Malone Jr
Michigan Court of Appeals, 2016
State v. Deen
2015 WY 5 (Wyoming Supreme Court, 2015)
State
2015 WY 5 (Wyoming Supreme Court, 2015)
Connor Timothy Corrigan Phippen v. The State of Wyoming
2013 WY 30 (Wyoming Supreme Court, 2013)
Dimino v. State
2012 WY 131 (Wyoming Supreme Court, 2012)
Frazier v. State
2010 WY 107 (Wyoming Supreme Court, 2010)
Lovato v. State
2010 WY 38 (Wyoming Supreme Court, 2010)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
2007 WY 167, 169 P.3d 538, 2007 Wyo. LEXIS 179, 2007 WL 3070977, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/flood-v-state-wyo-2007.