State v. Dodson

942 So. 2d 579, 2006 WL 2939495
CourtLouisiana Court of Appeal
DecidedOctober 16, 2006
Docket41,415-KA
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 942 So. 2d 579 (State v. Dodson) 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. Dodson, 942 So. 2d 579, 2006 WL 2939495 (La. Ct. App. 2006).

Opinion

942 So.2d 579 (2006)

STATE of Louisiana, Appellee
v.
Anthony Wayne DODSON, Appellant.

No. 41,415-KA.

Court of Appeal of Louisiana, Second Circuit.

October 16, 2006.
Rehearing Denied December 7, 2006.

*582 James E. Beal, Jonesboro, for Appellant.

J. Schuyler Marvin, District Attorney, John M. Lawrence, Assistant District Attorney, for Appellee.

Before STEWART, CARAWAY and LOLLEY, JJ.

LOLLEY, J.

This criminal appeal arises from the 26th Judicial District Court, Parish of Bossier, State of Louisiana. The defendant, Anthony Wayne Dodson, entered a Crosby[1] plea to illegal carrying of weapons while in the possession of controlled dangerous substances (CDS), a violation of La. R.S. 14:95(E). He was sentenced to serve eight years imprisonment at hard labor without benefit of probation, parole, or suspension of sentence, to be served consecutively with any other sentence, and was fined $5,000.00. On appeal, Dodson argues that the trial court erred in denying his motion to suppress. He also argues that La. R.S. 14:95(E) is unconstitutional as applied to him. For the following reasons, we vacate Dodson's conviction and sentence and remand the case for further proceedings.

FACTS

On January 9, 2001, the defendant, Anthony Wayne Dodson, was arrested and ultimately charged by bill of information with possession of a firearm while in the possession of Schedule II, III, and IV controlled dangerous substances, a violation of La. R.S. 14:95(E). In response, Dodson filed a motion to suppress the evidence, and a hearing was conducted.

At that hearing, Louisiana State Trooper George Beck testified that just after 6:00 A.M. on January 9, 2001, he and another trooper observed a Mitsubishi Galant parked so as to occupy two parking spaces at the I-20 rest stop in Bossier Parish. The Galant had an expired Arkansas dealer license plate.

Trooper Beck knew that such a plate could not be "run" to return information about the car because they are not issued to a specific car, so Tpr. Beck approached the vehicle to obtain its vehicle identification number. When he approached the car, he found Dodson and another man, Fred Poole, asleep in the car. Trooper Beck knocked on the window and awoke Dodson, who got out of the car and appeared to Tpr. Beck to be "possibly intoxicated or on narcotics." Poole also got out of the car and also appeared to be "intoxicated or high." Trooper Beck said that Poole was

. . . very unsteady on his feet. He appeared to me to be under the influence of something. . . . And I asked him if he knew where he was, because he kept looking around all over like he didn't realize where he was. And the only thing he would say was, "huh." I asked him two questions, and the answer to both questions was "huh."

Trooper Beck said that his impression that the men were under the influence of narcotics *583 was based on his training in field sobriety, and he said that he did not smell alcohol on Dodson.

The trooper took Dodson's Arkansas driver's license and noted that Dodson's hands were shaking because he was nervous. Trooper Beck learned that Dodson's license was valid; however, he also determined through a criminal history check that Dodson had a prior arrest for narcotics. Trooper Beck said that Dodson also appeared to be unkempt "like he'd . . . been out all night. . . ." Trooper Jason Parker, riding with Tpr. Beck, testified that the troopers then learned that Poole likewise had a criminal history for narcotics; Tpr. Beck did not recall when he learned of Poole's prior drug involvement. Dodson had no registration papers for the car, but a check revealed that the car had not been reported stolen. Trooper Beck issued Dodson a warning ticket for illegal parking; he decided not to write a citation after Dodson told him that he had parked in the only space available when he arrived at the rest area.

Dodson told Tpr. Beck that his destination was Springhill, Arkansas, a destination that Tpr. Beck knew to be only "forty-five minutes to an hour" away from the rest area. Beck said that based on all of this, and in particular because of the men's criminal history, he suspected that the men might be transporting narcotics. He explained that in his experience "if someone is high and they're in a vehicle, or appears to you to be high or intoxicated, that they more often than not are carrying narcotics with them." Trooper Beck also said:

After I issued the ticket, I gave him back his license and Mr. Poole's ID and separated from the traffic stop. Basically was giving him the opportunity to leave, and once I did that, I asked him if I could speak to him. He voluntarily agreed. And then I asked him for permission to search his vehicle.

Trooper Beck did not remember what he said to Dodson upon returning his license but said that he may have said "have a nice day" before saying something like "`Hey, Mr. Dodson, can I speak to you?' or something to that effect" and asking for Dodson's consent to search. Beck explained that he had learned in his training that any request to search the car should be made separately from the traffic stop.

Trooper Jason Parker testified:

While we were at—when Trooper Beck ran the criminal histories while we were in the patrol car, while we were waiting on the response, Trooper Beck filled out a violation ticket for improper parking. Once we got the criminal histories back, Trooper Beck approached Mr. Dodson, issued him a violation ticket for the improper parking, and then presented a Louisiana consent to search form to him.

Parker said that Dodson appeared normal (not nervous or intoxicated) to him, but that Poole appeared to be intoxicated or disoriented. The troopers were accompanied by a narcotics dog, but the dog was not used in the stop.

Dodson signed the consent form approximately 22 minutes after the stop began. Another trooper arrived and the troopers searched the vehicle. The troopers found two handguns and a quantity of several types of narcotics including methamphetamines and marijuana. Poole had an outstanding warrant, but the troopers did not learn that until after the search and seizure.

The trial court denied Dodson's motion to suppress, and this court denied Dodson's writ application, advising the defendant that he had an adequate remedy on appeal in the event of conviction.

*584 Dodson opted to plead guilty. In accepting Dodson's guilty plea in August 2005, to the original charge of violating La. R.S. 14:95(E), the trial court engaged Dodson in the Boykin colloquy. The following portions of the exchange are relevant:

Q (The Court): You understand that you have a right to continue with your not guilty plea and have a trial?
A (The Defendant): Yes, sir.
Q: You understand that the D.A. must prove his case beyond a reasonable doubt?
A: Yes, sir.
Q: You understand that you have a right to remain silent during the course of your trial?
A: Yes, sir.
Q: You understand that your attorney would examine the D.A.'s witnesses during the course of the trial?
A: Yes, sir.
Q: You understand that you have a right to subpoena witnesses to testify on your behalf?
A: Yes, sir.
Q: You understand that if convicted you'd be given the right to appeal?
A: Yes, sir.

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Related

State v. Lambert
93 So. 3d 771 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 2012)
State v. Casson
2 So. 3d 1246 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 2009)
State of Louisiana v. Dominique J. Casson
Louisiana Court of Appeal, 2009
State v. Dodson
967 So. 2d 487 (Supreme Court of Louisiana, 2007)
State v. Ford
957 So. 2d 311 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 2007)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
942 So. 2d 579, 2006 WL 2939495, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-dodson-lactapp-2006.