People v. Martinez

31 Misc. 3d 201
CourtNassau County District Court
DecidedJanuary 26, 2011
StatusPublished

This text of 31 Misc. 3d 201 (People v. Martinez) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Nassau County District Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
People v. Martinez, 31 Misc. 3d 201 (N.Y. Super. Ct. 2011).

Opinion

OPINION OF THE COURT

Andrew M. Engel, J.

The defendant is charged with driving while intoxicated, impeding traffic and operating a motor vehicle with excessively tinted windows, in violation of Vehicle and Traffic Law § 1192 (2), § 1181 (a) and § 375 (12-a) (b) (2), respectively.

On January 19, 2011, a Huntley and Dunaway1 hearing was held, pursuant to a stipulation of the parties, to determine whether the defendant’s alleged statement was involuntarily made within the meaning of CPL 60.45, and whether there was probable cause or a reasonable suspicion to stop the defendant’s vehicle.

At a Huntley ¡Dunaway hearing, where a defendant challenges the legality of a seizure, along with statements and other evidence allegedly obtained as a result thereof, the People have the burden of going forward, in the first instance, to establish the legality of the police conduct. (People v Malinsky, 15 NY2d 86 [1965]; People v Wise, 46 NY2d 321 [1978]; People v Dodt, 61 NY2d 408 [1984]; People v Moses, 32 AD3d 866 [2d Dept 2006], lv denied 7 NY3d 927 [2006].) Once the prosecution has met this burden, the defendant has the ultimate burden of establishing the illegality of the police conduct, by a fair preponderance of the evidence. (People v Berrios, 28 NY2d 361 [1971]; People v Di Stefano, 38 NY2d 640 [1976]; People v Lombardi, 18 AD2d 177 [2d Dept 1963].) The burden is also on the People to prove, beyond a reasonable doubt, that the statements in question [203]*203were voluntarily made before they may be admitted into evidence on the People’s case-in-chief at trial. (People v Huntley, supra; People v Valerius, 31 NY2d 51 [1972]; People v Anderson, 42 NY2d 35 [1977].)

The People attempt to meet their burden through the testimony of Police Officer Brendan Barnes. The defendant did not call any witnesses. After listening to and observing the demeanor of Officer Barnes, the court finds his testimony to be credible and makes the following findings of fact:

On September 6, 2010, at approximately 5:00 a.m., Officer Barnes, a member of the Nassau County Police Department’s Sobriety Enforcement Team, was on duty in the vicinity of the intersection of Main Street and Front Street, in the Village of Hempstead. At that time, Officer Barnes was the driver of a vehicle, on Main Street, which was the fourth vehicle stopped at a red light at the aforesaid intersection. The first vehicle stopped at the light was a Nissan Pathfinder, which Officer Barnes identified as being driven by the defendant. There were two other vehicles stopped at the red light between Officer Barnes and the defendant.

When the traffic light turned green the defendant’s vehicle did not move. Officer Barnes indicated that he could not see the defendant doing anything unusual in his car at that time. There was no testimony as to whether or not the defendant had either of his turn signals activated or whether or not there was any oncoming traffic on Main Street traveling in the opposite direction of the defendant, Officer Barnes and the two other vehicles between them. Within seconds of the traffic light turning green, while the defendant remained sitting at the light, the two vehicles between the defendant and Officer Barnes moved around the defendant and continued on their way. Officer Barnes then pulled behind the defendant.

Approximately 30 seconds after the traffic light had turned green, the light turned yellow and the defendant proceeded to make a left turn onto Front Street. Officer Barnes did not testify that the defendant failed to signal this left-hand turn or that there was anything improper about the manner in which the defendant executed his turn.

Officer Barnes then followed the defendant past Washington Street, past Peninsula Boulevard and onto Ingraham Boulevard, onto which the defendant had turned. Officer Barnes did not testify that the defendant drove erratically or failed to signal his turn onto Ingraham Boulevard. Following this turn, however, [204]*204Officer Barnes activated his lights and pulled the defendant over. Officer Barnes testified unequivocally that he pulled the defendant over for violating Vehicle and Traffic Law § 1181 (a). Officer Barnes stated that the reason for the stop was because, “He [the defendant] was impeding traffic.”

After the stop, upon approaching the defendant’s vehicle, Officer Barnes observed that the windows of the vehicle were heavily tinted; and, a test conducted by the officer confirmed that the tint exceeded the legal limit. After the defendant rolled down his window, Officer Barnes noticed that the defendant’s eyes were watery and bloodshot; and, upon speaking with the defendant, Officer Barnes observed the aroma of alcohol on the defendant’s breath and that defendant’s speech was slurred. Officer Barnes asked the defendant if he had been drinking, to which the defendant responded, “I had two beers at work. I’m going home.” Some time thereafter the defendant was arrested and read his Miranda2 rights.

The defendant argues that Vehicle and Traffic Law § 1181 (a), which addresses minimum speed regulations, has no application to the facts herein. According to the defendant, this being the statute for which he was initially stopped, there was no lawful basis for the stop, which amounted to an unreasonable seizure. Based thereon, the defendant argues that everything that followed the stop must be suppressed.

The People argue that Vehicle and Traffic Law § 1181 (a) addresses operating a motor vehicle at such a slow rate of speed as to impede traffic. According to the People, the defendant’s remaining sitting at a green light for almost its entire cycle, requiring other motorists to go around him, constituted a violation of this section, permitting Officer Barnes to stop the defendant.

It is well established that “the stopping of an automobile by the police constitutes an impermissible seizure.” (People v Sobotker, 43 NY2d 559, 563 [1978] [citations omitted].) Such a seizure may nevertheless be upheld “where a police officer has probable cause to believe that the driver of an automobile has committed a traffic violation.” (People v Robinson, 97 NY2d 341, 349 [2001]; see also Whren v United States, 517 US 806 [1996]; People v Boyd, 68 AD3d 889 [2d Dept 2009], lv denied 14 NY3d 838 [2010].) At a minimum, the police may stop a motor vehicle “when there exists at least a reasonable suspicion that [205]*205the driver or occupants of the vehicle have committed, are committing, or are about to commit a crime.” (People v Spencer, 84 NY2d 749, 753 [1995] [citation omitted]; see also People v O’Hare, 73 AD3d 812, 813 [2d Dept 2010] [“A police officer may stop a car, inter alia, if the officer has a reasonable suspicion that a traffic infraction has been committed” (citation omitted)].) Reasonable suspicion, as used here, has been defined as “the quantum of knowledge sufficient to induce an ordinarily prudent and cautious man under the circumstances to believe criminal activity is at hand.” (People v Cantor, 36 NY2d 106, 112-113 [1975]; see also People v William II, 98 NY2d 93 [2002]; People v Martinez, 80 NY2d 444 [1992].)

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Related

Miranda v. Arizona
384 U.S. 436 (Supreme Court, 1966)
Dunaway v. New York
442 U.S. 200 (Supreme Court, 1979)
Whren v. United States
517 U.S. 806 (Supreme Court, 1996)
People v. Brand
390 N.E.2d 65 (Appellate Court of Illinois, 1979)
People v. Rotkvich
628 N.E.2d 888 (Appellate Court of Illinois, 1993)
Salter v. North Dakota Department of Transportation
505 N.W.2d 111 (North Dakota Supreme Court, 1993)
People v. Robinson
767 N.E.2d 638 (New York Court of Appeals, 2001)
People v. Spencer
646 N.E.2d 785 (New York Court of Appeals, 1995)
People v. WILLIAM II
772 N.E.2d 1150 (New York Court of Appeals, 2002)
People v. Huntley
204 N.E.2d 179 (New York Court of Appeals, 1965)
People v. Malinsky
209 N.E.2d 694 (New York Court of Appeals, 1965)
People v. Berrios
28 N.Y.2d 361 (New York Court of Appeals, 1971)
People v. Valerius
286 N.E.2d 254 (New York Court of Appeals, 1972)
People v. Cantor
324 N.E.2d 872 (New York Court of Appeals, 1975)
People v. Ingle
330 N.E.2d 39 (New York Court of Appeals, 1975)
People v. Di Stefano
345 N.E.2d 548 (New York Court of Appeals, 1976)
People v. Anderson
364 N.E.2d 1318 (New York Court of Appeals, 1977)
People v. Sobotker
373 N.E.2d 1218 (New York Court of Appeals, 1978)
People v. Wise
385 N.E.2d 1262 (New York Court of Appeals, 1978)
People v. Dodt
462 N.E.2d 1159 (New York Court of Appeals, 1984)

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Bluebook (online)
31 Misc. 3d 201, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/people-v-martinez-nydistctnassau-2011.