State v. Chirlow

617 So. 2d 1, 1992 WL 381830
CourtLouisiana Court of Appeal
DecidedMarch 30, 1993
Docket92-KA-570
StatusPublished
Cited by9 cases

This text of 617 So. 2d 1 (State v. Chirlow) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Louisiana Court of Appeal primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
State v. Chirlow, 617 So. 2d 1, 1992 WL 381830 (La. Ct. App. 1993).

Opinion

617 So.2d 1 (1992)

STATE of Louisiana
v.
Kevin CHIRLOW and Joseph Parks.

No. 92-KA-570.

Court of Appeal of Louisiana, Fifth Circuit.

December 16, 1992.
Rehearing Granted January 20, 1993.
Order Reinstating Original Opinion On Rehearing March 30, 1993.
Writ Denied July 1, 1993.

*2 A. Bruce Netterville, Gretna, for appellants/ defendants Kevin Chirlow and Joseph Parks.

John Mamoulides, Dist. Atty., Terry M. Boudreaux, Asst. Dist. Atty., Research and Appeals, Howat Peters, Asst. Dist. Atty., Louise Korns, of counsel, Gretna, for appellee State.

Before BOWES, GAUDIN and CANNELLA, JJ.

CANNELLA, Judge.

Defendants, Kevin Chirlow and Joseph Parks, filed a Motion To Suppress The Evidence, Confession And Identification and it was denied by the district court. The defendants thereafter pled guilty, under State v. Crosby, 338 So.2d 584 (La.1976), to possession of cocaine, and were sentenced. We reverse the denial of the motion to suppress, vacate the convictions and sentences and remand.

On September 12, 1991, defendants were charged by bill of information with possession of cocaine, in violation of La.R.S. La. 40:967(C). On January 27, 1992 defendants filed a Motion To Suppress The Evidence Confession and Identification, arguing that it was obtained unconstitutionally. At the hearing on the motion to suppress, both the state and defendants agreed to submit the matter on the police report alone. That report provides:

Officers were contacted by a confidential informer, stating that a subject by the name of Kevin Chirlow and a unknown black male were in a older model Pontiac Firebird, grey in color, and they were in the Mary Poppins area selling cocaine.
Officers and other members of the street crimes unit responded to the area immediately. Officer Dykes and Bealer upon turning left unto North Mary Poppins off of Mary Poppins observed an older model Firebird, grey in color, attempting to turn onto West Mary Poppins from North Mary Poppins. Officer Dykes and Officer Bealer assisted by Officers Williams and Mourier stopped suspect vehicle. Officers at this time *3 had the driver and passenger exit vehicle. Officers Williams & Mourier then performed a routine pat down of both subjects for possible weapons for the safety of Officers. Officers Dykes & Bealer then checked the immediate area of vehicle where driver & passenger were located, for possible weapons for the safety of officers.
Other members of the street crimes unit then arrived on the scene & the driver & passenger was secured. It was then learned that the driver of suspect vehicle was a Kevin Chirlow & the passenger was a Joseph Parks. Officer LeConte & other officers advised Mr. Chirlow that we had information that he had narcotics in his vehicle. Officers observed Mr. Chirlow & Mr. Parks acting very nervous. Officer LeConte then advised Mr. Chirlow & Mr. Parks of their rights per Miranda and advised them they were under investigation for possible possession of cocaine. Officer LeConte then asked Mr. Chirlow if he would give consent to search his vehicle. Mr. Chirlow then verbally stated "yes, go ahead & search the car, I have nothing to hide." Officer LeConte then filled out consent to search form & read the form to Mr. Chirlow advising of his rights per Miranda again, at which time Mr. Chirlow refused to sign the consent to search form for suspect vehicle. Officers on location observed a large crowd gathering around the area. It should be noted that the area is known for its drugs dealings & violent crimes & that officers had been shot at on several different occasions. Due to the nervousness of Mr. Chirlow & Mr. Parks led officers to believe there was narcotics in suspect vehicle. Agent Scott Morse then arrived on the scene with Agent Adams & his K-9 dog Bear, used for finding narcotics. Agent Adams acting on the verbal consent of Mr. Chirlow and the volatile situation due the location, let Bear check suspect vehicle. K-9, Bear upon entering suspect vehicle had a positive reaction by scratching & pawing at the center console. Officer LeConte at this opened the center console door & removed the inner lining & discovered a clear plastic bag with a white powder in it. Officer LeConte then handed the clear bag with the white powder in it to Officer Dykes & in turn Officer Dykes gave it to Agent Morse who test the white powder, which proved positive for cocaine. The clear bag & with approximately 19 grams of cocaine was then turned over to agent Morse for evidence. Officers Dykes & Bealer then advised Mr. Chirlow & Mr. Parks they were under arrest, advised them of their rights per Miranda again. A search of the vehicle then revealed 1x Radio Shack ct 301 cellular phone, serial # 00748619 and a cellular charger model # ct 300/301, serial # 242762, which was also seized by Agent Morse because of possible use for narcotics transactions.
Also a search of Mr. Chirlow, incidental to arrest revealed in his possession a key to a apartment at the Roadway Inn in Gretna. Officer LeConte at this time asked Mr. Chirlow if he would sign a consent to search of the room he had rented. Mr. Chirlow at this time signed a consent to search the room at the Roadway Inn. (see consent to search from attached also the consent to search form for vehicle that Mr. Chirlow refused to sign after giving verbal consent).
Dep. James, J.P. 1295 & Dep. Harrison J.P. 1294 then transported S1 & S2 to J.P.C.C.
Dep. LeConte & Dep. Reed Caston then went to the Roadway Inn & searched the room, but nothing was discovered.
Officer Dykes & Bealer then went to J.P.C.C. & booked S1 & S2 accordingly.
Officer Williams stayed with suspect vehicle & released it to the sister of Mr. Chirlow.
No further info at this time.
(Emphasis added).

The trial court denied the motion to suppress. The defendants entered guilty pleas to the charged offense, under State v. Crosby, supra, reserving their right to appeal the denial of the motion to suppress. *4 The trial judge sentenced defendant, Chirlow, to one year in parish prison with credit for time served. He sentenced defendant, Parks, to one year in parish prison, suspended, with one year of active probation subject to conditions.

Defendants appeal seeking review of the trial court ruling denying the motion to suppress. Defendants argue that the officers did not have reasonable cause to justify the initial investigatory stop. Further, even if they did, the continued detention and "securing" of the defendants, after questioning them and searching their persons and their vehicle for weapons, elevated the initial stop to an arrest without probable cause. Thus, the property seized was illegally obtained. The state argues that the officers did have reasonable cause for the stop and that the evidence seized was legally seized with the consent of defendant.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
617 So. 2d 1, 1992 WL 381830, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-chirlow-lactapp-1993.