People v. Bradley CA3

California Court of Appeal·Decided December 11, 2013·No. C066837·Unpublished

Opinion

Filed 12/11/13 P. v. Bradley CA3 NOT TO BE PUBLISHED

California Rules of Court, rule 8.1115(a), prohibits courts and parties from citing or relying on opinions not certified for publication or ordered published, except as specified by rule 8.1115(b). This opinion has not been certified for publication or ordered published for purposes of rule 8.1115.

IN THE COURT OF APPEAL OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA THIRD APPELLATE DISTRICT (Sacramento) ----

THE PEOPLE,

Plaintiff and Respondent, C066837

v. (Super. Ct. No. 09F08772)

CHRISTOPHER BRADLEY,

Defendant and Appellant.

A police officer seized cash and cocaine from defendant Christopher Bradley’s pants pockets during a traffic stop, and also seized methamphetamine from the center console of defendant’s car during the stop. The trial court denied defendant’s motion to suppress the evidence of the seized items and the prosecution introduced the evidence at defendant’s trial. A jury convicted defendant of unlawfully transporting cocaine base and methamphetamine and unlawful possession of methamphetamine. The trial court

1 sentenced defendant to six years in prison. On defendant’s motion, the trial court bifurcated the trial on the allegation that defendant was previously convicted of a serious felony. Defendant now contends the trial court erred in (1) denying his motion to suppress evidence, (2) failing to conduct a trial on the allegation that defendant had a prior serious felony conviction, and (3) sentencing him without the benefit of a probation report. We conclude the trial court properly denied the suppression motion. Nonetheless, we will vacate the judgment regarding the prior strike allegation and defendant’s sentence and remand the matter. Regarding the prior strike allegation, if the trial court conducted a trial and found the prior strike allegation to be true, the trial court shall reinstate that portion of its judgment. Otherwise, the trial court shall conduct a trial limited to whether the prior strike allegation is true. We will also remand the matter for resentencing and direct the trial court to obtain a current probation report which includes information about defendant’s conduct while incarcerated during the pendency of this appeal. In all other respects, we will affirm the judgment. BACKGROUND City of Sacramento Police Officer Steven Davis stopped a car driven by defendant after observing that the car was missing a front license plate and had an expired registration tag. Defendant pulled over to the side of the road when Officer Davis activated his lights. Anthony Herman sat in the front passenger seat of the car. Following routine practice, Officer Davis reviewed the identification of defendant and Herman. The officer learned that Herman was on parole for transportation of narcotics. Although he did not see defendant or Herman participate in any illegal drug transaction or make any furtive movement, Officer Davis decided to conduct a parole search.

2 A second officer arrived to assist Officer Davis. The second officer placed Herman in the back of a patrol car. A search of Herman’s person yielded no evidence of illegal activity. Herman was subsequently released. Officer Davis informed defendant that his car would be searched. He asked defendant to step out of the car. Defendant did not appear to be under the influence of a controlled substance. He was compliant and cooperative with the officer. Before searching defendant’s car, Officer Davis searched defendant for weapons because the officer intended to have defendant sit unrestrained on the curb during the search of defendant’s car. During the pat search, Officer Davis felt objects in the coin pocket of defendant’s pants. He believed, based on touch, that the objects were rock cocaine. Officer Davis reached into defendant’s pocket and retrieved a sandwich bag containing 17 pieces of individually wrapped objects. He used a NARTEC field test kit to confirm that the objects found in defendant’s pocket were cocaine. He weighed the cocaine at the scene and determined that it weighed approximately 3.73 grams. Officer Davis also found approximately $223 in cash in the pocket of defendant’s pants. Officer Davis placed defendant in a patrol car and searched defendant’s car. He found 1.62 grams of methamphetamine in a sandwich bag placed in a compartment cut into the center console of the car. He did not find pay/owe sheets, a scale, or any implement that could be used to ingest cocaine or methamphetamine. Defendant told Officer Davis the illegal drugs belonged to him. He said the cocaine and methamphetamine were for his personal use and Herman had no knowledge about the illegal drugs. Defendant said the cash in his pocket was payment for work he performed on a car. But the prosecution’s drug expert opined at defendant’s trial that defendant possessed the cocaine and methamphetamine for sale. A jury convicted defendant of unlawfully transporting cocaine base (Health & Safety Code, § 11352 -- count two), unlawfully transporting methamphetamine (Health & Safety Code, § 11379, subd. (a) -- count three) and unlawful possession of

3 methamphetamine (Health & Safety Code, § 11377 -- a lesser included offense to count four). The jury was deadlocked on the count for possession of cocaine base for sale (Health & Safety Code, § 11351.5 -- count one), and the trial court declared a mistrial as to that count. DISCUSSION I Defendant challenges the denial of his Penal Code section 1538.5 motion to suppress the evidence seized during the search of his car and person. Defendant argues (A) Herman’s parole status did not justify the search of the center console compartment of defendant’s car because Herman did not have access to or control over that compartment; (B) the pat search was constitutionally impermissible because there was no reasonable basis for suspecting that defendant might be armed and dangerous; and (C) this court may not consider the doctrine of inevitable discovery and the search incident to arrest exception to the warrant requirement because (i) the People did not prove that the search of the center console compartment was lawful pursuant to Herman’s parole status and (ii) Officer Davis did not have probable cause to arrest defendant after he discovered the sandwich bag in the center console compartment. Challenges to the admissibility of evidence obtained by a search or seizure are evaluated under federal constitutional standards. (People v. Schmitz (2012) 55 Cal.4th 909, 916 (Schmitz).) The Fourth Amendment to the United States Constitution protects an individual’s right to be secure in his or her person against unreasonable searches and seizures. (U.S. Const., 4th Amend.; Terry v. Ohio (1968) 392 U.S. 1, 8-9 [20 L.Ed.2d 889, 898-899] (Terry).) The central inquiry under the Fourth Amendment is the reasonableness under all of the circumstances of the particular governmental invasion of a defendant’s personal security. (Terry, at p. 19 [20 L.Ed.2d at p. 904].) A defendant may move to suppress evidence obtained as the result of an unreasonable search or seizure. (Pen. Code, § 1538.5, subd. (a)(1)(A).)

4 In reviewing the trial court’s denial of a suppression motion, we consider the record in the light most favorable to the trial court’s disposition and defer to the trial court’s factual findings, if supported by substantial evidence. (People v. Tully (2012) 54 Cal.4th 952, 979.) Any conflicts in the evidence are resolved in favor of the trial court’s order. (People v. Limon (1993) 17 Cal.App.4th 524, 529.) If “ ‘ “the evidence is uncontradicted, we do not engage in a substantial evidence review, but face pure questions of law.” [Citation.]’ ” (Ibid.) We exercise our independent judgment to determine whether, on the facts found, the search or seizure was reasonable under the Fourth Amendment.

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