Munera v. State

965 S.W.2d 523, 1997 WL 528447
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedMarch 11, 1998
Docket14-94-01013-CR
StatusPublished
Cited by30 cases

This text of 965 S.W.2d 523 (Munera 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
Munera v. State, 965 S.W.2d 523, 1997 WL 528447 (Tex. Ct. App. 1998).

Opinion

965 S.W.2d 523 (1997)

Jamie Humberto MUÑERA, Appellant,
v.
The STATE of Texas, Appellee.

No. 14-94-01013-CR.

Court of Appeals of Texas, Houston (14th Dist.).

August 28, 1997.
Rehearing Overruled October 9, 1997.
Discretionary Review Refused March 11, 1998.

*525 Mary Samaan, Judith M. Prince, Houston, for appellant.

Kevin Patrick Yeary, Houston, for appellee.

Before YATES, HUDSON and FOWLER, JJ.

OPINION ON MOTION FOR REHEARING

YATES, Justice.

This appeal requires us to determine whether the trial court erred in denying appellant's motion to suppress because the arresting officers did not have reasonable suspicion to justify the detention of the appellant at a train station. Because we believe the officers did not have reasonable suspicion, we reverse the judgment of the trial court.

Background

Appellant was arrested and charged with possession of more than 400 grams of cocaine with the intent to deliver. On the day of his arrest, Officers Rodriguez, Gann, Hebert, and Mitchell, experienced narcotics interdiction officers, were assigned to the Amtrack train station in Houston. The officers were monitoring a particular train heading for Chicago, a well-known "demand" city for narcotics.

Rodriguez observed an individual, later identified as appellant, standing in line to check a bag. After checking in one bag, he walked away with a duffel bag. Leaving his duffel bag inside, appellant left the lobby and stepped outside to smoke a cigarette. Rodriguez noticed that appellant turned to look inside the lobby while he was smoking the cigarette. After smoking his cigarette, appellant *526 retrieved his duffel bag and walked towards a bench. He first scanned the lobby and then placed his duffel bag on the end of a bench. Afterward, he sat on the other end of the bench, some ten feet away.

Appellant did not stand up when his train's departure was announced. Rodriguez noticed that appellant was observing the officers from the corner of his eyes. He decided to approach and question appellant. Rodriguez identified himself as a police officer, and appellant agreed to talk to him. Hebert was standing a few feet behind Rodriguez while Gann and Mitchell were about twenty to forty feet from Rodriguez. However, Rodriguez found it necessary to speak in Spanish because appellant's English was very poor. Appellant remained very nervous throughout the encounter. Rodriguez asked for appellant's ticket and driver's license. After examining appellant's California driver's license, Rodriguez returned it to appellant. The ticket contained the same name as on appellant's license, and it reflected it was purchased with cash on that day. When asked where he lived, appellant explained he had been in Houston for several days visiting his mother and that he was returning to Chicago.

Rodriguez then asked appellant if he had any baggage. Appellant pointed and stated he had only one bag, the duffel bag. Rodriguez knew appellant had checked in a bag, having observed him do so earlier and seeing the baggage claim stub attached to the ticket. Rodriguez then informed appellant that he was a narcotics officer conducting a narcotics interview. In response to Rodriguez's questions, appellant denied that he was carrying narcotics, and he agreed to allow Rodriguez to look in his duffel bag. Although the parties dispute this point, Rodriguez testified that he informed appellant he did not have to allow any search and could leave at any time. Rodriguez searched the duffel bag, but found nothing incriminating within.

Rodriguez then asked Hebert to retrieve the bag appellant had checked in. Appellant told Rodriguez that his bag was black, and Rodriguez went to convey this information to Hebert. Before doing so, Rodriguez told appellant he could board the train and the officers would bring his baggage claim stub. Gann remained with appellant until Rodriguez returned with the bag. The bag was locked, but the officers opened it with a key found in appellant's jeans. Inside the bag, the officers found several black garbage bags, filled with a substance that field tested positive for cocaine.

Appellant pled not guilty to the court. He filed a motion to suppress that was carried with the case. The trial court denied the motion to suppress with no specific explanation other than that it heard the evidence, demeanor, and manner of each witness testifying. At the conclusion of the case, the trial court found appellant guilty and sentenced him to twenty-five years confinement in the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, Institutional Division and assessed a $100,000 fine. This appeal followed.

Standard of Review

In his sole point of error, appellant contends the trial court erred in denying his motion to suppress the evidence.[1] In a motion to suppress, the trial court is the sole and exclusive trier of fact. Romero v. State, 800 S.W.2d 539, 543 (Tex.Crim.App.1990). We will reverse the trial court's decision only for an abuse of discretion—when it appears the trial court applied an erroneous legal standard, or when no reasonable view of the record could support the trial court's conclusion under the correct law and the facts viewed in the light most favorable to its legal conclusion. DuBose v. State, 915 S.W.2d 493, 497-98 (Tex.Crim.App.1996). Even if we would reach a different result, as long as the trial court rulings are at least within the "zone of reasonable disagreement," we will not intercede. Id. at 496. Furthermore, should the trial judge's determination be correct on any theory of law applicable to the case, it will be sustained. Romero, 800 S.W.2d at 543.

*527 Analysis

When was appellant detained?

We begin our analysis of appellant's point of error by determining at what point appellant was "detained" for constitutional purposes. An investigatory detention is a "seizure" of the citizen. Johnson v. State, 912 S.W.2d 227, 235 (Tex.Crim.App.1995) (plurality opinion). A seizure occurs when a person has been subjected to either the application of physical force or the person submits to the assertion of authority. State v. Skiles, 938 S.W.2d 447, 453 (Tex.Crim.App. 1997); Johnson, 912 S.W.2d at 235.

An investigatory detention is distinct from an "encounter," which is not a seizure. Johnson, 912 S.W.2d at 235. During an encounter, an officer is free to approach the individual and ask questions, but the individual is free to ignore the officer and walk away. Id. The confrontation remains an encounter until a reasonable person would believe he or she was not free to leave and the person has yielded to the officer's show of authority or been physically forced to yield. Id.; see also Francis v. State, 922 S.W.2d 176, 178 (Tex.Crim.App.1996) (Baird, J., concurring and dissenting). Each case must be decided by an examination of the "totality of the circumstances surrounding the encounter." Peterson v. State, 857 S.W.2d 927, 930 (Tex.App.-Houston [1st Dist.] 1993, no pet.).

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Bluebook (online)
965 S.W.2d 523, 1997 WL 528447, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/munera-v-state-texapp-1998.