United States v. Cesere Gorson Crawford

294 F. App'x 466
CourtCourt of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit
DecidedSeptember 19, 2008
Docket08-10240
StatusUnpublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 294 F. App'x 466 (United States v. Cesere Gorson Crawford) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
United States v. Cesere Gorson Crawford, 294 F. App'x 466 (11th Cir. 2008).

Opinion

PER CURIAM:

Cesere Crawford appeals his conviction and 120-month sentence for being a felon in possession of firearms, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(1). After review, we affirm.

*468 I. BACKGROUND

A. Crawford’s Arrest

At the suppression hearing and trial, Sandy Springs Police Officer Michael De-wald testified to these events. Crawford was driving on 1-285 at approximately 1:50 a.m. when he was pulled over by Officer Dewald. As Crawford’s car passed, Officer Dewald noticed that the registration light on Crawford’s car was out, which is a traffic violation, and that the car swerved from lane to lane. Officer Dewald followed Crawford’s car and saw the car make an abrupt lane change to exit the highway, almost driving off the road. De-wald initiated a traffic stop, and Crawford pulled his car into a parking lot, but did not stop in a parking space. Dewald pulled his police cruiser in behind Crawford’s car at a ninety degree angle.

When Dewald asked for Crawford’s driver’s license and valid proof of insurance, he noticed that Crawford appeared unusually nervous and was sweating profusely and his carotid artery was beating at a high rate. Based on these observations, Dewald suspected that criminal activity was afoot.

Crawford handed his insurance documentation to Dewald, but acted like he did not have his driver’s license. Dewald noticed that Crawford’s hand was trembling. Dewald asked Crawford to exit the car and go between the two cars. At this point, Dewald asked Crawford if there were any weapons in his car or on his person. Crawford responded, “I do not have anything on me. But any guns in the car are not mine. It’s not my car.” Dewald asked Crawford for his driver’s license, and Crawford said his license probably was suspended for tickets. Crawford began to look around, which suggested to Dewald that Crawford might try to run. Dewald again asked about any firearms or weapons, and Crawford stated, “[W]ell not to my knowledge and, like I said, the car, it’s not mine. Because the guy who owns it, the guy who owns the car hunts.” Crawford’s statement indicated to Dewald that there were firearms in the car, but Crawford was disclaiming any interest in them.

Dewald obtained Crawford’s name and date of birth, which Dewald relayed to a radio operator. The radio operator reported that Crawford’s license was suspended. Dewald then placed Crawford under arrest for driving with a suspended license. A search of Crawford’s person revealed a Georgia state correctional photo identification card with Crawford’s name on it. Dewald placed Crawford in his police cruiser and contacted the radio operator and requested a wrecker to impound Crawford’s car. Dewald impounded the car because Crawford had been arrested, the registered owner was not present to take control of the car and Dewald could not leave the car in the middle of the parking lot.

While waiting for the wrecker to arrive, Dewald conducted an inventory search of the car and completed the police department’s inventory forms. In the passenger compartment, Dewald found seven cellular telephones. In the trunk, Dewald found three firearms, two ski masks, eight sets of flex-cuffs and black battle dress uniform pants, which were partially covering the firearms. These pants were military style and had cargo pockets. The firearms were a Ruger .44 Super Blackhawk loaded with five rounds, a Smith & Wesson .38 Special loaded with four rounds and a Smith & Wesson .32 Long loaded with two rounds. After retrieving the firearms, De-wald ran a criminal history check on Crawford and determined that he was a convicted felon. Dewald did not read Crawford his Miranda rights at the scene.

*469 B. Motions to Suppress

Prior to trial, Crawford filed motions to suppress (1) his pre-arrest statements made to Officer Dewald because they were made without a Miranda warning; and (2) the fruits of Officer Dewald’s inventory search, arguing the search was pretext for an investigation. Crawford also moved to dismiss his indictment, arguing that § 922(g) was facially unconstitutional because it did not contain as a jurisdictional element a connection between the firearms and interstate commerce.

After the suppression hearing, the magistrate judge’s report (“R & R”) recommended denial of the motions to suppress. The magistrate judge concluded that (1) Dewald’s questioning of Crawford during the routine traffic stop did not require a Miranda warning and was justified to protect his own safety; and (2) the firearms were found pursuant to a lawful inventory search consistent with the Sandy Springs Police Department’s policy. Alternatively, the magistrate judge concluded Dewald had probable cause to search Crawford’s car. Finally, the magistrate judge, citing this Court’s binding precedent upholding the constitutionality of § 922(g) under the Commerce Clause, recommended denying Crawford’s motion to dismiss the indictment. Over Crawford’s objections, the district court adopted the R & R and denied Crawford’s motions to suppress and to dismiss the indictment.

C. Trial

At trial, Dewald again testified about the above events during Crawford’s arrest. Dewald also testified that the firearms found in the trunk of Crawford’s car were not hunting weapons.

Johnny Wyatt owned the car Crawford was driving. At trial, Wyatt testified he had purchased the car for his daughter, Yaka Wyatt, who was Crawford’s girlfriend. According to Wyatt, he last drove the car on July 6, 2006, less than two weeks before Crawford’s arrest and had not seen any firearms in the trunk at that time or at any other time. Wyatt did not own any firearms, did not hunt and never told anyone that he was a hunter. The pants found in the trunk did not belong to Wyatt. On cross-examination, Wyatt admitted that he did not know if people other than Crawford had driven the car, did not see Crawford place the firearms in the trunk of the car and did not know how the firearms got into the trunk of the car.

Yaka Wyatt also testified and explained she had been dating Crawford since July 2006 and he was the father of her children. Yaka kept the car at her home, locked, and no one else had access to it. Yaka explained that the only time Crawford drove the car was on July 14, 2006, the night he was arrested. According to Yaka, she gave Crawford the car on July 13 so he could pick her up on July 14 and drive her to a medical appointment. Yaka had not driven the car in the week prior to July 14. The last time Yaka drove the car, she did not look inside the trunk; however, the last time she looked in the trunk, she did not see any firearms. Yaka also does not own any firearms or hunt. Yaka had never seen the firearms found in the trunk of her car and did not know where they came from. Yaka never saw Crawford with firearms. Crawford’s last job was as a security officer, for which he would wear black cargo pants resembling those found in the trunk of her car with the firearms.

The government called two expert witnesses over Crawford’s objection.

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Bluebook (online)
294 F. App'x 466, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/united-states-v-cesere-gorson-crawford-ca11-2008.