United States v. Ockert

CourtCourt of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit
DecidedOctober 5, 2020
Docket19-3049
StatusUnpublished

This text of United States v. Ockert (United States v. Ockert) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals for the Tenth 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. Ockert, (10th Cir. 2020).

Opinion

FILED United States Court of Appeals UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS Tenth Circuit

FOR THE TENTH CIRCUIT October 5, 2020 _________________________________ Christopher M. Wolpert Clerk of Court UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,

Plaintiff - Appellee,

v. No. 19-3049 (D.C. No. 6:17-CR-10151-EFM-1) TERRY LEE OCKERT, JR., (D. Kan.)

Defendant - Appellant. _________________________________

ORDER AND JUDGMENT * _________________________________

Before LUCERO, HOLMES, and EID, Circuit Judges. _________________________________

Defendant-Appellant Terry Ockert appeals the district court’s denial of his

motion to suppress evidence seized from his car during a traffic stop. He contends

that the police officer did not have the requisite reasonable suspicion to pull him over

and initiate the traffic stop in the first place. He also argues that the plain view

doctrine did not justify the subsequent search of his car because the officers on scene

lacked lawful access to the vehicle. Exercising jurisdiction pursuant to 28 U.S.C.

§ 1291, we affirm the district court’s judgment.

* This order and judgment is not binding precedent, except under the doctrines of law of the case, res judicata, and collateral estoppel. It may be cited, however, for its persuasive value consistent with Fed. R. App. P. 32.1 and 10th Cir. R. 32.1. I.

At around 1:00 a.m. on June 18, 2017, Officer Dailey was driving on a two-

lane road and witnessed Terry Ockert’s vehicle—which was roughly 1,000 feet ahead

of his patrol car—veer to the left so much that it appeared to cross over into the on-

coming lane of traffic. To catch up to Ockert, Officer Dailey increased his speed to

69 mph (the speed limit was 45 mph), then slowed to 63 mph, then slowed to 55 mph,

which was the speed at which Ockert was driving. Ockert then veered into the lane

of oncoming traffic again for about three seconds.

Ockert pulled off the road and into the gravel driveway of a private residence.

After Ockert pulled off the road, Officer Dailey activated his emergency lights and

stopped his patrol car behind Ockert’s vehicle. Officer Dailey instructed Ockert to

move away from the vehicle and shortly thereafter said, “I’m guessing the reason I

saw you go left of center is probably ’cause you were watching me behind you,

coming up behind you.” ROA at 446.

Officer Dailey called for backup, and eventually Officer Rexroat arrived on

scene. Both officers then peered through the windows of Ockert’s car for roughly

five minutes. During this time, Officer Rexroat observed a rifle in the front

passenger seat. Rexroat also said that he smelled marijuana near the vehicle. When

Officer Dailey asked Ockert about whether he had marijuana in the car, Ockert

replied “no,” but then added that “[i]f you would’ve said meth or something, [then]

maybe.” Id. at 323 (Presentence Investigation Report at 5); Aplt. Br. at 11.

2 Later during the stop, Officer Dailey observed what appeared to be narcotics

inside of a bag located within a cigarette packet. He and Officer Rexroat then

searched inside the car and eventually seized the bag of narcotics, the rifle in the

front seat, and a drum magazine capable of holding 100 rounds of .22 caliber

ammunition.

Ockert was indicted for being a felon in possession of a firearm in violation of

18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(1). He moved to suppress evidence derived from the traffic stop

on the grounds that Officer Dailey lacked reasonable suspicion to pull him over, the

stop was unreasonably delayed, and the officers lacked probable cause to search his

vehicle. He specifically argued that the plain view doctrine could not justify the

search because, according to him, the bag of narcotics was not in plain sight and the

incriminating nature of the bag was not immediately apparent.

After conducting an evidentiary hearing on the matter, the district court denied

the suppression motion. It found that Officer Dailey could have reasonably suspected

Ockert to have violated the Kansas single-lane statute—K.S.A. § 8-1522(a)—

mandating that drivers stay in their lane, reasoning that Ockert twice veered into the

wrong lane and that there were no obstacles in the road or adverse weather conditions

that would have made it impractical for Ockert to stay in the correct lane. The

district court also found that the plain view doctrine gave the officers probable cause

to search the vehicle because Officer Dailey saw a “white or clear substance” in the

bag, he believed the substance was contraband, and he had a “lawful right of access

3 to the vehicle because he stopped Ockert pursuant to a lawful traffic stop.” ROA at

177 (Order denying suppression motion at 10).

Ockert now appeals, challenging the initial traffic stop and the subsequent

search of his vehicle. He argues that the government failed to show that it would

have been practical for Ockert to maintain one lane, and that it therefore did not

satisfy its burden of proving reasonable suspicion as articulated in State v. Marx, 215

P.3d 601 (Kan. 2009). He also argues that the plain view doctrine could not justify

the officers’ search of Ockert’s car because the officers lacked a warrant to be on the

private driveway and therefore lacked lawful access to the vehicle.

II.

When reviewing a lower court’s denial of a motion to suppress evidence

obtained during a traffic stop, this court reviews the ultimate question of

reasonableness de novo and findings of fact for clear error. United States v.

Saulsberry, 878 F.3d 946, 949 (10th Cir. 2017). When doing so, we “view the

evidence in the light most favorable to the government.” Id. We consider any

arguments not raised by the defendant in the original suppression motion to be

waived. United States v. Vance, 893 F.3d 763, 769 (10th Cir. 2018).

III.

The district court correctly found that Officer Dailey had reasonable suspicion

to initiate the traffic stop.

4 A.

To initiate a traffic stop, an officer must have reasonable suspicion that the

driver violated the law. United States v. Winder, 557 F.3d 1129, 1134 (10th Cir.

2009). Such reasonable suspicion depends on the totality of the circumstances. Id.

The government here “bears the burden of proving” that Officer Dailey reasonably

suspected Ockert of violating the Kansas single-lane statute—K.S.A. § 8-1522(a)—

mandating that “[a] vehicle shall be driven as nearly as practicable entirely within a

single lane.” United States v. Lopez, 849 F.3d 921, 925 (10th Cir. 2017).

The Kansas Supreme Court in Marx provided guidance for what is required of

the government to show that an officer had reasonable suspicion of a § 8-1522(a)

violation. There, after witnessing a motorhome cross over the fog line, overcorrect,

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