State v. J.L.D.

39 So. 3d 214
CourtCourt of Criminal Appeals of Alabama
DecidedNovember 13, 2009
DocketCR-08-0458
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 39 So. 3d 214 (State v. J.L.D.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Criminal Appeals of Alabama primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
State v. J.L.D., 39 So. 3d 214 (Ala. Ct. App. 2009).

Opinions

On Return to Remand

MAIN, Judge.

The State of Alabama appeals from the circuit court’s decision to grant J.L.D.’s [216]*216pretrial motion to suppress cocaine seized by the police. See Rule 15.7, Ala. R.Crim.P. In its order granting the motion to suppress, the trial court referred to an earlier ruling granting the motion; however, this Court could find no such prior ruling by the trial court, Thus, we remanded this cause by order for the trial court to clarify its order granting the motion to suppress. The trial court was also ordered to make findings of fact and to submit reasons for its determination so that this Court could properly review its decision. See State v. Hargett, 935 So.2d 1200 (Ala.Crim.App.2005). The trial court has submitted its findings and reasons on return to remand; we now review the trial court’s decision to grant the motion to suppress.

J.L.D. was charged with the unlawful possession of a controlled substance, in violation of § 13A-12-212(a)(l), Ala.Code 1975. He was also charged with failing to display lighted lamps and illuminating devices while operating a motor vehicle on public roadways or highways. (S.R. 5-6.)

A pretrial suppression hearing was held on July 17, 2008, at which the State presented the testimony of Officer Sam Brosi-us of the Autauga County Sheriffs Department. Officer Brosius testified that on July 27, 2007, he was working as an officer with the Montgomery Police Department and was driving the patrol car when he initiated a traffic stop of a Jeep brand sport utility vehicle driven by J.L.D. because there were “[n]o lights on the vehicle at all.” (R. 4, 11.)1 Officer Brosius testified that he “lit him up” as J.L.D. turned into the Peddler’s Inn, but J.L.D. drove around the parking lot before coming to a stop.2 Officer Brosius stated that he approached the driver’s side where J.L.D. was seated; that another man was seated in the passenger’s seat; and that J.L.D. “was moving around inside” and “fidgeting a little bit too much.” (R. 5.) Officer Bro-sius further testified that J.L.D. was ordered to put his hands out, but refused; that he again ordered J.L.D. to do so, at which time he put his left hand out of the window then pulled it back inside. According to Officer Brosius, he again ordered J.L.D. at gunpoint, for safety reasons, to comply; that J.L.D. then put his hands out of the vehicle; that J.L.D. slid out of the driver’s side and dropped a plastic bag on the ground; and that J.L.D. was not cooperative. He stated that as he gained control of J.L.D., “he was taking his right foot trying to kick the bag of white narcotics that I (Brosius) believed to be crack between my legs behind me ... so I wouldn’t see it.” (R. 6.) Officer Brosius stated that he was watching J.L.D. kick at the bag as he attempted to handcuff him and that he clearly saw the bag, which contained three or four off-white rocks that he assumed to be cocaine; and that another bag was removed from J.L.D.’s pocket. Officer Brosius testified that he had “[n]o doubt in his mind at all” that J.L.D. dropped the bag with his right hand as he slid from the car and that he tried to kick it out of Officer Brosius’s view with his right leg. (R. 8.)

On cross-examination, Officer . Brosius stated that a camera man with the television show, MPD, was riding in the patrol car with his partner and him, and taping for an episode that had already aired at least once by the time of this hearing. (R. 8.) Officer Brosius recalled, on cross-examination after reviewing a report and re[217]*217freshing his memory, that J.L.D. exited the vehicle from the passenger’s side, because the driver’s side did not open. (R. 18.) Defense counsel also pointed out to Officer Brosius that his report and his affidavit did not mention that J.L.D. had kicked the bag between his legs. Officer Brosius testified on cross-examination that after he had taken the first bag containing the rocks from J.L.D., he had handcuffed J.L.D. and placed him in front of the patrol car; that he noticed that J.L.D. began moving around again; and that he therefore searched around and found another bag “underneath where his butt was right next to the front of’ the patrol car. (R. 24.) This bag contained a larger off-white rock that also tested positive as cocaine. He stated that only approximately one minute had transpired between his finding these two bags. On redirect examination, Officer Brosius verified that' he saw J.L.D. drop cocaine as he got out of his car. The State then rested.

J.L.D. was the only other witness at the hearing. He testified that the headlights were lit on the Jeep when he was pulled over by the patrol car at approximately 1:00 a.m.; that he pulled into the parking lot at the Peddler’s Inn because he was staying there; that he did not notice any police car behind him until he was pulling into his parking spot, at which time he noticed two police cars behind him. J.L.D. testified that there was a black male in the passenger side of his vehicle, although Officer Brosius had testified that the passenger was white.3 (R. 5, 21, 80.) J.L.D. stated that he was ordered to place his hands out of the window of his vehicle, and he complied; that he did not move or bring his hands back in the window; that the officer began yanking on the driver’s door, ordering him to get out of the vehicle; that he informed the officers that the door would not open; and that he got out of the vehicle through the passenger’s side. (R. 32.) He testified that he was then searched, handcuffed and sat down in front of the police car; he stated that the officers found nothing on him. (R. 32.) He testified that he did not drop anything as he exited the vehicle. J.L:D. admitted that he had drugs in his pocket, but he stated that the drugs were not found until after the officers had searched his car. On cross-examination, J.L.D. insisted that the only crack cocaine that he had on the night in question was in his pocket.

Following this testimony, defense counsel requested to make an argument, but the trial court responded, “I don’t even need one, guys. If /all are — that’s kind of straight forward that the police officer definitely did what he was supposed to do and didn’t do anything improper.” (R. 44.) Defense counsel then stated that he would like to make an argument for the record in case the prosecutor might appeal and stated: “The basis of my argument is going to be that Mr. Brosius has testified — Officer Davis has testified that he took [J.L.D.] out of the vehicle for officer safety.” (R. 45.) Defense counsel then argued, “I would like the trial court to consider making a ruling on this case so we can see if we can get the video.” (R. 45.) The trial court responded that it did not “even need a video.” (R. 45.) Defense counsel argued that the video might or might not corroborate J.L.D.’s version of the offense. The trial judge then stated that she found Officer Brosius’s testimony to be “totally credible” while J.L.D.’s testimony was “not that credible.” (R. 46.) Defense counsel excepted, noting the inconsistencies in Of-[218]*218fícer Brosius’s testimony, arguing that the difference as to which hand held the drugs would be understandable, but not an entire scenario concerning dropping and kicking the drugs. The trial court stated that it disagreed. Defense counsel argued that because Officer Brosius stated that the only reason he had J.L.D. exit the vehicle after stopping him for driving without lights was for officer safety, the search went too far.4

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Related

State v. JLD
39 So. 3d 214 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Alabama, 2009)

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Bluebook (online)
39 So. 3d 214, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-jld-alacrimapp-2009.