State v. Strandness

684 N.W.2d 516, 2004 Minn. App. LEXIS 892, 2004 WL 1728520
CourtCourt of Appeals of Minnesota
DecidedAugust 3, 2004
DocketNo. A03-1863
StatusPublished

This text of 684 N.W.2d 516 (State v. Strandness) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Minnesota primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
State v. Strandness, 684 N.W.2d 516, 2004 Minn. App. LEXIS 892, 2004 WL 1728520 (Mich. Ct. App. 2004).

Opinion

[518]*518OPINION

WILLIS, Judge.

Respondent motorcyclist moved to suppress evidence of his intoxication and to dismiss charges of fourth-degree DWI, arguing that the officer who stopped him had no reasonable, articulable suspicion that respondent was involved in criminal activity because respondent’s right turn against a red traffic light and a sign prohibiting right turns on a red light was “appropriate and within the parameters of the law.” The district court granted respondent’s motion. Because we conclude that the affirmative defense that respondent relies on applies only after a motorcyclist has been charged with failing to obey the instructions of an official traffic-control device and that the officer who stopped respondent had a reasonable, articulable suspicion that respondent was engaged in criminal activity, we reverse and remand.

FACTS

At approximately 11:00 p.m. on September 8, 2003, Officer Andrew Landon of the Richfield Police Department observed respondent Randy Bruce Strandness drive a motorcycle out of a parking lot near the intersection of 62nd Street and Nicollet Avenue South. Strandness proceeded north on Nicollet Avenue and stopped at a red light at the intersection of Nicollet and 60th Street. Traffic in all four directions at the intersection was controlled by traffic lights, and there was a “no right turn on red” sign for traffic northbound on Nicol-let. Strandness stopped at the intersection, waited approximately ten seconds, and then turned right against the red traffic light and proceeded east on 60th Street. Officer Landon stopped Strandness for making a right turn against a red light at an intersection marked “no right turn on red.” Strandness exhibited signs of intoxication and was subsequently arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol and driving with an alcohol concentration of .10 or more, in violation of Minn.Stat. § 169A.20, subds. 1(1), (5) (2002).

Strandness moved at his Rasmussen hearing to suppress all evidence obtained as a result of the traffic stop and to dismiss the charges. Strandness argued that the case was controlled by Minn.Stat. § 169.06, subd. 9, which provides motorcyclists with an affirmative defense to failing to obey the instructions of an official traffic-control device under certain circumstances. He argued further that because all of the conditions described in the statute were met, “a violation did not occur” and that, therefore, Officer Landon had no reasonable, articulable suspicion of criminal activity. The district court concluded that Strandness had waited a “reasonable amount of time” with “due regard to traffic conditions” before turning against the red light and the no-right-turn-on-red sign and that Officer Landon “lacked articulable reason” to stop Strandness. The court also concluded that when Strandness raised the affirmative defense “the burden shifted to the State to disprove the defense” and that the state failed to meet that burden. This appeal follows.

ISSUES

1. Does Minn.Stat. § 169.06, subd. 9, provide an affirmative defense for motorcyclists charged with failing to obey the instructions of an official traffic-control device, or is it an exclusion for motorcyclists from the requirement of Minn.Stat. 169.06, subd. 4, that the driver of any vehicle obey such instructions?

2. Which party has the burden of proof regarding the elements of the affirmative defense described in Minn.Stat. § 169.06, subd. 9?

[519]*519ANALYSIS

I.

The state argues that because Officer Landon observed Strandness turn right on red at an intersection marked “no right turn on red,” Landon had a reasonable, articulable suspicion that Strandness was involved in criminal activity. Therefore, the state argues, the traffic stop was lawful, and the district court erred by suppressing evidence of the DWI violation and dismissing the charges against Strandness.

On appeal from a pretrial order suppressing evidence, the state must clearly and unequivocally show both that the district court’s order will have a critical impact on the state’s ability to successfully prosecute the defendant and that the order constituted error. State v. Scott, 584 N.W.2d 412, 416 (Minn.1998). “[T]he critical impact of the suppression must be first determined before deciding whether the suppression order was made in error.” Id. “Critical impact is met when the suppression of the evidence significantly reduces the likelihood of a successful prosecution.” In re Welfare of L.E.P., 594 N.W.2d 163, 168 (Minn.1999). Because the district court dismissed all charges against Strandness after the evidence was suppressed, the critical-impact requirement is met.

In reviewing a pre-trial order suppressing evidence when, as here, the facts are not in dispute, we independently review the facts and determine, as a matter of law, whether the district court erred by suppressing the evidence. State v. Othoudt, 482 N.W.2d 218, 221 (Minn.1992). “The correct approach in a case where the facts are not significantly in dispute is to simply analyze the testimony of the officers and determine if ... the officers were justified ... in doing what they did.” State v. Storvick, 428 N.W.2d 55, 58 n. 1 (Minn.1988).

The Fourth Amendment to the United States Constitution governs investigative stops. State v. George, 557 N.W.2d 575, 578 (Minn.1997). An investigatory traffic stop is lawful if the police officer has a reasonable, articulable suspicion that the person stopped is engaged in criminal activity. State v. Munson, 594 N.W.2d 128, 136 (Minn.1999) (citing Terry v. Ohio, 392 U.S. 1, 20-22, 88 S.Ct. 1868, 1879-80, 20 L.Ed.2d 889 (1968)). The officer must have objective support for his suspicion. State v. Johnson, 444 N.W.2d 824, 825-26 (Minn.1989). “Ordinarily, if an officer observes a violation of a traffic law, however insignificant, the officer has an objective basis for stopping the vehicle.” George, 557 N.W.2d at 578. If an officer makes a lawful stop, any evidence that comes to his attention, even if the evidence is of a crime different from the crime for which the initial stop was made, is admissible at trial. State v. Vivier, 453 N.W.2d 713, 717 (Minn.App.1990).

Officer Landon testified that (1) the sign prohibiting right turns on a red light for northbound traffic at the intersection of Nicollet Avenue and 60th Street was in place and clearly visible on the night in question, (2) he observed Strandness stop at the red light for northbound traffic, wait approximately ten seconds, and then turn right while the light was still red, and (3) the reason he stopped Strandness was that Strandness had turned right on red against the no-right-turn-on-red sign. Under Minnesota law, “the driver of any vehicle shall obey the instructions of any official traffic-control device.” Minn. Stat. § 169.06, subd. 4.

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Related

Terry v. Ohio
392 U.S. 1 (Supreme Court, 1968)
Ashcroft v. Free Speech Coalition
535 U.S. 234 (Supreme Court, 2002)
State v. Scott
584 N.W.2d 412 (Supreme Court of Minnesota, 1998)
Homart Development Co. v. County of Hennepin
538 N.W.2d 907 (Supreme Court of Minnesota, 1995)
State v. Kramer
668 N.W.2d 32 (Court of Appeals of Minnesota, 2003)
State v. Vivier
453 N.W.2d 713 (Court of Appeals of Minnesota, 1990)
State v. Storvick
428 N.W.2d 55 (Supreme Court of Minnesota, 1988)
In Re the Welfare of L.E.P.
594 N.W.2d 163 (Supreme Court of Minnesota, 1999)
State v. Munson
594 N.W.2d 128 (Supreme Court of Minnesota, 1999)
State v. Othoudt
482 N.W.2d 218 (Supreme Court of Minnesota, 1992)
State v. Johnson
444 N.W.2d 824 (Supreme Court of Minnesota, 1989)
State v. George
557 N.W.2d 575 (Supreme Court of Minnesota, 1997)

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Bluebook (online)
684 N.W.2d 516, 2004 Minn. App. LEXIS 892, 2004 WL 1728520, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-strandness-minnctapp-2004.