State v. Mitchell

CourtIdaho Court of Appeals
DecidedJanuary 7, 2025
Docket50212
StatusPublished

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

Bluebook
State v. Mitchell, (Idaho Ct. App. 2025).

Opinion

IN THE COURT OF APPEALS OF THE STATE OF IDAHO

Docket No. 50212

STATE OF IDAHO, ) ) Filed: January 7, 2025 Plaintiff-Respondent, ) ) Melanie Gagnepain, Clerk v. ) ) JESSIE KIM MITCHELL, ) ) Defendant-Appellant. ) )

Appeal from the District Court of the Seventh Judicial District, State of Idaho, Bingham County. Hon. Darren B. Simpson, District Judge.

Judgment of conviction for misdemeanor possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia, affirmed.

Erik R. Lehtinen, State Appellate Public Defender; Emily M. Joyce, Deputy Appellate Public Defender, Boise, for appellant.

Hon. Raúl R. Labrador, Attorney General; Kacey L. Jones, Deputy Attorney General, Boise, for respondent. ________________________________________________ TRIBE, Judge Jessie Kim Mitchell appeals from his judgment of conviction for misdemeanor possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia. Mitchell argues the district court erred by denying his motion to suppress evidence obtained during a warrantless search. We affirm. I. FACTUAL AND PROCEDURAL BACKGROUND In July 2021, at approximately 2:00 p.m., several law enforcement officers, including Sergeant Hay; Corporal Wiersma; Officer Watt; and Corporal Kent, responded to a report of a juvenile ingesting illicit substances with Jerry Bunce. The report alleged that Bunce kept drugs and paraphernalia in a carved wooden cigar box. The officers arrived at Bunce’s last known reported location--Mitchell’s residence. Bunce met the officers outside the residence on the covered porch. During their conversation, Sergeant Hay heard a noise and asked if Mitchell was

1 inside the residence. Bunce confirmed that Mitchell was inside. When Sergeant Hay knocked on the door and called for Mitchell, Bunce positioned himself between the door and the officer. Bunce then opened the door, wide enough to stick his head in the crack, and called for Mitchell. Sergeant Hay also called for Mitchell. Mitchell then came to the door. Sergeant Hay asked Mitchell if they could speak inside the residence, outside of Bunce’s presence. Mitchell did not allow Sergeant Hay to enter his residence but agreed to talk to the officers outside. Mitchell exited the residence leaving the front door open. Sergeant Hay followed Mitchell to the area outside the porch and instructed Bunce to stay outside with the remaining officers. Corporal Kent and two other officers remained with Bunce. At all times during the interaction with the officers, Bunce blocked the entrance to either the residence or to the covered porch area with his arms folded at the chest and hands tucked in. After a few minutes, Sergeant Hay returned and told Bunce that Mitchell corroborated information regarding the illicit substances Bunce used with the juvenile. Sergeant Hay then specifically asked Bunce where the cigar box with methamphetamine was. In response, Bunce lifted his hand from under his armpit and pointed with his right hand over his left shoulder toward the door and then lowered his hand to his shoulder,1 sighed, turned around and entered the residence. Sergeant Hay and Corporal Wiersma followed Bunce inside. In the living room, Bunce picked up the cigar box, opened it, and handed it to Sergeant Hay. Sergeant Hay identified a methamphetamine pipe inside the box. Sergeant Hay asked Bunce if there were more illegal substances in the residence and if they belonged to Mitchell. Bunce denied any more drugs in the residence belonged to him but stated that he did not know if Mitchell had any drugs in the residence.2

1 Mitchell asserts that Bunce simply scratched his shoulder, while the State argues that Bunce pointed over his shoulder toward the entrance of the residence. The district court made a factual determination, based on the submitted briefing, testimony and other documentation, that this gesture was an “indication toward the doorway to the home.” Essential to this finding is that the district court found the officers’ recitation of events more credible, as is the district court’s prerogative. See State v. Valdez-Molina, 127 Idaho 102, 106, 897 P.2d 993, 997 (1995); State v. Schevers, 132 Idaho 786, 789, 979 P.2d 659, 662 (Ct. App. 1999). 2 The district court found that Bunce said “no” when asked if Mitchell did drugs. However, the on-body video shows that Bunce said he had “no idea.”

2 Sergeant Hay and Officer Watt walked out of the residence to speak to Mitchell. Sergeant Hay told Mitchell about the methamphetamine pipe and asked Mitchell about his drug use. Mitchell admitted to previously smoking marijuana and stated he had marijuana and a pipe inside the residence. Sergeant Hay said that, because he found drugs inside the residence, he could dispatch a canine unit to search the residence but it would be easier if Mitchell could walk officers inside and voluntarily turn over the contraband. After a short follow-up conversation, Mitchell walked inside the residence, and Sergeant Hay followed. Ultimately, Sergeant Hay located marijuana, methamphetamine, a marijuana pipe, and an electronic scale in various locations throughout the residence. The State charged Mitchell with felony possession of a controlled substance, misdemeanor possession of a controlled substance, misdemeanor possession of paraphernalia, and a persistent violator sentencing enhancement. Mitchell filed a motion to suppress, arguing that the officers failed to obtain consent to enter the residence and that, even if they did, such consent was not voluntary. The State argued that a reasonable officer would have interpreted Bunce’s nonverbal conduct as implied consent. The State further argued that the exigent circumstances exception to the warrant requirement applied because officers had a concern that evidence may be destroyed if not immediately confiscated. At the hearing on the motion to suppress, the district court heard Sergeant Hay’s and Corporal Wiersma’s testimony and watched two on-body videos. The district court denied the motion, holding that no exigent circumstances existed to justify the warrantless entry into Mitchell’s residence but that Mitchell and Bunce both voluntarily consented to the entry. Pursuant to a plea agreement, Mitchell entered conditional guilty pleas to misdemeanor possession of a controlled substance (Idaho Code § 37-2732(c)(3)) and misdemeanor possession of paraphernalia (I.C. § 37-2734A(1)), reserving his right to appeal the district court’s denial of his suppression motion. The State dismissed the remaining charge and the sentencing enhancement. The district court stayed the execution of the sentence, pending an appeal of the suppression issue. Mitchell appeals.

3 II. STANDARD OF REVIEW The standard of review of a suppression motion is bifurcated. When a decision on a motion to suppress is challenged, we accept the trial court’s findings of fact that are supported by substantial evidence, but we freely review the application of constitutional principles to the facts as found. State v. Atkinson, 128 Idaho 559, 561, 916 P.2d 1284, 1286 (Ct. App. 1996). At a suppression hearing, the power to assess the credibility of witnesses, resolve factual conflicts, weigh evidence, and draw factual inferences is vested in the trial court. State v. Valdez-Molina, 127 Idaho 102, 106, 897 P.2d 993, 997 (1995); State v. Schevers, 132 Idaho 786, 789, 979 P.2d 659, 662 (Ct. App. 1999). III. ANALYSIS Mitchell argues that the district court erred in denying his motion to suppress because substantial and competent evidence does not support a finding that officers obtained voluntary consent prior to searching his residence.

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State v. Mitchell, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-mitchell-idahoctapp-2025.