People v. Sandee

222 Cal. Rptr. 3d 858, 15 Cal. App. 5th 294, 2017 Cal. App. LEXIS 791
CourtCalifornia Court of Appeal, 5th District
DecidedSeptember 13, 2017
DocketD070732
StatusPublished
Cited by21 cases

This text of 222 Cal. Rptr. 3d 858 (People v. Sandee) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering California Court of Appeal, 5th District primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
People v. Sandee, 222 Cal. Rptr. 3d 858, 15 Cal. App. 5th 294, 2017 Cal. App. LEXIS 791 (Cal. Ct. App. 2017).

Opinion

IRION, J.

*297After the trial court denied a motion to suppress evidence, Megan Donna Sandee pled guilty to possession for sale of a controlled substance ( Health & Saf. Code, § 11378 ) and unauthorized possession of a controlled substance (id ., § 11377, subd. (a)). The trial court granted felony probation to the court for a period of three years.

Sandee challenges the trial court's denial of her motion to suppress the evidence obtained from the search of her cell phone.1 According to Sandee, *298although she was on probation at the time of the search and subject to a general search condition which allowed authorities to search her "property" and "personal effects" without a warrant, the scope of that search condition did not extend to a warrantless search of her cell phone. We conclude that the motion to suppress was properly denied, as a reasonable, objective person at the time of the search would understand a search of Sandee's cell phone to fall within the scope of the search conditions in her probation orders. Accordingly, we affirm the judgment.

I.

FACTUAL AND PROCEDURAL BACKGROUND

On September 23, 2015, San Diego County Sheriff's Department detectives were conducting surveillance on a house suspected of being a location for narcotics activity. Sandee and a male companion arrived at the house on bicycles, entered the house for a period of time and then rode away. A detective on the surveillance team observed that Sandee and her companion failed to stop at a red light on their bicycles after leaving the house, and he conducted a traffic stop in his sheriff's vehicle by activating his lights and yelling at them to stop. Sandee stopped her bicycle next to a large bush. In response to the detective's question, Sandee stated that she was on probation and subject to a search condition. By contacting dispatch, the detective confirmed that Sandee had a "valid [F]ourth [Amendment] waiver, good in all four areas," meaning that the waiver covered property in Sandee's residence, vehicle, person and place of work.2 Relying on the waiver, the detective searched Sandee's backpack and found a hypodermic needle. He also conducted a search of Sandee's cell phone and found several text messages which he believed were indications that Sandee was involved in selling narcotics. The detective took photos of the text messages and noted them in his report. Near the area where Sandee had stopped her bicycle, the detective found a *862bag containing 6.9 grams of methamphetamine lying next to the bush.

Sandee was arrested, and a complaint was filed alleging three counts: transportation for sale of methamphetamine ( *299Health & Saf. Code, § 11379, subd. (a) ); possession for sale of a controlled substance (id. , § 11378) and unauthorized possession of a controlled substance (id ., § 11377, subd. (a)).

Sandee filed a motion to suppress the evidence found on her cell phone. On April 29, 2016, after holding an evidentiary hearing with testimony from the detectives involved in Sandee's arrest, the trial court denied the motion to suppress. Specifically, the trial court concluded that the detective's search through Sandee's phone for text messages was within the scope of the Fourth Amendment waiver agreed to by Sandee as a condition of probation.3

Sandee entered a guilty plea to possession for sale of a controlled substance ( Health & Saf. Code, § 11378 ) and unauthorized possession of a controlled substance (id ., § 11377, subd. (a)). The People dismissed the remaining count. The trial court suspended imposition of sentence for a period of three years and granted felony probation to the court.

II.

DISCUSSION

Sandee's sole argument on appeal is that the trial court erred in denying the motion to suppress the evidence found on her cell phone.

A. Applicable Legal Standards for Motions to Suppress Evidence

A defendant may move to suppress evidence on the ground that "[t]he search or seizure without a warrant was unreasonable." ( Pen. Code, § 1538.5, subd. (a)(1)(A).) "When a defendant raises a challenge to the legality of a warrantless search or seizure, the People are obligated to produce proof sufficient to show, by a preponderance of the evidence, that the search fell within one of the recognized exceptions to the warrant requirement. [Citations.] A probation search is one of those exceptions. [Citations.] This is because a 'probationer ... consents to the waiver of his Fourth Amendment *300rights in exchange for the opportunity to avoid service of a state prison term,' except insofar as a search might be 'undertaken for harassment or ... for arbitrary or capricious reasons.' ( People v. Bravo (1987) 43 Cal.3d 600, 608, 610, 238 Cal.Rptr. 282, 738 P.2d 336 ; accord, People v. Medina (2007) 158 Cal.App.4th 1571, 1577 [70 Cal.Rptr.3d 413].)" ( People v. Romeo (2015) 240 Cal.App.4th 931, 939, 193 Cal.Rptr.3d 96.) "A search conducted pursuant to a valid consent does not violate the Fourth Amendment unless the search exceeds the scope of the consent." ( *863People v. Bravo , supra , 43 Cal.3d at p. 605, 238 Cal.Rptr. 282, 738 P.2d 336 ( Bravo ).)

" ' "The standard of appellate review of a trial court's ruling on a motion to suppress is well established. We defer to the trial court's factual findings, express or implied, where supported by substantial evidence. In determining whether, on the facts so found, the search or seizure was reasonable under the Fourth Amendment, we exercise our independent judgment." ' " ( People v. Suff (2014) 58 Cal.4th 1013, 1053,

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
222 Cal. Rptr. 3d 858, 15 Cal. App. 5th 294, 2017 Cal. App. LEXIS 791, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/people-v-sandee-calctapp5d-2017.