Rafael De Los Santos v. State

Court of Appeals of Texas·Decided February 14, 2018·No. 08-14-00099-CR·Published

Opinion

COURT OF APPEALS

EIGHTH DISTRICT OF TEXAS

EL PASO, TEXAS

RAFAEL DE LOS SANTOS, '

No. 08-14-00099-CR

Appellant, '

Appeal from

v. '

Criminal Court No. 3

'

THE STATE OF TEXAS, of Denton County, Texas '

Appellee. ' (TC# 2013-02826-C)

OPINION

Appellant, Rafael De Los Santos, was found guilty by a jury of Driving While Intoxicated (DWI) with an Open Container of Alcohol.1 Appellant was sentenced to 160 days in jail, probated for 14 months. Appellant raises five points of error on appeal.2 We affirm.

BACKGROUND

On February 28, 2013 at around 8:30 p.m., Appellant was driving his 2002 white Escalade on I-35 South in the northbound lanes in Lewisville, Denton County, Texas. Another driver on

1 Appellant pled true to the DWI enhancement of open container of alcohol.

2 We hear this case on transfer from the 2nd Court of Appeals and apply that court’s precedent to the extent required by TEX.R.APP. P. 41.3.

the road, Anthony Marcello, observed that Appellant was varying his speed, swerving, failing to maintain a single lane, and almost struck two other vehicles. Marcello called 911 to report Appellant’s erratic driving.

Throughout Marcello’s phone conversation with the 911 dispatcher, he provided the exact location and real-time updates of his and Appellant’s location. Marcello gave the dispatcher a detailed description of the vehicle Appellant was driving, and specifically described how Appellant was operating the vehicle. In response to Marcello’s 911 call, Lewisville Police Department officers were dispatched. Officer Anderson Rock was the first officer to spot Appellant’s vehicle on the northbound frontage road on the FM 407 bridge. After observing Appellant failed to signal his intent to turn left at the intersection of FM 407 and Lake Park, Officer Rock initiated a traffic stop. Appellant pulled over at a nearby Walmart parking lot once Officer Rock’s overhead lights were activated. Officer Matthew Bender arrived shortly after Officer Rock. Both officers approached Appellant on the driver’s side door. Appellant was the sole occupant of the vehicle. Officer Bender proceeded to speak with Appellant observing his eyes were red and glassy, his breath had a strong odor of an alcoholic beverage, and he had a Solo cup in the center console with an empty Bacardi bottle next to it. Officer Bender asked Appellant if he had anything to drink that night, and Appellant responded alternatively that he had a bottle and a half of Bacardi rum and coke; a cup and a half of rum and coke; or half a pint of Bacardi rum.

Officer Jeffery Persinger arrived at the scene shortly after the stop of Appellant. Officer Persinger is assigned to a specialized unit dedicated to driving while intoxicated (DWI) cases. Officers Bender and Rock turned the investigation over to Persinger. After updating Officer Persinger regarding their observations, they remained at the scene as backup officers.

When Officer Persinger approached the Appellant, he observed Appellant had red glassy eyes, an odor of alcohol on his breath and person, and swayed while standing. Appellant informed Officer Persinger he had been drinking rum and coke. While Appellant’s first language is Spanish, all officers testified Appellant was responsive to their questions in English and understood what was asked of him. Further, on the video recording of the stop, Appellant clearly told the officers that if they spoke English slowly, “[he] could understand 100%.”

Based on Officer Persinger’s observations and the information relayed to him, he initiated a DWI investigation. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) provides three standardized field sobriety tests: (1) the Horizontal Gaze Nystagmus (HGN); (2) the Walk and Turn; and (3) the One Leg Stand. Officer Persinger conducted all three of the field sobriety tests following the NHTSA protocol. Officer Persinger began by administering the HGN test to Appellant. On a HGN test, an individual that exhibits four out of the six clues of the test is considered intoxicated. Officer Persinger testified that Appellant exhibited six clues. Next, Officer Persinger requested Appellant perform the Walk and Turn test. In the Walk and Turn test, two out of eight clues indicate intoxication. After Officer Persinger explained and demonstrated the instructions to Appellant, Officer Persinger observed Appellant display seven out of eight clues. Finally, Officer Persinger demonstrated and administered the One Leg Stand. In the One Leg Stand test, two clues or more out of four clues indicate intoxication. Appellant exhibited three clues in the One Leg Stand test.

As the result of Appellant’s performance in the field sobriety tests, Officer Persinger placed Appellant under arrest for driving while intoxicated. Officer Persinger placed Appellant in the backseat of his patrol car, provided him with a copy of the DIC-24 statutory warning, and played

the Spanish version of the Law Enforcement Advanced DWI Reporting System (LEADRS) DIC- 24 audio. After playing Appellant the DIC-24 warning in the LEADRS approved Spanish audio file, he played two more audio files, which asked Appellant if he would consent to provide a specimen of his breath or blood. Appellant refused to provide a specimen of his breath or blood. Appellant was then taken to the Lewisville jail. On July 11, 2013, Appellant filed a motion to suppress the evidence obtained as the result of the DWI investigation and arrest. Appellant requested a pretrial hearing on the motion to suppress. However, at the final pretrial hearing on the day of trial, Appellant agreed the motion to suppress would run with the trial. At trial, the judge denied Appellant’s motion to suppress. During the charge conference, Appellant requested additional instructions in the jury charge. The trial court denied Appellant’s request. The jury found Appellant guilty of DWI.

DISCUSSION

Appellant raises five points of error on appeal. First, whether the evidence was legally sufficient. Next, whether the court erred in denying the motion to suppress the evidence because: (1) the stop of Appellant was pretextual; and (2) Appellant’s arrest was illegal due to the lack of probable cause. Fourth, Appellant was denied due process when the trial court refused to hear the suppression motion prior to trial. Finally, the court erred in failing to charge the jury with the issues in his motion to suppress.

I. Legal Sufficiency

In Point of Error One, Appellant contends the evidence is legally insufficient to support his conviction of DWI. Appellant asserts the evidence is insufficient because there was no “blood drawn nor was there [a] breathalyzer [test],” that showed Appellant was intoxicated. Moreover,

Appellant alleges his failure to pass the field sobriety tests was due to his inability to comprehend English, rather than the result of intoxication.

Standard of Review

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