State v. Arroyos

2005 NMCA 86, 2005 NMCA 086, 115 P.3d 232, 137 N.M. 769
CourtNew Mexico Court of Appeals
DecidedMay 23, 2005
Docket24,300
StatusPublished
Cited by6 cases

This text of 2005 NMCA 86 (State v. Arroyos) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering New Mexico Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
State v. Arroyos, 2005 NMCA 86, 2005 NMCA 086, 115 P.3d 232, 137 N.M. 769 (N.M. Ct. App. 2005).

Opinion

OPINION

ROBINSON, Judge.

{1} The State appeals from the district court’s order suppressing evidence and dismissing the DWI charge against Ruben Arroyos (Defendant) where a Deputy Marshal of the Town of Mesilla stopped Defendant in the City of Las Cruces for erratic driving. On appeal, the State contends that the district court did not have authority to suppress and dismiss these charges, that the Deputy Marshal’s stop was justified as a lesser intrusion than the citizen’s arrest that he was entitled to make, and that he acted reasonably and within his authority. As discussed below, we reverse.

BACKGROUND

{2} On December 22, 2002, Deputy Marshal Lawrence Louick of the Town of Mesilla Marshal’s Department observed Defendant’s vehicle traveling west on University Avenue, which is within the boundary of the City of Las Cruces, not the Town of Mesilla. Initially, Deputy Marshal Louick observed Defendant make a wide right turn onto University Avenue, and observed Defendant’s vehicle brake lights come on several times as he proceeded southbound on University Avenue. Deputy Marshal Louick followed Defendant’s vehicle and, when Defendant turned southbound onto Stern Drive, the vehicle traveled to the left of the center line into the northbound lane for a significant distance before drifting back into the southbound lane. Deputy Marshal Louick then stopped Defendant and requested dispatch to send a Doña Ana County sheriffs deputy to the scene. While waiting for the sheriffs deputy, Deputy Marshal Louick approached Defendant, smelled alcohol on his breath, and had Defendant perform a finger-count test and recite the alphabet, which he recited only to the letter “D” and slurred his speech badly. At that time, Defendant admitted drinking alcohol. When Doña Ana County Sheriffs Deputy Timothy Girard arrived on the scene, Deputy Marshal Louick told him what had happened and then left. When Deputy Girard spoke to Defendant, he noticed that Defendant had bloodshot eyes, slurred speech, and smelled of alcohol. Deputy Girard had Defendant perform the “walk and turn” and the “one-leg stand” field sobriety tests, both of which Defendant failed. Deputy Girard then arrested Defendant for DWI. There is nothing in the record that leads us to believe that Deputy Girard relied upon Deputy Marshal Louick’s finger test or alphabet test. But, instead, Deputy Girard relied upon the field sobriety tests that he administered and Defendant failed.

{3} Deputy Marshal Louick testified that he was employed by the Town of Mesilla as a deputy marshal, and has been certified by the State of New Mexico as a law enforcement officer. He also admitted that he had no other authorization as a law enforcement officer, and had not been cross-commissioned, appointed, or cross-designated as a special deputy sheriff of the County of Doña Ana. It is undisputed that, from the initial observation by Deputy Marshal Louick all the way to the location of the stop, Defendant’s vehicle, at no time, was within the jurisdictional boundary of the Town of Mesilla. In district court, Defendant moved to suppress the evidence and dismiss the charges on the grounds that Deputy Marshal Louick lacked jurisdictional authority to stop him. The district court dismissed with prejudice the State’s claims against Defendant, ruling that Deputy Marshal Louick was without authority to stop Defendant outside the town limits of Mesilla. The State appeals.

DISCUSSION

May a deputy marshal, who observes erratic driving behavior, initiate a traffic stop outside his jurisdictional territory, when he is neither cross-commissioned nor in fresh pursuit, and where a local sheriffs deputy subsequently arrives on the scene, handles the case, and makes the arrest?

{4} Defendant correctly observes that NMSA 1978, § 3-13-2 (1988) is a statutory grant of authority which is clear and limits Deputy Marshal Louick’s jurisdictional territory within the Town of Mesilla. See § 3-13 — 2(A)(4)(d). It was undisputed that the traffic stop was made outside the limits imposed by Section 3-13-2. The State responds, however, that Deputy Marshal Louick’s stop was justified as a lesser intrusion than the citizen’s arrest that he was entitled to make, and that he acted reasonably and within his authority. We agree.

{5} “Interpretation and application of the law are subject to a de novo review.” State v. Roman, 1998-NMCA-132, ¶ 8, 125 N.M. 688, 964 P.2d 852. Our courts recognize that a municipal police officer may not enforce the motor vehicle code beyond the territorial limits of the officer’s jurisdiction, unless the officer is in fresh pursuit of a defendant fleeing the jurisdiction, or the officer has been cross-commissioned with such authority. Inc. County of Los Alamos v. Johnson, 108 N.M. 633, 634, 776 P.2d 1252, 1253 (1989); see also NMSA 1978, § 66-2-12 (1978); NMSA 1978, § 31-2-8 (1981). Any person, however, may arrest another upon good-faith, reasonable grounds that a felony had been or was being committed, or a breach of the peace was being committed in the person’s presence. State v. Johnson, 1996-NMSC-075, ¶ 18, 122 N.M. 696, 930 P.2d 1148; see also Downs v. Garay, 106 N.M. 321, 323, 742 P.2d 533, 535 (Ct.App.1987) (holding that a private citizen may arrest another person for breach of peace or a felony committed in the citizen’s presence). In New Mexico, a breach of peace is considered “a disturbance of public order by an act of violence, or by any act likely to produce violence, or which, by causing consternation and alarm, disturbs the peace and quiet of the community.” State v. Florstedt, 77 N.M. 47, 49, 419 P.2d 248, 249 (1966) (internal quotation marks and citation omitted). Our Supreme Court held that “a person driving while intoxicated is committing a breach of the peace.” State v. Rue, 72 N.M. 212, 216, 382 P.2d 697, 700 (1963).

{6} This question is one of first impression in New Mexico. We can obtain some guidance from State v. Ryder, 98 N.M. 453, 649 P.2d 756 (Ct.App.) (Ryder I), aff'd on different grounds, 98 N.M. 316, 648 P.2d 774 (1982) {Ryder II). In that case, a Bureau of Indian Affairs officer (BIA officer) stopped non-Indians for running a stop sign on an Indian reservation. Because the BIA officer was not cross-commissioned as a New Mexico peace officer, he did not have the authority to issue a citation for a state traffic offense. Ryder I, 98 N.M. at 454, 649 P.2d at 757. Instead, he detained the non-Indians until a cross-commissioned officer arrived. Id. This Court held that since the BIA officer was without police authority in this case, his actions were converted into those of a “private citizen.” Id. at 456, 649 P.2d at 759. Our Supreme Court took Ryder up on certiorari, and affirmed on different grounds, indicating that the BIA officer was permitted to stop the motorist for running the stop sign and could have given the motorist a federal ticket based on his violation of state law. The Court held that it was not unreasonable for the BIA officer to hold a motorist for ten minutes until a proper officer arrived. Ryder II, 98 N.M. at 318-19, 648 P.2d at 776-77.

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Bluebook (online)
2005 NMCA 86, 2005 NMCA 086, 115 P.3d 232, 137 N.M. 769, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-arroyos-nmctapp-2005.