People v. Valenzuela

88 Cal. Rptr. 2d 707, 74 Cal. App. 4th 1202
CourtCalifornia Court of Appeal
DecidedSeptember 15, 1999
DocketD031323
StatusPublished
Cited by11 cases

This text of 88 Cal. Rptr. 2d 707 (People v. Valenzuela) 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. Valenzuela, 88 Cal. Rptr. 2d 707, 74 Cal. App. 4th 1202 (Cal. Ct. App. 1999).

Opinion

88 Cal.Rptr.2d 707 (1999)
74 Cal.App.4th 1202

The PEOPLE, Plaintiff and Respondent,
v.
Lucio C. VALENZUELA, Defendant and Appellant.

No. D031323.

Court of Appeal, Fourth District, Division One.

September 15, 1999.

*708 Howard C. Cohen, under appointment by the Court of Appeal, San Diego, for Defendant and Appellant.

Daniel E. Lungren and Bill Lockyer, Attorneys General, George Williamson, Chief Assistant Attorney General, Gary W. Schons, Assistant Attorney General, Garrett *709 B. Beaumont and Robert M. Foster, Deputy Attorneys General for Plaintiff and Respondent.

HUFFMAN, Acting P.J.

Following denial of his motion to suppress evidence (Pen.Code, § 1538.5), Lucio C. Valenzuela entered a negotiated guilty plea to possessing a controlled substance (Health & Saf.Code, § 11350, subd. (a)) and admitted a strike (Pen.Code, § 667, subds.(b)-(i)). The court sentenced him to 32 months in prison (twice the lower term). Valenzuela now appeals the denial of his suppression motion. We agree with his contention he was stopped on a pretext and therefore reverse the judgment.

THE PEOPLE'S EVIDENCE

For over seven years, the sale and use of controlled substances at The End Zone Bar had posed a problem for the San Diego Police Department. During that period, San Diego Police Sergeant Michael Brogdon had made more than a dozen drug-related arrests there. Brogdon had extensive training on the subject of illicit drugs, had testified as an expert on drug-related issues over 200 times, and had made a total of more than 200 drug-related arrests. His 12-year tenure as a police officer included 5-1/2 years in the narcotics section, a 1-year stint with the walking enforcement campaign against narcotics, and 19 months as a vice detective buying controlled substances in bars and other places subject to regulation by the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control. Brogdon's latest position was patrol supervisor.

Around 2:15 p.m. on February 6, 1998, Brogdon was outside The End Zone Bar. He saw a taxicab parked in front of the bar. He saw Valenzuela come out of the bar, walk toward the cab, climb in the front passenger's seat, and close the door. Brogdon followed the cab for a short distance and then stopped it.

Brogdon testified that his purpose was to conduct a cab inspection, as he had done over 30 times before. According to Brogdon, vice officers made these inspections daily and patrol officers made them occasionally. On cross-examination, he acknowledged that he initiated the stop "based upon the knowledge of the establishment" although this knowledge was unrelated to whether the cab was licensed or insured.

After the cab stopped, Brogdon approached the passenger's side; asked driver Alvaro Rodriguez for his driver's and cab licenses, registration, and insurance papers; and announced he was conducting a cab inspection. As Rodriguez was retrieving his papers, Brogdon casually asked Valenzuela if he could speak with him. Valenzuela agreed. Brogdon asked him to step out of the cab. Valenzuela complied. Brogdon asked him if he had any form of identification. Valenzuela produced his driver's license. Still speaking casually, Brogdon asked for permission to search him. Valenzuela consented. The search yielded a bag of powder resembling cocaine. Brogdon arrested Valenzuela and handcuffed him. Valenzuela became very unsteady on his feet and nearly passed out. Brogdon held him up and called for paramedics.

After Brogdon handcuffed Valenzuela, Rodriguez gave Brogdon his license, registration, and proof of insurance. Although Rodriguez appeared to be holding all the papers Brogdon had requested, Brogdon did not go through them. Because the handcuffs prevented Valenzuela from removing money from his wallet, Brogdon helped him pay Rodriguez. Brogdon spoke with Rodriguez briefly and then allowed him to leave. Brogdon did not finish the cab inspection, assertedly because his attention was focused on Valenzuela's safety. Brogdon did not recall whether the cab had a medallion on its trunk, which he testified was required for cabs operating "in the county ... as well as the *710 city."[1] He did not look for the medallion, although he positioned his patrol car about 20 to 25 feet behind the taxicab when he stopped it.

DEFENSE EVIDENCE

Rodriguez testified he handed over his papers and Brogdon returned them right away. Brogdon then requested Valenzuela's identification and asked him to get out of the cab. According to Rodriguez, Brogdon never announced he was conducting a cab inspection or said why he wanted to see Rodriguez's papers.

THE TRIAL COURT'S RULING

The court discussed with counsel whether the stop was pretextual but made no express finding on the issue. At the conclusion of argument, the court cited the following cases: United States v. Orito (1973) 413 U.S. 139, 93 S.Ct. 2674, 37 L.Ed.2d 513 (reversing dismissal of charge of knowingly transporting obscene material on common carrier (airplane) in interstate commerce; holding privacy of home does not extend to common carrier and Congress has power to prevent obscene material from entering commerce); People v. McGaughran (1979) 25 Cal.3d 577, 159 Cal.Rptr. 191, 601 P.2d 207 (driver stopped for noncustodial traffic violation and detained for time necessary to complete police functions arising from violation cannot be further detained solely for warrant check); People v. Bell (1996) 43 Cal. App.4th 754, 51 Cal.Rptr.2d 115 (typical traffic stop constitutes detention of passenger; scope of driver's detention lawful at least until officer ticketed him and turned attention to passenger; canine sniff did not exceed scope of passenger's consent to search); People v. Lopez (1989) 212 Cal.App.3d 289, 260 Cal.Rptr. 641 (police request for identification during street encounter is not detention); and Williams v. Superior Court (1985) 168 Cal.App.3d 349, 213 Cal.Rptr. 919 (no justification for prolonging detention or requesting consent to search vehicle because this was not reasonably necessary to officer's performance of duties concerning traffic violation and facts known to him did not support objectively reasonable suspicion petitioners were involved in robberies).

After citing the above cases, the court here stated:

"Based upon the evidence presented here and the applicable cases, the court finds that the cab was lawfully pulled over, and the seizure of the defendant under these circumstances does not contravene the Fourth Amendment. Asking defendant to exit or get out of the car and to produce his identification does not contravene the Fourth Amendment right. There was no unlawful detention in this case.
"In addition, there is nothing in the record to indicate that the defendant did not consent to the search. There is no indication that the defendant's consent to be searched was invalid. It appears to have been freely and voluntarily given."

DISCUSSION

I

Valenzuela contends the stop was pretextual, it did not comply with the cab inspection ordinance, and the ordinance is unconstitutional.

We may easily dispose of the latter two arguments. In the court below, Valenzuela did not argue unconstitutionality and presented no evidence the stop violated the cab inspection ordinance. He is therefore precluded from raising those issues now. (People v. Williams

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
88 Cal. Rptr. 2d 707, 74 Cal. App. 4th 1202, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/people-v-valenzuela-calctapp-1999.