People v. Ricks CA5

CourtCalifornia Court of Appeal
DecidedJanuary 14, 2015
DocketF066834
StatusUnpublished

This text of People v. Ricks CA5 (People v. Ricks CA5) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering California Court of Appeal primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
People v. Ricks CA5, (Cal. Ct. App. 2015).

Opinion

Filed 1/14/15 P. v. Ricks CA5

NOT TO BE PUBLISHED IN THE OFFICIAL REPORTS California Rules of Court, rule 8.1115(a), prohibits courts and parties from citing or relying on opinions not certified for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 This opinion has not been certified for publication or ordered published for purposes of rule 8.1115.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 FIFTH APPELLATE DISTRICT

THE PEOPLE, F066834 Plaintiff and Respondent, (Super. Ct. Nos. BF142634A & v. BF144431A)

KENNETH McCARTY RICKS, OPINION Defendant and Appellant.

THE COURT* APPEAL from a judgment of the Superior Court of Kern County. William D. Palmer, Judge. Monique Q. Boldin, under appointment by the Court of Appeal, for Defendant and Appellant. Kamala D. Harris, Attorney General, Dane R. Gillette, Chief Assistant Attorney General, Michael P. Farrell, Assistant Attorney General, Louis M. Vasquez and Charity S. Whitney, Deputy Attorneys General, for Plaintiff and Respondent. -ooOoo-

* Before Levy, Acting P.J., Kane, J. and Franson, J. INTRODUCTION This is an appeal from two cases.1 On October 25, 2012, the Kern County District Attorney filed an information in case No. BF144431A charging defendant Kenneth McCarty Ricks in count 1 with possessing cocaine base for sale (Health & Saf. Code, § 11351.5) and in count 2 with transporting cocaine base (Health & Saf. Code, § 11352). As to both counts, the information alleged that defendant had been previously convicted of two strike felonies. (Pen. Code, §§ 667, subds. (c)–(j) & 1170.12, subds. (a)–(e).)2 Defendant pled not guilty to all counts and denied all allegations. On November 21, 2012, defendant filed a motion to suppress evidence pursuant to section 1538.5. The prosecutor filed a written opposition. On December 11, 2012, the court denied the motion after receiving evidence and listening to oral arguments from both parties. On December 14, 2012, defendant withdrew his pleas of not guilty and pled no contest to count 1 and admitted the two strike priors attached to count 1. The prosecutor dismissed count 2 and the respective allegations. Defendant was sentenced concurrently on this present case and in Kern County Superior Court case No. BF142634A.3 The court denied probation and sentenced defendant to a prison term of six years in case

1 By order dated July 19, 2013, this court construed defendant’s notice of appeal filed on March 7, 2013, to be an appeal from the judgment entered in Kern County Superior Court case No. BF142634A as well as Kern County Superior Court case No. BF144431A. 2 All future statutory references are to the Penal Code unless otherwise noted. 3 All future references to case numbers are to Kern County Superior Court case numbers. In companion case No. BF142634A, defendant pled no contest on July 3, 2012, to one felony charge of criminal threats (§ 422) and one felony charge of entering an inhabited dwelling with intent to commit a felony (§ 460, subd. (a)). On August 1, 2012, the court sentenced defendant in case No. BF142634A to one year in jail and admitted him to probation for three years. On October 11, 2012, defendant was arraigned on a violation of probation based on the conduct charged in case No. BF144431A. After his motion to suppress evidence was denied in case No. BF144421A, defendant admitted he violated probation in case No. BF142634A in conjunction with his no contest plea in case No. BF144431A.

2. No. BF144431A. Defendant was sentenced to a six-year term in case No. BF142634A, which was ordered to run concurrent with defendant’s sentence in case No. BF144431A. On appeal, defendant contends the trial court erred in denying his motion to suppress because the search and seizure were the result of an unlawful detention. We hold the officer detained defendant without reasonable suspicion as required under the Fourth Amendment. Accordingly, we reverse. FACTUAL BACKGROUND The facts below are taken from the December 11, 2013, suppression hearing in case No. BF144421A at which only Bakersfield Police Officer John Otterness testified. On October 6, 2012, at approximately 10:20 p.m., Otterness was on patrol in a marked patrol vehicle with his partner, Officer Hernandez. It was dark. They were patrolling the 3400 block of Q Street in Bakersfield when they observed defendant, who was walking in the parking lot of a Fastrip convenience store from the direction of the store. The Fastrip was open for business. Otterness had been in this area “[a]t least 40” times prior to his contact with defendant. During those previous occasions, he had dealt with narcotics crimes. He testified he had contacted street gang members in the area and was able to identify a lot of gang members. He believed individuals involved in narcotics crimes and gangs are often armed. Otterness made eye contact with defendant, who placed his left hand inside his left pocket. The officers pulled into the parking lot without activating their lights or siren. Otterness did not see defendant make any throwing motions, and defendant did not flee when seeing the officers. The officers parked their vehicle approximately “ten feet or so” from defendant inside the parking lot. Otterness did not see anyone else in the vicinity. Otterness initially testified defendant was wearing “oversized baggy clothing,” but on cross-examination he agreed defendant wore shorts and a T-shirt in his booking

3. photograph and Otterness could not remember if defendant wore a sweatshirt at the time of the incident. Otterness exited his vehicle and defendant looked over his shoulder toward Otterness while keeping his hand in his pocket. Both officers were in uniform. Otterness provided the following testimony:

“[OTTERNESS:] I exited my vehicle and contacted [defendant].

“[PROSECUTOR:] What did you do after you contacted the defendant?

“[OTTERNESS:] I asked him if he could please remove his hand from his pocket for officer safety.

“[PROSECUTOR:] What did he do after you asked him that?

“[OTTERNESS:] He was nonresponsive and he continued to leave his left hand in his pocket.

“[PROSECUTOR:] What did you do at that point?

“[OTTERNESS:] I asked him to remove his hand from his pocket, and he did not.

“[PROSECUTOR:] And, after you asked him the second time, what did you do[?]

“[OTTERNESS:] I began to approach [defendant]. And at that point I placed him—removed his hand and placed him in a standing modified search position. And at that point I asked him if he was on probation, and he said he was.” Otterness conducted a search of defendant’s person because he was afraid defendant might have a weapon. During this time, Hernandez was standing approximately four or five feet from Otterness. Otterness patted over defendant’s clothing and he felt a hard item in defendant’s left pocket, which he believed might have been a knife. Otterness reached into the pocket and removed the hard item, which was a “bluetooth” earpiece. Attached to the earpiece

4. was a baggie containing an “off white rock type substance,” which Otterness suspected was cocaine base. On cross-examination, Otterness testified he had never contacted defendant before at that location. Otterness clarified his interactions with defendant as follows:

“[DEFENSE COUNSEL:] All right. When you got out, you approached [defendant]. Is that correct?

“[OTTERNESS:] Yes.

“[DEFENSE COUNSEL:] And [defendant] put his hand in his pocket?

“[OTTERNESS:] He had already put his hand in his pocket prior to us pulling into the Fastrip parking lot.

“[DEFENSE COUNSEL:] Okay. So he actually put his hand in his—was that his left hand or right hand?

“[OTTERNESS:] It was his left hand in his left pocket.

“[DEFENSE COUNSEL:] Okay.

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People v. Ricks CA5, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/people-v-ricks-ca5-calctapp-2015.