United States v. Phillips

146 F. Supp. 3d 837, 2015 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 153019, 2015 WL 7008576
District Court, E.D. Michigan·Decided November 12, 2015·No. Case No. 14-cr-20611·Published·Cited by 8 cases

Opinion

Opinion and Order Granting in Part De-pendant’s Motion to Suppress Oral Statements [30], and Denying Depen-dant’s Motions to Exclude Expert Testimony [41] and to Suppress Evidence Obtained During the Course op Seizure [55]

HON. GERSHWIN A. DRAIN, United States District Court Judge

I. Introduction

Sonny Lamarr Phillips (“Defendant”) is charged in a one-count Indictment for being a felon in possession of a firearm in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(1). See Dkt. No. 10. On February 19, 2015, the Defendant filed a Motion in Limine to Exclude or to Suppress Oral Statements. See Dkt. No. 30. On March 18, 2015, the Defendant moved to Exclude or Limit Expert Testimony and, in the alternative, for Additional [840] Discovery and/or a Dauberb Hearing. See Dkt. No. 41. On July 20, 2015, the Defendant Moved to Suppress Evidence Obtained as a Result of Unlawful Seizure. See Dkt. 55. On the same day, the Defendant moved for an Order for the Government Agents to Retain.Rough Notes. See. Dkt. No. 54.

On October 29, 2015, the parties reached a stipulated agreement with regard to the Motion for the retention of rough notes. See Dkt. No. 69. Presently before the Court are Defendant’s remaining three Motions in Limine. For the reasons discussed below, the Motions are GRANTED IN PART and DENIED IN PART.

II. Background

The allegations contained in the Indictment stem from Defendant’s arrest by Detroit Police Officers Brandon Shortridge (“Shortridge”), Nicholas Dedeluk (“Dede-luk”), and Darius Shepherd (“Shepherd”). Defendant was arrested on-September 8, 2014, around 9:45 p.m., in an area, just north of Comerica Park in Detroit, Michigan. According to a Detroit Police Department Activity Log (“DPD Arrest Report”) and a Report of Investigation from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives at the United States Department of Justice (“ATF”), Officers Shor-tridge, Dedeluk, and Shepherd were on what they describe as routine patrol at approximately 9:40 p.m. Around approximately 9:43 p.m., the Officers were purportedly in a marked scout car in the area of Wilkins Street (“Wilkins”) and Beaubien Street (“Beaubien”) in the city of Detroit. The scout car was equipped with .video cameras, which capture limited images looking out from the front windshield, and also, looking back into the backseat and out through the back windshield. The scout car also has an audio recorder inside.

While traveling eastbound on Wilkins, Officer Shortridge explains in his report that he observed the Defendant walking towards a parked Ford Explorer. Officer Shortridge explains that he also observed what he believed to be “the handle of a black semi-auto handgun protruding from [Defendant’s] right front vest pocket.”

Officer Shortridge informed his “crew” of what he obsérved, and they exited the scout car. According to the DPD Arrest Report, upon seeing the officers, the Defendant ran. While the Defendant ran, Officer Shortridge writes that he observed a “black sémi-auto hand gun fall from [the Defendant’s] vest pocket.” Officer Shor-tridge’s report states that he recovered the handgun.

According to the DPD Arrest Report, the Defendant ran westbound on Wilkins and was eventually cornered, seized, and “detained” by Officer Dedeluk just south of Erskine Street and east of John R. Street. The Defendant purportedly discarded his vest and shirt during the chase, While the Defendant was detained, Officer Dedeluk questioned him regarding whether Defendant “had a valid [Concealed Pistol License (CPL)].” Phillips answered “no.”

At 9:50 p.m., the Defendant was placed inside the back of the police scout car. In the car, Mr. Phillips appears on the video to be sweating and panting after his run from the police. Additionally, the Defendant leans forward .to wipe, his brown on the back of the car seat. At 9:52 p.m., while alone in the car, the Defendant allegedly shouts:. “Fuck!” A few minutes later an officer approaches the car, asks for Defendant’s name and. tells the Defendant to sit back.

At 9:56 p.m., Officer Shortridge enters the front seat. Officer Shortridge was joined by Officers Dedeluk and Shepard. The officers did not give the Defendant his Miranda warnings, Nevertheless, on the [841] drive to the Detroit Detention Center (“DDC”) the officers did ask the Defendant questions about his age, criminal history, and the location of his discarded vest. The DPD Arrest Report indicates that the officers arrested the Defendant and that the Defendant was taken to the Detroit Detention Center without incident.

III. Legal Standard

A motion in limine refers to “any motion, whether made before or during trial, to exclude anticipated prejudicial evidence before the evidence is actually offered.” Luce v. United States, 469 U.S. 38, 40 n. 2, 105 S.Ct. 460, 83 L.Ed.2d 443 (1984). The purpose of a motion in limine is to eliminate “evidence that is clearly inadmissible for any purpose” before trial. Ind. Ins. Co. v. GE, 826-F.Supp.2d 844, 846 (N.D.Ohio 2004). A district court rules on evidentiary motions in limine “to narrow the issues remaining for trial and to minimize disruptions at trial.” United States v. Brawner, 173 F.3d 966, 970 (6th Cir.1999). The. guiding principle is to “ensure evenhanded and expeditious management. of trials,” Ind. Ins. Co., 326 F.Supp.2d at 846.

Although neither the Federal Rules of Evidence, nor the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure explicitly authorize a court to rule on an evidentiary motion in limine, the Supreme Court has allowed district courts to rule on motions in limine “pursuant to the district court’s inherent authority to manage the course of trials.” See Luce, 469 U.S. at 41 n. 4, 105 S.Ct. 460.

A district court should grant a motion to exclude evidence in limine “only when [that] evidence is clearly inadmissible on all potential grounds.” Ind. Ins. Co., 326 F.Supp.2d at 846. In cases where that high standard is not met, “evidentiary rulings should be deferred until trial so that questions of foundation, relevancy, and potential prejudice may be resolved in proper context.” Id. Denial of a motion to exclude evidence in limine does not necessarily mean that the court will admit the evidence at trial. See Luce, 469 U.S. at 41, 105 S.Ct. 460. “[E]ven if nothing unexpected happens at trial,' the district judge is free, in the exercise of sound-judicial discretion, to alter a previous in limine ruling.” Id. at 41-42, 105 S.Ct. 460.

IV. Discussion

A. Defendant’s Motion to Suppress Evidence Obtained During The Course of Seizure Should Be Denied

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United States v. Phillips, 146 F. Supp. 3d 837, 2015 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 153019, 2015 WL 7008576 (E.D. Mich. 2015).

146 F. Supp. 3d 837 (United States v. Phillips) — published by Counsel Stack Legal Research, free access to 12M+ legal documents.

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