People v. Lewis

569 N.E.2d 1221, 211 Ill. App. 3d 276, 155 Ill. Dec. 610, 1991 Ill. App. LEXIS 520
CourtAppellate Court of Illinois
DecidedMarch 29, 1991
Docket4-90-0672
StatusPublished
Cited by7 cases

This text of 569 N.E.2d 1221 (People v. Lewis) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Appellate Court of Illinois primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
People v. Lewis, 569 N.E.2d 1221, 211 Ill. App. 3d 276, 155 Ill. Dec. 610, 1991 Ill. App. LEXIS 520 (Ill. Ct. App. 1991).

Opinion

PRESIDING JUSTICE LUND

delivered the opinion of the court:

On July 20, 1990, defendant David Lewis was found guilty by a jury sitting in the McLean County circuit court of committing the offenses of unlawful possession of less than 15 grams of cocaine and unlawful possession of less than 15 grams of heroine. (Ill. Rev. Stat. 1989, ch. 56½, par. 1402(a).) He was subsequently sentenced to concurrent extended-term six-year prison sentences and fined $1,380. Defendant now appeals, asserting the court erred (1) in denying his motion to suppress; and (2) in concluding defendant was eligible for an extended-term sentence. We disagree and affirm.

Prior to trial, defendant filed a motion seeking to suppress the evidence seized from a search of the trunk of his car, maintaining it was done without his consent and without a warrant. At the hearing, defendant testified that around 8 p.m. on February 8, 1990, he was driving on Interstate 55. At that time he was doing nothing wrong, and a State Police trooper pulled him over. The trooper had defendant walk back to the squad car, where the trooper told defendant he had stopped him for weaving, which defendant denied doing. The trooper then gave defendant a warning ticket. Defendant proceeded toward his car, but the trooper stopped him in between the cars and patted him down. The trooper then went to look in the car. When defendant objected, the trooper told him he could do anything he wanted to.

Defendant testified that another trooper arrived after a minute or two, and this trooper had his gun drawn. The trooper conducting the search exited the passenger’s compartment and, accusing defendant of lying, asked where the marijuana was. This trooper told defendant he found some rolling papers and some marijuana seeds. Defendant denied any knowledge of these, maintaining they were not there. Defendant observed the trooper had been in his glove compartment. The trooper then proceeded to the trunk of the car. The next thing defendant knew, he was under arrest. Defendant never gave them permission to search, nor did they present a search warrant.

Trooper Jeff Gaither testified that he stopped defendant’s vehicle because it was weaving. He called for another unit, because he believed he might have a driving-under-the-influence-of-alcohol arrest. He had defendant come back to the squad car. He noticed no alcohol on defendant’s breath, so he prepared a warning ticket for defendant and had him sign it. Defendant appeared nervous, so Gaither explained the drug interdiction program. He then asked if he could take a look in defendant’s car. Defendant was hesitant, but responded, “Yeah, go ahead.”

At this time, Trooper William Colbrook arrived to assist. Colbrook talked to defendant while Gaither looked into the car. Gaither first smelled the strong odor of burnt marijuana. He observed some loose, green, leafy material, which he believed to be marijuana, on the front seat. He saw more of this lying in the backseat and on the rear floorboard. He also observed rolling papers and a cigarette lighter on the backseat by the leafy material. Gaither did not gather this substance together, since it probably amounted to less than a gram and the laboratory will not test such a small amount. Gaither told defendant what he saw and proceeded to the trunk. Defendant did not want Gaither to search the trunk. However, Gaither explained that based on what he had already found, he was going to search. Found in the trunk were cocaine, heroine, some syringes, several pipes, and several hand-rolled cigarettes.

Trooper Colbrook testified that he responded to the scene. When he arrived, Gaither indicated defendant had given him consent to search his car. This conversation took place in defendant’s presence. Defendant was calm during the search until Gaither proceeded to the trunk. Defendant wanted to know what was going on, and Gaither explained that, due to what he had found, he was going to search the trunk. Later, after defendant was arrested, Colbrook searched the car further. He also observed the green, leafy substance, which he identified as marijuana, on the driver seat and on the backseat. He could smell the odor of marijuana.

The court found that Gaither had probable cause to stop the vehicle for the weaving, and that defendant initially gave Gaither consent to search the car. The court concluded that once the marijuana was found, there was probable cause for a search of the entire vehicle. Accordingly, the court denied the motion.

Defendant was subsequently found guilty on substantially the same evidence. At the sentencing hearing, it was established that defendant had a 1981 conviction for unlawful distribution of a controlled substance in the Federal courts in Illinois. The court concluded this qualified defendant for an extended-term sentence. Accordingly, the court imposed the six-year sentence. This appeal followed.

Defendant initially contends the court’s order denying his motion to suppress was erroneous. It is well settled that police troopers must obtain a search warrant prior to searching a motor vehicle unless the circumstances fall within an exception to the warrant requirement. (People v. Binder (1989), 180 Ill. App. 3d 624, 627, 536 N.E.2d 218, 220; People v. Lawrence (1988), 174 Ill. App. 3d 818, 821-22, 529 N.E.2d 63, 65.) One such exception is where the owner gives his consent to a search. (People v. Woolery (1990), 193 Ill. App. 3d 892, 895, 550 N.E.2d 616, 617.) Another is where the police have probable cause. (Binder, 180 Ill. App. 3d at 627, 536 N.E.2d at 220; Lawrence, 174 Ill. App. 3d at 822, 529 N.E.2d at 65.) Both exceptions are involved in this case.

The court found defendant was stopped for a valid traffic offense and that he initially gave Gaither a consent to search his vehicle. While defendant contested these assertions at trial, he does not do so now. It is just as well because the trial court’s determination on the question of the voluntariness of a consent to search is to be accepted unless it is clearly unreasonable. (Woolery, 193 Ill. App. 3d at 895, 550 N.E.2d at 618.) Here, the court heard and observed the witnesses, and it would be impossible to conclude that its findings are against the manifest weight of the evidence.

This consent allows Gaither to get into the car. Once there, the probable-cause analysis takes over. When police have probable cause to believe a motor vehicle contains contraband, they may, without a warrant, search any area of the vehicle or any container within it, if they reasonably believe the contraband might be found. (Lawrence, 174 Ill. App. 3d at 822, 529 N.E.2d at 65.) This includes the trunk of a vehicle. (Binder, 180 Ill. App. 3d at 627, 536 N.E.2d at 221.) Probable cause to search exists when, considering the totality of the facts and circumstances known to the trooper at the time of the search, a reasonable person would believe contraband was present in the automobile. People v. Clark (1982), 92 Ill. 2d 96, 100, 440 N.E.2d 869, 871; Lawrence, 174 Ill. App. 3d at 822, 529 N.E.2d at 65.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
569 N.E.2d 1221, 211 Ill. App. 3d 276, 155 Ill. Dec. 610, 1991 Ill. App. LEXIS 520, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/people-v-lewis-illappct-1991.