Traylor v. State

817 N.E.2d 611, 2004 Ind. App. LEXIS 2229, 2004 WL 2535427
CourtIndiana Court of Appeals
DecidedNovember 10, 2004
Docket63A04-0309-CR-466
StatusPublished
Cited by40 cases

This text of 817 N.E.2d 611 (Traylor v. State) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Indiana Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Traylor v. State, 817 N.E.2d 611, 2004 Ind. App. LEXIS 2229, 2004 WL 2535427 (Ind. Ct. App. 2004).

Opinion

OPINION

ROBB, Judge.

Jason Traylor was found guilty by a jury and convicted of dealing (manufacturing) *614 in methamphetamine over three grams, a Class A felony, possession of methamphetamine over three grams, a Class C felony, and visiting a common nuisance, a Class B misdemeanor. The trial court sentenced him to forty years for the Class A felony conviction, six years for the Class C felony conviction, and 180 days for the Class B misdemeanor, sentences to be served concurrently. Traylor appeals his convictions and sentences. We affirm in part and remand. '

Issues

Traylor raises six issues for our review, which we expand and restate as the following:

1. Whether the trial court properly admitted evidence of the items found on the Erlingers' property;
2. Whether Traylor was denied his right to present a defense;
3. Whether the State presented sufficient evidence to support Traylor's convictions;
4. Whether the trial court properly sentenced Traylor;
5. Whether the trial court properly imposed a drug fee against Traylor;
6. Whether the trial court properly applied Traylor's bond to satisfy his fines, costs, and fees imposed; and
7. Whether the trial court properly revoked Traylor's bond.

Facts and Procedural History

In the early morning of March 2, 2008, Pike County Sheriff's Deputy Brad Jenkins received an anonymous tip concerning a strong odor of ether near "Camp's curve" in Velpen, Indiana. Deputy Jenkins drove to the area and noticed a strong odor of ether and a slight odor of anhydrous ammonia coming from the direction of a mobile home owned by Paul and Gin-nie Erlinger. Based on his training and experience, Deputy Jenkins knew that ether and anhydrous ammonia are two chemicals commonly used in the manufacturing of methamphetamine.

Deputy Jenkins called for assistance. Indiana State Police Troopers Bill Gadber-ry, Tim Weisenberger, and Matt Haywood, along with Petersburg Police Department Sergeant Chad McClellan, responded to Deputy Jenkins's call for assistance. Once they arrived, Deputy Jenkins and Trooper Gadberry approached the front door of the Erlingers' residence, and the other officers proceeded to the back door of the residence. As they were doing so, Ginnie Erlinger came to the front door and asked who was there. As Trooper Gadberry identified himself, one of the officers at the back door of the residence advised Deputy Jenkins that he saw an HCl generator 1 sitting on a gas grill by the back door.

Deputy Jenkins proceeded to the back door of the mobile home and saw the HCl generator. He also detected an odor of anhydrous ammonia coming from an outbuilding behind the mobile home. The officers arrested everyone present at the residence that evening, which included Traylor, Ginnie and Paul Erlinger, and Crystal Freeman. The officers subsequently obtained a search warrant for the Erlingers' property.

The State charged Traylor with dealing (manufacturing) in methamphetamine over *615 three grams, possession of methamphetamine over three grams, possession of anhydrous ammonia with intent to manufacture methamphetamine, possession of two or more chemical agents or precursors with the intent to manufacture methamphetamine, illegal storage of anhydrous ammonia, and visiting a common nuisance. Traylor moved to suppress all evidence against him, alleging that the search was unconstitutional under both the Federal and Indiana Constitutions. After a hearing, the trial court denied Traylor's motion.

Traylor was subsequently found guilty by a jury and convicted of dealing (manufacturing) in methamphetamine over three grams as a Class A felony, possession of methamphetamine over three grams as a Class C felony, and visiting a common nuisance as a Class B misdemeanor. The trial court sentenced him to forty years for the Class A felony conviction, six years for the Class C felony conviction, and 180 days for the Class B misdemeanor conviction, all sentences to be served concurrently. Additionally, the trial court imposed a $10,000 fine and required Traylor to pay a $1,000 drug fee. This appeal ensued. Additional facts will be provided as necessary.

Discussion and Decision

I. Admission of Evidence

Traylor initially contends the trial court erred in admitting all evidence against him because the officers' warrant-less entry into the Erlingers' backyard and residence violated both the Fourth Amendment to the United States Constitution and Article I, Section 11 of the Indiana Constitution. We disagree.

A. Standard of Review

The admission or exclusion of evidence is a matter within the trial court's discretion, and we will reverse only upon an abuse of that discretion. Greenboam v. State, 766 N.E.2d 1247, 1250 (Ind.Ct.App.2002), trans. denied. An abuse of that discretion occurs if a trial court's decision is clearly against the logic and effect of the facts and cireumstances before the court. Joyner v. State, 678 N.E.2d 386, 390 (Ind.1997).

B. Warrantless Entry

In analyzing this issue under the Fourth Amendment, we look to whether a person has a constitutionally-protected reasonable expectation of privacy. Bennett v. State, 787 N.E.2d 938, 944 (Ind.Ct.App.2008), trans. denied (quoting Shultz v. State, 742 NE2d 961, 964 (Ind.Ct.App.2001), trams. demied ). When police officers come onto private property to conduct an investigation or for some other legitimate purpose, and they restrict their movements to places visitors could be expected to go, such as walkways, driveways, or porches, observations made from such vantage points are not protected under the Fourth Amendment. Id.

Despite the fact that the text of Article I, Section 11 is nearly identical to the Fourth Amendment, Indiana courts interpret and apply it independently from Fourth Amendment jurisprudence. Winebrenner v. State, 790 N.E.2d 1037, 1041 (Ind.Ct.App.2003). In deciding whether a warrantless search and seizure violates Article I, Section 11, we must determine whether, under the totality of the cireum-stances, the warrantless search was reasonable. Scott v. State, 775 N.E.2d 1207, 1211 (Ind.Ct.App.2002), trans. denied.

In VanWinkle v. State, 764 N.E.2d 258 (Ind.Ct.App.2002), trans. denied, an officer received three phone calls reporting a strong odor of ether emanating from a resident's mobile home. On the day of the third call, another officer investigated the report by driving by the resident's mobile *616 home.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

Monroe Laterrio Bell v. State
Court of Appeals of Texas, 2017
Ronald Weaver v. State of Indiana (mem. dec.)
Indiana Court of Appeals, 2016
Jeremy Ryan v. State of Indiana (mem. dec.)
Indiana Court of Appeals, 2015
Joseph K. Buelna v. State of Indiana
20 N.E.3d 137 (Indiana Supreme Court, 2014)
J.K. v. State of Indiana
8 N.E.3d 222 (Indiana Court of Appeals, 2014)
Joseph K. Buelna v. State of Indiana
Indiana Court of Appeals, 2014
Christopher Peelman v. State of Indiana
Indiana Court of Appeals, 2013
Richard Young v. State of Indiana
Indiana Court of Appeals, 2013
Jonathan Reiner v. State of Indiana
Indiana Court of Appeals, 2013
Ivan Gonzalez v. State of Indiana
Indiana Court of Appeals, 2013
Decarlos Connell v. State of Indiana
Indiana Court of Appeals, 2012
Jerry Vanzyll v. State of Indiana
978 N.E.2d 511 (Indiana Court of Appeals, 2012)
Eldon E. Harmon v. State of Indiana
971 N.E.2d 674 (Indiana Court of Appeals, 2012)
Hundley v. State
951 N.E.2d 575 (Indiana Court of Appeals, 2011)
United States v. Bullock
632 F.3d 1004 (Seventh Circuit, 2011)
Halferty v. State
930 N.E.2d 1149 (Indiana Court of Appeals, 2010)
Brown v. State
913 N.E.2d 1253 (Indiana Court of Appeals, 2009)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
817 N.E.2d 611, 2004 Ind. App. LEXIS 2229, 2004 WL 2535427, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/traylor-v-state-indctapp-2004.