State v. Keller

CourtOregon Supreme Court
DecidedJune 22, 2017
DocketS064353
StatusPublished

This text of State v. Keller (State v. Keller) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Oregon Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
State v. Keller, (Or. 2017).

Opinion

566 June 22, 2017 No. 33

IN THE SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF OREGON

STATE OF OREGON, Petitioner on Review, v. JAMES EDWARD KELLER, Respondent on Review. (CC 110342882; A148749; SC S064353)

On review from the Court of Appeals.* Argued and submitted March 9, 2017. Doug M. Petrina, Assistant Attorney General, Salem, argued the cause and filed the briefs for petitioner on review. Also on the briefs were Ellen F. Rosenblum, Attorney General, and Benjamin Gutman, Solicitor General. Joshua B. Crowther, Chief Deputy Defender, Salem, argued the cause and filed the brief for respondent on review. Also on the brief was Ernest G. Lannet, Chief Defender, Office of Public Defense Services. Before Balmer, Chief Justice, and Kistler, Walters, Landau, Brewer, Nakamoto, and Flynn, Justices.** WALTERS, J. The decision of the Court of Appeals is reversed. The judgment of the circuit court is affirmed.

______________ ** On appeal from Multnomah County Circuit Court, David F. Rees, Judge. 278 Or App 760, 379 P3d 545 (2016). ** Baldwin, J., retired March 31, 2017, and did not participate in the decision of this case. Cite as 361 Or 566 (2017) 567

Case Summary: A Washington state trooper initiated a stop of defendant in Washington, but the stop occurred just across the state border, in Portland. As a result of the stop, Portland police officers obtained evidence that defendant had committed the crime of driving under the influence of intoxicants (DUII), and defendant was convicted of that crime. The Court of Appeals reversed, concluding that, although the stop was supported by probable cause, it violated Article I, sec- tion 9, because Thompson “acted without authority of law because, as an out-of- state officer, he had no authority to act in Oregon.” State v. Keller, 278 Or App 760, 764, 379 P3d 545 (2016). Therefore, the court explained, the seizure was “just as unreasonable as a traffic stop made without the requisite probable cause.” Id. at 765. In a unanimous opinion written by Justice Martha L. Walters, the Supreme Court reversed the decision of the Court of Appeals and affirmed the judgment of the circuit court. First, the Court concluded that, under State v. Davis, 313 Or 246, 834 P2d 1008 (1992), the trooper’s stop of defendant constituted state action for purposes of Article I, section 9. The Court explained that holding otherwise would not vindicate the individual rights afforded by Article I, section 9. Next, the Court held that a lack of Oregon common-law or statutory authority does not make a seizure per se unreasonable under Article I, section 9. The Court looked to the totality of the circumstances in assessing the constitutionality of the stop. It determined that the stop in this case passed constitutional muster because (1) an Oregon officer making a stop under identical circumstances would have had sufficient constitutional justification for the stop, and (2) the extrajurisdictional aspect of the stop was reasonable, because the trooper’s actions were reasonable at each step of his encounter with defendant. Therefore, the court concluded, the evidence obtained as a result of the DUII investigation was not required. The decision of the Court of Appeals is reversed. The judgment of the circuit court is affirmed. 568 State v. Keller

WALTERS, J. A Washington State Trooper had probable cause to believe that defendant was violating Washington traffic laws and initiated a stop in Washington; however, the trooper did not complete the stop until both he and defendant had travelled across the state line into Oregon. In a subsequent prosecution for driving under the influence of intoxicants (DUII), defendant moved to suppress the evidence obtained as a result of the trooper’s stop, arguing that the trooper had violated defendant’s right to be free from unreason- able searches and seizures under Article I, section 9, of the Oregon Constitution. We conclude that, although Oregon law did not grant the trooper authority to stop defendant in Oregon, the evidence was constitutionally obtained and admissible. We reverse the contrary decision of the Court of Appeals, State v. Keller, 278 Or App 760, 379 P3d 545 (2016), and affirm the circuit court’s judgment of conviction. I. FACTS The parties agree on the facts. Thompson, a Washington State Trooper, was driving southbound on Interstate 5, in Washington, in an unmarked patrol car. When he was just north of the Interstate Bridge, Thompson saw, in his rearview mirror, a car driven by defendant approaching at a high rate of speed. He measured defen- dant’s speed at 25 miles per hour over the posted speed limit. Thompson observed defendant’s car approach his patrol car so closely that Thompson could no longer see the car’s head- lights in his rearview mirror. Defendant then moved into the left lane and accelerated past Thompson. Thompson had probable cause to believe that defendant had commit- ted the Washington traffic violations of speeding and fol- lowing another vehicle too closely and decided to initiate a traffic stop. He activated his emergency lights and began following defendant while both were still in Washington. Thompson intended to have defendant pull over near the next freeway exit, the Jantzen Beach exit, which was across the state border in Portland. When defendant did not stop, Thompson activated his siren and air horn. Defendant slowed down and moved into the right lane, but continued driving. Thompson used his public address system, and Cite as 361 Or 566 (2017) 569

defendant finally stopped on the shoulder of Marine Drive in Portland.

Before exiting his patrol car, Thompson asked Washington dispatch to contact the Portland police. Thompson then approached defendant’s vehicle. He imme- diately noticed that defendant smelled of alcohol and had bloodshot, watery eyes, and slurred speech. Defendant told Thompson that he had consumed three beers. Thompson returned to his patrol car, requested the assistance of Portland police officers, and waited in his patrol car for the officers to arrive. Portland police officers arrived shortly thereafter and arrested defendant for the crime of DUII.

Defendant filed a pretrial motion to suppress the evidence obtained as a result of the traffic stop, arguing that Thompson’s stop was not authorized by Oregon law and violated defendant’s rights under Article I, section 9, of the Oregon Constitution. The trial court denied defendant’s motion and convicted him after a stipulated facts trial. The Court of Appeals reversed, concluding that, although the stop was supported by probable cause, it violated Article I, section 9, because Thompson “acted without authority of law because, as an out-of-state officer, he had no authority to act in Oregon.” Id. at 764. Therefore, the court explained, the seizure was “just as unreasonable as a traffic stop made without the requisite probable cause.” Id. at 765. Chief Judge Hadlock filed a dissenting opinion. Id. at 766. Relying on State v. Davis, 313 Or 246, 834 P2d 1008 (1992), the dissent argued that the pertinent question was whether Thompson’s actions “would have violated ‘the standard of governmental conduct’ or violated ‘the scope of [defendant’s] rights’ had those actions been performed ‘by Oregon police in Oregon,’ ” and that the correct answer was that they would not. Keller, 278 Or App at 768 (Hadlock, C.J., dissenting) (quoting Davis, 313 Or at 253). The dissent reasoned that an Oregon officer who stopped a motorist with probable cause to believe that the motorist was committing traffic offenses would not vio- late Article I, section 9. Id.

To consider those opposing views, we allowed the state’s petition for review. 570 State v. Keller

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

Related

Elkins v. United States
364 U.S. 206 (Supreme Court, 1960)
Mapp v. Ohio
367 U.S. 643 (Supreme Court, 1961)
Ker v. California
374 U.S. 23 (Supreme Court, 1963)
United States v. Martinez-Fuerte
428 U.S. 543 (Supreme Court, 1976)
Virginia v. Moore
553 U.S. 164 (Supreme Court, 2008)
State v. Rodgers
227 P.3d 695 (Oregon Supreme Court, 2010)
State v. McDole
734 P.2d 683 (Montana Supreme Court, 1987)
State v. Atkinson
688 P.2d 832 (Oregon Supreme Court, 1984)
People v. Hamilton
666 P.2d 152 (Supreme Court of Colorado, 1983)
State v. Krogness
388 P.2d 120 (Oregon Supreme Court, 1963)
Williams v. State
321 S.E.2d 386 (Court of Appeals of Georgia, 1984)
State v. Bridewell
759 P.2d 1054 (Oregon Supreme Court, 1988)
State v. Davis
834 P.2d 1008 (Oregon Supreme Court, 1992)
State v. Mangum
226 S.E.2d 852 (Court of Appeals of North Carolina, 1976)
State v. Tourtillott
618 P.2d 423 (Oregon Supreme Court, 1980)
State v. Rodriguez
854 P.2d 399 (Oregon Supreme Court, 1993)
State v. Baton
488 A.2d 696 (Supreme Court of Rhode Island, 1985)
State v. Smith
908 A.2d 786 (Supreme Court of New Hampshire, 2006)
State v. Cuny
595 N.W.2d 899 (Nebraska Supreme Court, 1999)
Madsen v. Park City
6 F. Supp. 2d 938 (N.D. Illinois, 1998)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
State v. Keller, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-keller-or-2017.