State v. Nelson

183 So. 3d 1074, 2015 Fla. App. LEXIS 6843, 2015 WL 2129237
CourtDistrict Court of Appeal of Florida
DecidedMay 8, 2015
DocketNos. 5D14-1802, 5D14-1803, 5D14-1804
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 183 So. 3d 1074 (State v. Nelson) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court of Appeal of Florida primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
State v. Nelson, 183 So. 3d 1074, 2015 Fla. App. LEXIS 6843, 2015 WL 2129237 (Fla. Ct. App. 2015).

Opinions

SAWAYA, J.

We have consolidated for decision three appeals that present a common issue of statutory interpretation. The statute at issue is section 316.125, Florida Statutes (2013), and it governs entry of vehicles onto adjacent highways from adjoining business locations and parking lots. We must decide whether the trial court correctly interpreted this statute to require only that the driver yield the right-of-way to vehicular or pedestrian traffic. Resolution of this legal issue is necessary in order to determine whether the trial court prop-, erly granted the motions filed by each defendant to suppress the illegal drugs and paraphernalia (and in one case,- a concealed firearm) that were seized after deputies with the Citrus County Sheriffs Department stopped the three vehicles for violating this statute. The deputies concluded the statute was violated because the vehicles in each case failed to stop before crossing over a sidewalk or sidewalk area situated over the driveways adjacent to the highway. The trial court granted each motion after concluding that there was no. statutory requirement to stop before entering the highway because there was no vehicular or pedestrian traffic present in the area at the time. The State urges reversal, contending that the deputies legally stopped each vehicle because the statute requires vehicles to stop before crossing over driveways containing sidewalks or sidewalk areas regardless of pedestrian or vehicular traffic in the area.

The cases are strikingly similar both in terms of the issue presented and the facts' established by the evidence submitted in-each proceeding. As to the facts, two of the cases involve incidents that occurred at the same location, but on different dates. Sean Nelsón parked his car on ’the North side parking lot of a Chevron gas station located in the business district of Crystal River. This parking lot is adjacent to Highway 19 and has a driveway that allows patrons to enter the highway directly from the parking lot. A sidewalk borders both sides- of the driveway, and pictures introduced into evidence show that the sidewalk or sidewalk area appears to extend over the driveway. A deputy observed Nelson get into his vehicle and drive directly from his parked position in the parking lot onto the highway without stopping. The deputy initiated a traffic stop of the vehicle based on Nelson’s failure to stop before crossing over the sidewalk or sidewalk area onto the highway in violation of section 316.125. A subsequent consensual search of the vehicle uncovered drugs and paraphernalia. A concealed firearm was also found. Nelson was arrested and transported to jail. He filed a motion to suppress, arguing that the statute did- not require a stop before crossing over the driveway because there was no vehicular or pedestrian traffic present in the area at the time.

[1076]*1076Coryon Nelson (who may be related to Sean Nelson) was parked at a gas pump located at the same Chevron gas station. He got into his vehicle and drove over the same driveway onto Highway 19 without stopping. He was stopped and a canine unit was summoned. The dog alerted to the car, and the subsequent search of the vehicle uncovered drugs and paraphernalia. Coryon- Nelson was arrested and transported to jail. His motion to suppress essentially parrots the arguments made in Sean Nelson’s motion.

.The facts relating to the case involving Ben Padgett differ regarding the date and location. The location of this incident is the parking lot of the Liquid Lagoon bar located adjacent to Highway 19 in the business district of Crystal River. Pad-gett was a passenger in a vehicle that exited the parking lot and entered the highway without stopping. The driveway at this location is similar to the driveway located at the Chevron gas station. Photographs in the record show a sidewalk leading up to both sides of the driveway, and it appears that the sidewalk or sidewalk area extends over the driveway. The vehicle was stopped and a canine unit was summoned. The dog alerted to the car, and a subsequent search of the vehicle uncovered illegal drugs under the passenger’s seat. Padgett was arrested and transported to jail. His motion to suppress presents arguments that are very similar to the arguments in the motions filed by the other two defendants.

In granting the motions to suppress, the trial court explained its interpretation of section 316.125 by stating that “[i]n its entirety it’s a failure-to-yield statute, and in its particulars it’s a failure-to-yield statute.” The trial court further explained that “[tjhere has to be something that has to be failed to yield to, a pedestrian or traffic.” If this is the proper interpretation of the statute, the trial court correctly granted the motions. But if not, we must reverse.

As a prelude to our discussion of the pertinent statutory provisions, a brief discussion of some very basic constitutional principles reveals why this issue of statutory interpretation is pivotal to our review. The Federal and Florida Constitutions declare in harmony that the right of the people to be secure against “unreasonable searches and seizures” shall not be violated. U.S. Const. Amend. IV; Art. I § 12, Fla. Const. A traffic stop is a seizure within the meaning of this constitutional guarantee. Whren v. U.S., 517 U.S. 806, 809, 116 S.Ct. 1769, 135 L.Ed.2d 89 (1996); Holland v. State, 696 So.2d 757, 757 (Fla.1997). The course of decision in this court and others, using Whren as the guide, has clearly established that such a seizure is permissible if the deputy has probable cause to believe a traffic violation has occurred. Whren, 517 U.S. at 810, 116 S.Ct. 1769; Holland, 696 So.2d at 759; State v. Arevalo, 112 So.3d 529, 531 (Fla. 4th DCA 2013); State v. Thomas, 109 So.3d 814, 817 (Fla. 5th DCA 2013); State v. Wimberly, 988 So.2d 116, 119 (Fla. 5th DCA 2008); State v. Robinson, 756 So.2d 249, 250 (Fla. 5th DCA 2000). Traffic violations that may justify a stop include non-criminal traffic violations. See Arevalo, 112 So.3d at 531. Once a vehicle is stopped for a traffic violation, a properly trained canine may be summoned to search the exterior of the vehicle (provided that the search is accomplished within the time necessary to issue a citation) and if the dog alerts, a search of the remainder of the vehicle may ensue without offending this constitutional guarantee. See Whitfield v. State, 33 So.3d 787, 790 (Fla. 5th DCA 2010); Eldridge v. State, 817 So.2d 884, 887 (Fla. 5th DCA 2002); Robinson, 756 So.2d at [1077]*1077250. The deputy may also ask for consent to search the person and the vehicle during a valid traffic stop. See State v. Nash, 957 So.2d 1266, 1266 (Fla. 4th DCA 2007) (citing State v. Johns, 920 So.2d 1156, 1157 (Fla. 2d DCA 2006)).

These principles dictate that the validity of the consent to search provided by Sean Nelson and the searches incident to the canine alerts in the other two cases initially depend on whether the deputies properly stopped each vehicle for a violation of section 316.125. See State v. Kindle, 782 So.2d 971, 973 (Fla. 5th DCA 2001). Thus, the meaning of section 316.125 is determinative in each case. For purposes of clarity of discussion and completeness, we quote section 316.125 in its entirety:

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Bluebook (online)
183 So. 3d 1074, 2015 Fla. App. LEXIS 6843, 2015 WL 2129237, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-nelson-fladistctapp-2015.