State v. Vandevelde

138 P.3d 771, 36 Kan. App. 2d 262, 2006 Kan. App. LEXIS 706
CourtCourt of Appeals of Kansas
DecidedJuly 21, 2006
DocketNo. 94,613
StatusPublished
Cited by6 cases

This text of 138 P.3d 771 (State v. Vandevelde) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Kansas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
State v. Vandevelde, 138 P.3d 771, 36 Kan. App. 2d 262, 2006 Kan. App. LEXIS 706 (kanctapp 2006).

Opinion

Green, J.:

Curt Vandevelde appeals from his convictions for possession of cocaine in violation of K.S.A. 65-4160(a) and failure to use a turn signal in violation of K.S.A. 8-1548(b). Vandevelde’s sole argument on appeal is that the trial court erred in denying his motion to suppress the evidence found during a search of his truck. The trial court determined that the search of Vandevelde’s truck was a valid search incident to a lawful arrest. We disagree with the [264]*264trial court’s ruling. K.S.A. 22-2501 sets forth the following circumstances under which an officer may conduct a valid search incident to a lawful arrest in Kansas: (1) to protect the officer from attack; (2) to prevent the person from escaping; or (3) to discover the fruits, instrumentalities, or evidence of a crime. Because the search of Vandevelde’s truck did not fit within any of the circumstances under K.S.A. 22-2501, it was not justified as a valid search incident to a lawful arrest.

Nevertheless, the State contends that the evidence should not be suppressed because there were exigent circumstances and the officers had probable cause to believe that Vandevelde had purchased and possessed drugs. We determine that the facts known to the officers before the search would not give rise to probable cause to believe that Vandevelde had purchased and possessed drugs. The State also argues that the evidence would have been inevitably discovered during an inventory search of Vandevelde’s truck. Nevertheless, the evidence presented at tire suppression hearing indicated that Vandevelde’s truck was never in lawful police custody and, therefore, was not subject to a lawful inventory search. Based on the evidence presented at the suppression hearing, we determine that tire State failed to show that the search was valid. Accordingly, we reverse and remand with directions that the evidence seized in tire unlawful search should be suppressed.

Vandevelde’s possession conviction in this case stems from events that occurred on the afternoon of August 5, 2003. Topeka Police Officers Jerry Monasmith, Mark Hilt, and one other officer were assigned to the bicycle unit and were watching an apartment complex in the 600 block of southwest Taylor Street on a narcotics complaint. Monasmith characterized the area as a high crime area with gang activity, violent crimes, and open air drug markets. Monasmith explained that an open air drug market is a residential area where individuals can stand outside and purchase drugs. Hilt testified that the narcotics unit had recently executed search warrants at the apartment complex and that two assault rifles and two handguns had been taken during a search.

At approximately 4:30 that afternoon, Monasmith saw Vandevelde go inside the apartment complex and then return to his truck [265]*265a short time later. Vandevelde then drove north on Taylor. Monasmith testified that individuals commonly spend a short period of time at a location where they are purchasing narcotics. The officers became suspicious of Vandevelde because he spent a short period of time inside the apartment complex where they had seen narcotics being sold.

As Vandevelde was leaving the area, the officers followed him and saw him make a right turn without using a turn signal. The officers caught up with Vandevelde within approximately 4 blocks and stopped him for the traffic infraction. Hilt parked his bicycle in front of Vandevelde’s truck. As Hilt was looking at Vandevelde through the front windshield, Hilt saw Vandevelde move his right hand towards the middle of the truck and reach down quickly as if he were trying to retrieve an item. Similarly, Monasmith testified that he saw Vandevelde reach towards the middle of the seat as if he were trying to reach for an item or conceal something.

When Hilt saw Vandevelde make such movements, Hilt started giving Vandevelde verbal commands to place his hands up so that the officers could see them. Hilt testified that he yelled four times quickly, “Put your hands up.” Hilt testified that he then drew his gun because he was concerned that Vandevelde could be reaching for a weapon. Hilt pointed out that Vandevelde had been at the apartment complex where officers had retrieved weapons during an earlier search warrant and that there were many gunshot calls and violent acts that had occurred in that area.

According to Hilt, Vandevelde did not immediately comply with the officers’ commands. After the fourth command for Vandevelde to put his hands up and after Hilt had drawn his gun, Vandevelde placed his hands on the steering wheel. Hilt then ordered Vandevelde out of his truck to arrest him for “city interference” because Vandevelde had failed to comply with the officers’ commands to raise his hands. Vandevelde was placed in a prone position on the ground and handcuffed. Vandevelde was then handed off to another officer who was standing at the back of tire truck.

After Vandevelde was arrested and in the custody of the other officer, Hilt returned to the truck and searched the area where [266]*266Vandevelde had been reaching inside the truck. Hilt found a glass cylinder pipe containing a white rock substance which Hilt identified as rock cocaine. Hilt testified that Vandevelde was searched at the same time that the truck was being searched. On the other hand, Monasmith indicated that before the truck was searched, Vandevelde was searched and placed in the back of a police car.

Vandevelde had no identification with him. The officers discovered that there were two arrest warrants outstanding for Vandevelde in Osage County and Jackson County. Both Monasmith and Hilt indicated that Vandevelde would have been arrested on the outstanding arrest warrants, regardless of whether anything was found in the truck.

Hilt testified that it was standard procedure for officers to remove valuable personal items from a person’s automobile when that person is arrested. When Hilt was questioned about whether he would do an inventory search if the arrested person told him that the automobile was a company truck and would be picked up by the employer, Hilt responded that he would ask die arrested person if there was anything valuable that he or she would want secured. Hilt acknowledged that he never had such a conversation with Vandevelde. Moreover, Hilt indicated that there did not appear to be anything of value in Vandevelde’s truck.

Altiiough Hilt asked Vandevelde what he wanted done with his truck, Hilt could not remember Vandevelde’s response. Hilt remembered that they did not tow Vandevelde’s truck but instead left it at the scene. According to Monasmith, cars were allowed to park on either side of the street in the area where Vandevelde was stopped. Vandevelde testified that he told the officer in the patrol car that his father would come and get the truck. When Vandevelde got to the police station, he called his father to get the truck. Vandevelde’s father came to the police station to pick up the key to the truck.

Vandevelde was charged with possession of cocaine and failure to use a turn signal. Before trial, Vandevelde moved to suppress the evidence seized from his truck.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
138 P.3d 771, 36 Kan. App. 2d 262, 2006 Kan. App. LEXIS 706, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-vandevelde-kanctapp-2006.