United States v. Becker

823 F. Supp. 111, 1993 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 11654, 1993 WL 190623
CourtDistrict Court, W.D. New York
DecidedMay 14, 1993
DocketNo. 92-CR-170S
StatusPublished

This text of 823 F. Supp. 111 (United States v. Becker) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, W.D. New York primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
United States v. Becker, 823 F. Supp. 111, 1993 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 11654, 1993 WL 190623 (W.D.N.Y. 1993).

Opinion

[112]*112ORDER

SKRETNY, District Judge.

Whereas pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 636(b)(l)(A)-(B) and by Order dated November 13, 1992, this Court referred all pretrial proceedings to Magistrate Judge Heck-man for decision and order or report and recommendation; and

Whereas defendant, through counsel, moved to suppress a gun seized from the glove compartment of his vehicle prior to his arrest, as well as a statement made at the station house following his arrest; and

Whereas, on April 19, 1993, Magistrate Judge Heckman filed a report recommending that defendant’s motion to suppress physical evidence and statements be denied; and

Whereas copies of Magistrate Judge Heck-man’s Report and Recommendation were mailed by the Clerk of the Court to counsel for the parties on April 21, 1993 and no objections to the Report and Recommendation have been received from either of the parties within ten (10) days from the date of its service, in accordance with 28 U.S.C. § 636(b)(1)(C) and Local Rule 30(a)(2), and

Whereas, after careful review of the Report and Recommendation, as well as the materials submitted by the parties,

IT HEREBY IS ORDERED, that this Court accepts the Magistrate Judge’s Report and Recommendation in its entirety, including the authorities cited and the reasons given therein, and that defendant’s motion to suppress is DENIED.

FURTHER, that counsel for the parties shall appear before this Court on Tuesday, May 18, 1993 at 9:00 a.m. Part IV, Mahoney State Office Building, 66 Court Street, Buffalo, New York.

SO ORDERED.

REPORT AND RECOMMENDATION

HECKMAN, United States Magistrate Judge.

The Defendant has moved to suppress a gun seized from the glove compartment of his vehicle prior to his arrest, as well as a statement made at the station house following his arrest. This motion was referred to the undersigned for a report and recommendation pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 636(b)(1)(C). For the reasons which follow, Defendant’s motion should be denied.

BACKGROUND

At approximately 2:30 a.m. on January 1, 1991, New York State Troopers Mark Jar-oszewski and William Gibbons were on routine patrol in rural Genesee County in a marked patrol car. Both troopers were in uniform. Trooper Jaroszewski was driving the patrol vehicle and Trooper Gibbons was the passenger. They were headed northbound on Route 98 when they observed an older model pickup truck proceeding southbound on Route 98.

The troopers, utilizing radar, clocked the speed of the oncoming pickup truck at 62 mph. As the pickup truck passed the troopers’ vehicle, Trooper Jaroszewski observed that the driver was a white male, fully bearded. Both troopers observed that the pickup truck did not have any tail lights, stop lights or license plate lights. At that point, Trooper Jaroszewski turned his vehicle around and pursued the truck.

The truck then increased its speed and made a right hand turn onto the entrance ramp toward the westbound lane of Route 20, which intersects Route 98 in that area. The truck did not signal its turn. The troopers followed the vehicle and activated their emergency lights. At this time, the truck made an illegal left hand turn onto the eastbound lane of Route 20, again without signaling. The troopers continued to follow and observed the truck make, a right hand turn back down onto the northbound lane or entrance ramp of the northbound lane of Route 98, again without signaling. The troopers then pulled the vehicle over and parked 10-20 feet behind the truck.

Trooper Jaroszewski exited the police vehicle and approached the driver’s side of the truck. At the same time, Trooper Gibbons activated the high-intensity spot light. Both troopers observed the driver of the truck exchange places with the passenger of the truck. Gibbons then left the vehicle and [113]*113approached the passenger side. As Trooper Jaroszewski approached the vehicle, he noticed that the individual now in the passenger seat of the truck (the former driver of the vehicle) was wearing a cutoff jean jacket and was displaying “the colors of a motorcycle group called the Kingsmen, who are pretty— we are pretty familiar within the Attica area” (Jll).1 He also noticed that the individual in the passenger seat of the truck moved his body down and forward so that his upper torso was momentarily out of sight. Trooper Jaroszewski testified that he “momentarily lost sight of him because he either moved forward or moved down to the area of the floorboards, the floor of the vehicle” (J13).

When the troopers arrived at the vehicle, with Jaroszewski on the driver’s side and Gibbons on the passenger side, they observed the Defendant, James N. Becker, now in the passenger seat and a female, later determined to be Mr. Becker’s wife, to be in the driver’s seat. There was an eight to ten inch hunting knife on the dashboard of the truck. Both troopers testified that they were concerned about their safety, not only because of the presence of the knife, but also because of the furtive movements of the Defendant while in the passenger’s position of the vehicle.

The Defendant and Mrs. Becker were asked to get out of the truck, and they both were patted down. Another knife was found in a sheath on Mr. Becker’s hip.

With Trooper Gibbons watching the two individuals, Trooper Jaroszewski entered the truck and took custody of the large hunting knife on the dashboard. He also looked in the area of the floorboards of the vehicle below where Becker had been seated when Jaroszewski observed him leaning forward. He found the keys to the vehicle. He also opened the unlocked glove compartment, which was immediately in front of the area where the Defendant as a passenger was seated when his movements were observed. In the glove compartment, Jaroszewski found a .25 caliber pistol partially concealed in a work glove.

Trooper Jaroszewski removed the knife, handgun and keys from the vehicle and asked both of the Beckers if they had a permit for the handgun. When they replied that they did not, he informed them that they were under arrest for possession of a weapon.

The Beckers were taken back to the police patrol car and handcuffed. They were advised of their Miranda warnings by Trooper Gibbons. Both acknowledged that they understood their rights.

Both of the Beckers were transported by the troopers to the Batavia state police headquarters. Once back at headquarters, Trooper Jaroszewski advised Defendant of his Miranda warnings. The Defendant acknowledged that he understood the warnings.

After a few minutes in custody, at approximately 4:00 a.m., Mr. Becker requested the opportunity to make a phone call. There was no telephone in the room where Mr. Becker was secured, so Trooper Jaroszewski brought Becker into the patrol room where a telephone was located that he could utilize. Neither Trooper Jaroszewski nor Trooper Gibbons was aware of whom Mr. Becker was calling or for what purpose. Trooper Jarosz-ewski was approximately two to three feet from Mr. Becker during the phone call and Trooper Gibbons was approximately five to ten feet away.

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Bluebook (online)
823 F. Supp. 111, 1993 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 11654, 1993 WL 190623, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/united-states-v-becker-nywd-1993.