State v. Goins

2004 OK CR 5, 84 P.3d 767, 75 O.B.A.J. 603, 2004 Okla. Crim. App. LEXIS 7, 2004 WL 206128
CourtCourt of Criminal Appeals of Oklahoma
DecidedFebruary 4, 2004
DocketS 2003-61
StatusPublished
Cited by14 cases

This text of 2004 OK CR 5 (State v. Goins) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Criminal Appeals of Oklahoma primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
State v. Goins, 2004 OK CR 5, 84 P.3d 767, 75 O.B.A.J. 603, 2004 Okla. Crim. App. LEXIS 7, 2004 WL 206128 (Okla. Ct. App. 2004).

Opinions

OPINION

LILE, Vice Presiding Judge.

¶ 1 Melvin Henry Goins was charged with Trafficking in Illegal Drugs (Marijuana) in violation of 63 O.S.2001, § 2-415 in the District Court of Beckham County, Case No. CF-2002-790. Goins filed a motion to suppress the evidence alleging, generally, that the search of his vehicle was in violation of the Fourth Amendment to the United States Constitution. A hearing was held before the Honorable Charles L. Goodwin.

¶ 2 Judge Goodwin ruled that the evidence must be suppressed, because the search was in violation of the Fourth Amendment. The State asserts that it cannot proceed without the evidence and now appeals to this Court based on 22 O.S.Supp.2002, § 1053(5). Section 1053 provides, in part, that the State may appeal,

Upon a pretrial order, decision, or judgment suppressing or excluding evidence [769]*769where appellate review of the issue would be in the best interests of justice.

¶ 3 We find that the State’s appeal is proper and review of this issue is in the best interests of justice. Furthermore, this case presents an issue of first impression in this State.

¶ 4 On April 21, 2002, Melvin Henry Goins, driving a motor home, was stopped by Oklahoma State Trooper Ty Williamson for following too closely in violation of 47 O.S.2001, § 11-310. Goins accompanied Williamson to the patrol vehicle where Williamson issued Goins a warning citation, returned his papers to him, and told Goins, “that is all I need.”

¶ 5 Goins began to exit Williamson’s vehicle, and Williamson asked Goins if he could ask him something before he left. Goins replied, “Sure.” Williamson asked Goins if he was carrying any drugs, guns, large amounts of money or anything illegal in the motor home. Goins answered in the negative. Williamson then asked if he could search the vehicle and Goins said that he could. Troopers searched Goins’ motor home and discovered about three hundred (300) pounds of marijuana.

¶ 6 In suppressing the evidence, the trial court relied on McGaughey v. State, 2001 OK CR 33, 37 P.3d 130, and United States v. McSwain, 29 F.3d 558 (10th Cir. 1994). The trial court stated, “when the purpose of the stop is terminated, ... then any further search or request to search is illegal. That’s illegal under McGaughey and McSwain.” The State argues that the trial court’s reliance on these cases is misplaced and its ruling is in error.

¶ 7 The trial court did not rule on the validity of the stop, nor did Goins assert that the initial stop was invalid. We presume, for the purpose of this analysis, that the initial stop was valid. Our review of the trial court's decision is based on an abuse of discretion standard, which has been defined as a clearly erroneous conclusion and judgment, one that is clearly against the logic and effect of the facts presented. State v. Love, 1998 OK CR 32, ¶ 2, 960 P.2d 368, 369.

¶8 The two cases relied on by the trial court are based on specific fact situations distinguishable from the facts of this ease. In McGaughey, this Court held that once an officer realizes that his reason for a traffic stop is mistaken, any further detention violates the Fourth Amendment, absent specific circumstances. McGaughey, 37 P.3d at 137, 144. The facts of the relevant search reveal that McGaughey was stopped because .the trooper could not see his taillights; however, once the stop was made, the trooper saw that the taillights were working. This Court ruled that the trooper should have terminated the stop.

¶ 9 Similar facts occurred in McSwain. A Utah Highway Patrol Trooper stopped a vehicle because he could not read the expiration date on the temporary registration sticker in the rear window. Once the vehicle was stopped, the trooper could see that the registration was valid. Ultimately, the trooper asked for consent to search, which was given, and cocaine was discovered in the vehicle.

¶ 10 The Courts in each of these cases held that once the troopers approached the vehicles and observed that there was no violation, the purpose of the stop was satisfied. Therefore, the actions by the trooper in extending the traffic stop to ask for identification, driver’s license, etc. exceeded the limits of lawful investigative detention and violated the Fourth Amendment. McGaughey, 37 P.3d at 140—41; McSwain, 29 F.3d at 561-62.

11 Both cases are distinguishable from the case at hand. The holdings of McSwain and McGaughey were based on a specific set of facts where the vehicle was. stopped based on a mistaken belief that the vehicle did not comply with the law or that the driver had violated or was violating the law. A detention that continues beyond the point where the officer determines that the stop was made on a mistaken belief cannot be considered reasonably related in scope to the initial justification for the stop. McGaughey, 37 P.3d at 137; McSwain, 29 F.3d at 561-62.

¶ 12 In McGaughey and McSwain, the officer continued the detention after it was determined that the stop was made on a mistaken belief. However, even in McGaughey, this Court acknowledged that, if the stop is [770]*770based on an observed traffic violation, which is not made under mistaken belief, then the traffic stop is valid under the Fourth Amendment. McGaughey, 37 P.3d at 136; See also Lozoya v. State, 1996 OK CR 55, ¶ 32, 932 P.2d 22, 32.

¶ 13 Two different situations may support further police actions after an initial valid stop is concluded. On this point the Tenth Circuit has stated:

Lengthening the detention for further questioning beyond that related to the initial stop is permissible in two circumstances. First, the officer may detain the driver for questioning unrelated to the initial stop if he has an objectively reasonable and articulable suspicion illegal activity has occurred or is occurring. Second, further questioning unrelated to the initial stop is permissible if the initial detention has become a consensual encounter.

United States v. Hunnicutt, 135 F.3d 1345, 1349 (10th Cir.1998)[internal citations omitted].

¶ 14 In Hunnicutt, a police officer stopped a vehicle for weaving across the shoulder line and the centerline of his lane of travel. Hun-nicutt took 10-12 seconds to stop. When stopped, Hunnicutt produced a license, but no insurance verification. He claimed to be buying the car from someone else, but the name he gave did not match the registered owner of the car. Computer cheeks also showed that the Hunnicutt’s driver’s license had been suspended. Hunnicutt and the passengers told inconsistent stories about their travel destinations. Hunnicutt denied that there were any illegal substances or weapons in the car. A drug dog was called and a large quantity of methamphetamine was found.

¶ 15 The Court found that the officer formed an “objectively reasonable and articu-lable suspicion” of illegal activity to support the extension of the traffic stop. The Court reasoned that because the officer asked about guns and drugs before returning the driver’s license, the stop must have been supported by the reasonable suspicion. Id.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

STATE v. CRAWFORD
2026 OK CR 4 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Oklahoma, 2026)
STATE v. ROBERSON
2021 OK CR 16 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Oklahoma, 2021)
STATE v. STRAWN
2018 OK CR 2 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Oklahoma, 2018)
Johnson v. State
2013 OK CR 12 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Oklahoma, 2013)
State v. Bass
2013 OK CR 7 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Oklahoma, 2013)
State v. Pope
2009 OK CR 9 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Oklahoma, 2009)
Coffia v. State
2008 OK CR 24 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Oklahoma, 2008)
Gomez v. State
2007 OK CR 33 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Oklahoma, 2007)
State v. Sayerwinnie
2007 OK CR 11 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Oklahoma, 2007)
State v. Goins
2004 OK CR 5 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Oklahoma, 2004)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
2004 OK CR 5, 84 P.3d 767, 75 O.B.A.J. 603, 2004 Okla. Crim. App. LEXIS 7, 2004 WL 206128, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-goins-oklacrimapp-2004.