United States v. Argueta-Mejia

166 F. Supp. 3d 1216, 2014 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 185444
CourtDistrict Court, D. Colorado
DecidedMay 27, 2014
DocketCriminal Action No. 13-cr-0379-WJM
StatusPublished

This text of 166 F. Supp. 3d 1216 (United States v. Argueta-Mejia) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, D. Colorado primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
United States v. Argueta-Mejia, 166 F. Supp. 3d 1216, 2014 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 185444 (D. Colo. 2014).

Opinion

ORDER GRANTING DEFENDANT’S MOTION TO SUPPRESS

William J. Martinez, United States District Judge

Defendant Ulises Argueta-Mejia is charged in a one-count Indictment with unlawful re-entry in violation of 8 U.S.C. § 1326(a), and is subject to an enhanced penalty pursuant to § 1326(b)(2) because his prior deportation was subsequent to a conviction for an aggravated felony offense. (ECF No. 1.) On December 19, 2013, Defendant filed a Motion to Suppress Evidence and Statements (“Motion”). (ECF No. 18.) The Court held an eviden-tiary hearing on April 18, 2014, and supplemental briefs were filed thereafter. (ECF Nos. 34, 36 & 39.) For the reasons set forth belpw, the Motion is granted.

I. LEGAL STANDARD

The Fourth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution provides, in relevant part, that “[t]he right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated.” However, “[t]he Amendment says nothing about suppressing evidence obtained in violation of this command. That rule-the exclusionary rule-is a prudential doctrine created by th[e Supreme] Court to compel respect for the constitutional guaranty.” Davis v. United States, 564 U.S. 229, 131 S.Ct. 2419, 2426, 180 L.Ed.2d 285 (2011) (internal citations and quotation marks omitted). Pursuant to the exclusionary rule, a defendant may move for suppression of evidence obtained in violation of the Fourth Amendment. Id.

As will be more fully discussed below, it is undisputed that Denver Police Officer Martin Tritschler did not have a warrant when he initially stopped the Defendant. On a motion to suppress evidence obtained during a warrantless seizure, the Government bears the burden of proving the reasonableness of the seizure. See, e.g., United States v. Maestas, 2 F.3d 1485, 1491 (10th Cir.1993) (“As a general matter, if the search or seizure was pursuant to a warrant, the defendant has the burden of proof; but if the police acted without a warrant the burden of proof is on the prosecution.... [Thus,] when the defendant challenges q warrantless search or seizure the government carries the burden of justifying the agents’ actions.”) (internal quotations omitted); see also United States v. Herrera, 444 F.3d 1238, 1242 (10th Cir.2006); United States v. Bute, 43 F.3d 531, 534 (10th Cir.1994); United States v. Finefrock, 668 F.2d 1168, 1170 (10th Cir.1982). Thus, the Government bears the burden of proving the reasonableness of the seizure in this case.

II. FACTUAL AND PROCEDURAL BACKGROUND

This case arises out of a traffic stop on September 4, 2013, following which the Defendant was identified as being in the United States unlawfully. (ECF No. 18.) At the suppression hearing, the following witnesses testified: (1) Denver Police Department Officer Martin Tritschler, (2) Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (“ICE”) Agent Guadalupe Rodriguez, and (3) Defendant Ulises Argueta. In this sec[1219]*1219tion, the Court will summarize the testimony of these witnesses. The Court’s findings regarding the witnesses’ credibility will be set forth in the analysis section.

A. Officer Tritschler

Officer Martin Tritschler is a 20-year veteran of the Denver Police Department and is currently assigned to the gang unit. On September 4, 2013, he was on patrol in a marked police cruiser. Right around midnight, Officer Tritschler was driving eastbound on 38th Street and stopped at a red light at the intersection of 38th Street and Federal Boulevard. He was in the lane closest to the left turn lane.

As the light turned green for the left turn lane, Officer Tritschler noticed that one of the vehicles did not have its left turn signal activated, despite the law requiring the driver to do so. Officer Tritschler also observed that the same vehicle turned into the outside lane on Federal Boulevard, rather than the inside lane (as required by law). Based on these traffic infractions, Officer Tritschler initiated a traffic stop. He pulled his cruiser behind the vehicle and turned on his lights and sirens. The vehicle pulled to the side of the road, and Officer Tritschler ran the vehicle’s license plates through his Mobile Data Terminal (MBT), which is essentially a laptop mounted in his police cruiser. The MBT did not return any warrants for the vehicle.

Officer Tritschler then approached the vehicle and obtained a driver’s license, insurance, and registration from the driver. He confirmed that the individual on the license, Ulises Argueta, was the same person as the driver, and returned to his cruiser to run the license through the MBT.1 Officer Tritschler received a “hit” on Mr. Argueta’s license from the National Crime Information Center (“NCIC”) database stating: “SUBJECT OF NIC/N420453406 IS A PREVIOUSLY DEPORTED FELON. CONTACT LESC AT (877) 999-5372 FOR IMMEDIATE HIT CONFIRMATION AND AVAILABILITY OF BUREAU OF IMMIGRATION AND CUSTOMS ENFORCEMENT DETAINER.” (Gov’t Ex. 3.) Officer Tritschler then went back to the Defendant’s vehicle and asked for his social security number to ensure that the Defendant was the actual person named in the NCIC hit. The social security number provided by the Defendant matched the information in the hit.

Officer Tritschler then called the number listed in the hit to see if ICE wanted him to detain the Defendant. ICE asked Officer Tritschler to hold the Defendant, so Officer Tritschler placed the Defendant under arrest. Officer Tritschler testified that, per Denver Police Department’s policy, officers are not permitted to arrest individuals if the only charge is an immigration violation. Therefore, the only reason Officer Tritschler arrested the Defendant was because of the NCIC hit and ICE’s instruction that the Defendant should be detained. He testified that the traffic infractions that were the reason for his traffic stop were not severe enough to merit an arrest. Had there been no NCIC hit, or if ICE would not have wanted the Defendant detained, Officer Tritschler would have let the Defendant go with a warning.

Once the Defendant was arrested, Officer Tritschler transported him to the Denver Police Department substation at 47th and Pecos. Officer Tritschler testified [1220]*1220that the substation was about a five minute drive from the site of the traffic stop, and that ICE officials arrived at the substation almost immediately after Officer Tritschler and the Defendant arrived. Officer Tritschler turned Defendant over to the ICE officials and went back out on patrol. He never issued a citation to the Defendant for failure to signal a turn or turning into the outside lane- because he assumed the Defendant was going to face felony immigration charges so he did not see any point in issuing a traffic ticket. Officer Tritschler testified that, because he did not issue a citation or warning, the only record of this stop would have been in his log book, which is a log of what he does on patrol each day.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
166 F. Supp. 3d 1216, 2014 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 185444, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/united-states-v-argueta-mejia-cod-2014.