Luis Fernando Saldivar v. State

CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedNovember 16, 2006
Docket02-05-00284-CR
StatusPublished

This text of Luis Fernando Saldivar v. State (Luis Fernando Saldivar v. State) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Texas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Luis Fernando Saldivar v. State, (Tex. Ct. App. 2006).

Opinion

                                               COURT OF APPEALS

                                                 SECOND DISTRICT OF TEXAS

                                                                FORT WORTH

                                        NO. 2-05-284-CR

LUIS FERNANDO SALDIVAR                                                  APPELLANT

                                                   V.

THE STATE OF TEXAS                                                                STATE

                                              ------------

        FROM CRIMINAL DISTRICT COURT NO. 3 OF TARRANT COUNTY

                                MEMORANDUM OPINION[1]

Luis Fernando Saldivar pled not guilty to possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver but was convicted by a jury and sentenced to six years= confinement.  He appeals the denial of his motion to suppress, claiming error based on his right to be free from unreasonable searches and seizures under the U.S. and Texas Constitutions.  We affirm.


BACKGROUND

Around 1:30 a.m. on March 8, 2004, during a routine check of Amon Carter Park, Corporal Frederick Long of the Fort Worth Police Department saw Appellant=s jeep and pulled up behind it.  He called dispatch for backup before approaching the jeep=s lone occupant, Appellant, because when he turned his spotlight onto the jeep, he saw Appellant lunge over to the right and he was not sure what this movement signified.[2]  On his approach, Corporal Long saw two unopened beer bottles, one on the passenger seat and one in the center console cup holder.


When Corporal Long asked his age, Appellant replied that he was nineteen.  Corporal Long then asked Appellant to step out of the vehicle[3] and took Appellant=s driver=s license back to his car; there were no outstanding warrants.  The back-up officer, Officer Fincher, arrived as Corporal Long wrote out citations to Appellant for violating park curfew, having alcohol in the park, and minor in possession of alcohol.  Both officers were in uniform.  Officer Fincher testified that he assumed a position approximately ten feet away from Appellant.

Corporal Long testified that he did not have Appellant sign the citations, that he explained to Appellant that he had eleven days to make an appearance on the citations, and that Appellant said Ano@ when asked if he had any questions.[4]  He then handed the driver=s license and the citations to Appellant and told him that he was free to leave.  Appellant then turned towards the jeep.


Corporal Long testified that at that point, he remembered that there was still beer in the jeep and said, Aoh, by the way, do you have anything other than the obvious alcohol on your center console in your vehicle that I need to know about, any contraband, weapons, or anything?@  Corporal Long said that Appellant stopped in response to his question.  Appellant then turned, leaned back towards the jeep, ducked his head, and sighed.  In a quiet voice, he replied, Ayes.@[5]

Corporal Long testified that at this point, Appellant was still free to leave, that the jeep was not boxed in, and that A[i]f he would have gotten in the car and driven off, he could have driven off, no problem.  I couldn=t do anything about it.  I didn=t have any reason to detain.@  Appellant testified that he did not feel free to leave at this point and that when the officers asked him if there was anything else they should know, they Akind of like made it look like they were going to search anyways.  That=s how I felt.@  He said they did this by asking him whether there was anything else they should know about.  He testified that the officers did not have their weapons drawn and that they did not threaten to get a search warrant.


AWhat?@ asked Corporal Long, in response to Appellant=s statement.[6] Appellant said, AIt=s in the glove compartment.@  Corporal Long asked, AWhat is in the glove compartment?@

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Luis Fernando Saldivar v. State, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/luis-fernando-saldivar-v-state-texapp-2006.