State v. Westerfield

1997 SD 100, 567 N.W.2d 863, 1997 S.D. LEXIS 101
CourtSouth Dakota Supreme Court
DecidedAugust 6, 1997
DocketNone
StatusPublished
Cited by18 cases

This text of 1997 SD 100 (State v. Westerfield) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering South Dakota 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. Westerfield, 1997 SD 100, 567 N.W.2d 863, 1997 S.D. LEXIS 101 (S.D. 1997).

Opinion

KONENKAMP, Justice.

[¶ 1.] Jevon Westerfield engaged juveniles and others in a marijuana distribution *865 scheme in the Black Hills area. In his appeal from convictions for distribution, conspiracy, and possession, we review several issues, including standing to challenge the search of a friend’s apartment, purported vouching for witnesses by the prosecutor, and the court’s order to disclose defense investigator interviews with State witnesses. We conclude Westerfield had no standing, the State never vouched for its witnesses, and although the court violated the statute in ordering discovery of defense interviews, the State’s other evidence was so overwhelming we deem the error not prejudicial and affirm.

Facts

[¶ 2.] On November 14, 1995, Officer Kevin Klunder of the Spearfish Police Department responded to a complaint of a marijuana odor emanating from an apartment on Ames Street. Upon knocking, Klunder was greeted at the door by Kara Taylor, the tenant. Klunder smelled a strong odor of marijuana coming from inside. He then saw Wester-field walk toward a bedroom in the back of the apartment and, fearing for his own safety, Klunder followed. Westerfield quickly reemerged from the room. Klunder patted him down for weapons and found nothing. Glancing in the room Westerfield had just left, Klunder saw the window curtain, which had been closed before Westerfield had entered, was now open. He entered the room, looked out the window and saw a black shoe box on the ground. He concluded the box probably contained marijuana.

[¶ 3.] As Klunder left the bedroom, Wes-terfield ran from the apartment. He commanded him to stop and “leave the dope alone,” but Westerfield continued to flee. Klunder pursued him unsuccessfully, then returned to seize the shoe box. He opened the lid and found another box inside, as well as a green, leafy substance on the lid of the second box. Deciding not to immediately open the interior lid, he brought the box into the apartment and laid it on the living room floor. He then asked Taylor for permission to search the apartment. She refused.

[¶ 4.] Klunder allowed two other people in the living room to leave. Another police officer arrived, and the two made a protective sweep of the apartment. During their search, they found C.S., a minor, hiding in a bedroom closet. Taylor and C.S. were taken to the police station, at which time Taylor verified the marijuana belonged to Wester-field. Search warrants were obtained for Taylor’s apartment and car and Westerfield’s apartment. With a warrant, the shoe box was searched, revealing thirty-three individually packaged quarter-ounce baggies of marijuana and also some loose marijuana in the box, totaling 6.91 ounces. Westerfield’s word processor was also seized in Taylor’s apartment; it contained several incriminating records, including distribution agreements, information sheets, billing and possession logs. 1

[¶ 5.] Exposed through these events was a marijuana distribution scheme, involving juveniles and others, in the Black Hills area. Many of the witnesses who later testified for the State had been participants with Wester-field, but were granted use immunity or plea agreements in exchange for their cooperation. The State’s evidence revealed that in October 1995, Westerfield collected between $900 and $1000 from A.R., S.S., Donovan Derek, and David Johnson. Westerfield then traveled to Denver with J.I., another juvenile participant, where he used the money to purchase a pound of marijuana. On the way home, J.I. and Westerfield smoked a portion of it. When they reached Spearfish, they went to Taylor’s apartment, where Wester-field gave A.R. and S.S. marijuana to smoke. The next day, he also provided S.S. and J.I. with ten bags of marijuana for them to sell. Eventually, the pound of marijuana obtained in October was expended. In November, Westerfield collected approximately $850 from Johnson and Taylor for another Denver trip. While there, he bought a pound, divided and packaged individual portions, and put them in the shoe box later recovered during the incident in Taylor’s apartment.

[¶ 6.] Westerfield was convicted of five counts of Distribution of Marijuana to a Mi *866 nor (SDCL 22-42-7), one count of Conspiracy to Distribute More than One Pound of Marijuana (SDCL 22-42-7 and 22-3-8), and one count of Possession of Marijuana Less than One-Half Pound (SDCL 22-42-6). He appeals on multiple assignments of error, ' three of which merit discussion: (1) Did the trial court abuse its discretion when it denied Westerfield’s motion to suppress evidence? (2) Was there error in allowing witnesses to state their plea bargains involved the promise of truthful testimony? (3) Did the trial court abuse its discretion in ordering full reciprocal discovery? 2

Analysis and Decision

[¶ 7.] 1. Standing — Warrantless Entry to Home

[¶ 8.] Westerfield moved to suppress the evidence seized, asserting violations of his state and federal constitutional rights. The trial court denied the motion, a ruling we examine under an abuse of discretion standard. State v. Anderson, 1996 SD 59, ¶ 8, 548 N.W.2d 40, 42 (citing State v. Ramirez, 535 N.W.2d 847, 848 (S.D.1995); State v. Smith, 477 N.W.2d 27, 31 (S.D.1991); State v. Zachodni 466 N.W.2d 624, 630 (S.D.1991)). “The ultimate decision of the trial court on suppression will be affirmed unless the defendant can demonstrate that such discretion has been exercised to an end or purpose not justified by, and clearly against, reason and evidence.” State v. Shearer, 1996 SD 52, ¶ 12, 548 N.W.2d 792, 795 (quoting State v. Fountain, 534 N.W.2d 859, 863 (S.D.1995)). A trial court’s factual findings are reviewed under the clearly erroneous standard. State v. Stetter, 513 N.W.2d 87, 91 (S.D.1994); State v. Corder, 460 N.W.2d 733, 736 (S.D.1990).

[¶ 9.] Westerfield argues Blunder’s warrantless entry into the bedroom and his observation of the shoe box Westerfield threw out the window constitute an unconstitutional search under the Fourth Amendment to the United States Constitution and Article VI,. Section 11 of the South Dakota Constitution. Warrantless searches may be legitimated only by probable cause and exigent circumstances. Segura v. United States, 468 U.S. 796, 812, 104 S.Ct. 3380, 3389, 82 L.Ed.2d 599, 613 (1984); State v. Johnson, 509 N.W.2d 681, 685 (S.D.1993) (citation omitted). Yet, the threshold question when considering a search and seizure issue is whether the person asserting a constitutional infringement has a reasonable expectation of privacy in the place searched. State v. Thomale, 317 N.W.2d 147, 149 (S.D.1982). As constitutional rights are personal, they can only be maintained by defendants having standing. Rawlings v. Kentucky,

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
1997 SD 100, 567 N.W.2d 863, 1997 S.D. LEXIS 101, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-westerfield-sd-1997.