United States v. Robinson

197 F. Supp. 3d 1276, 2016 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 82101, 2016 WL 3573947
CourtDistrict Court, D. Kansas
DecidedJune 23, 2016
DocketCase No. 15-cr-20077-02-CM
StatusPublished

This text of 197 F. Supp. 3d 1276 (United States v. Robinson) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, D. Kansas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
United States v. Robinson, 197 F. Supp. 3d 1276, 2016 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 82101, 2016 WL 3573947 (D. Kan. 2016).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM AND ORDER

CARLOS MURGUIA, United States District Judge

Defendant Sarah Robinson is charged with (1) being a felon in possession of a firearm and (2) knowingly disposing of a firearm to an illegal alien. (See Doc. 8 (counts 3 and 4).) Defendant’s Motion to Suppress (Doc. 28) is before the court. On June 13, 2016, the court heard argument and testimony, and accepted evidence at the hearing on the motion. The court took the matter under advisement and is now ready to rule.

I. Background

This case involves a police encounter with defendant Sarah Robinson and co-defendant Cesar Flores-Navarro that occurred at a motel in Lenexa, Kansas late at night on August 3, 2015. The court discusses the complicated factual background in detail below.

A. Events Leading up to Initial Encounter

On August 3, 2015, around 11:00 p.m., Lenexa canine police officer Ryan Sumner was patrolling the parking lot of a Motel 6 in Lenexa, Kansas, when he noticed a Ford Windstar parked slightly across two stalls.1 Officer Sumner ran the plate on the van, and it returned to a Mitsubishi registered to a Sarah Robinson, now known to be defendant here. Because of the inconsistency between the plate registration and the vehicle, Officer Sumner decided to investigate by speaking to the motel manager, Tara Latham. Ms. Latham informed Officer Sumner that defendant had two rooms rented under her name, and that she was staying in room 139.2

Officer Sumner decided to initiate contact with defendant in her motel room, but before he did, two events occurred: (1) [1280]*1280Officer Chris Cogswell joined Officer Sumner; and (2) Officer Sumner used a flashlight to look through the windows of the van and noticed a small glass pipe in the driver’s side door, which he associated with marijuana use, and a butane torch, which he associated with methamphetamine use.

Before initiating contact with defendant, Officers Sumner and Cogswell activated their “body cams,” which are devices that attach to them uniforms and create contemporaneous digital audio and visual recordings of the events. The body cams may be turned off by flipping down the cover. The court has reviewed Officers Sumner’s and Cogswell’s body cam recordings that were entered into evidence. Where there were slight discrepancies between or gaps in the officers’ testimony and the digital recordings, the court has used the digital recordings for these facts.

B. Initial Encounter with Defendant Sarah Robinson and Co-Defendant Flores-Navarro

Around 11:25 p.m., Officer Sumner, with Officer Cogswell accompanying, initiated what is called a “knock and talk” by knocking on the door of room 139. From behind the door, defendant asked who it was, and Officer Sumner announced that it was the police department.

Defendant answered the door, Officer Sumner asked if they could come in, and defendant said yes. A Hispanic male, now known to be co-defendant Cesar Flores-Navarro, lay across one of the two beds in the room (the one closest to the door). Officer Sumner immediately asked if there were any children in the room. Defendant responded that there were not; that her sister had picked up her kids. Officer Sumner asked whether the brown van outside was defendants. Defendant said yes, and then Officer Sumner asked if she knew it was illegally parked. Defendant apologized and said she would go move it. Officer Sumner confirmed that she was Sarah Robinson and asked defendant if she just had her tags transferred. Defendant explained that she had just bought the van and the dealer said she could use the tag from her trade-in vehicle for up to 30 days.3 Officer Sumner said that was fine.

Officer Sumner then said to Officer Cogswell, about one minute and twenty seconds after knocking, “Would you mind waiting here with him, I’m going to show her car real quick.” He did not ask defendant whether that was okay, and defendant did not object. Officer Sumner then told defendant that he was going to flip the security lock so that the door would not close. Defendant said that was fine.

Although Officer Sumner later testified that he smelled cigarette smoke and saw a burned out cigarette immediately upon walking in the room, neither officer mentioned this to either occupant at this time.

C. Officer Sumner’s Continued Encounter with Defendant by her Vehicle

When they walked out to the car, Officer Sumner asked defendant whether she or the man in the motel with her parked the car. She said she had parked it, apologized, and said she could fix it. Officer Sumner did not respond, instead asking her whether there was any marijuana in the vehicle because there was a marijuana pipe in the door. Defendant said the pipe was not hers, and immediately opened the door to get it. Defendant explained that her sister had found it on her 18-year-old son, and [1281]*1281that defendant’s sister was distraught, so defendant had told her sister to give it to defendant when her sister had picked up defendant’s children that evening. The pipe was unused. Defendant offered it to Officer Sumner saying that she did not want it. Officer Sumner said he would dispose of it if defendant wanted. Defendant gave the pipe to Officer Sumner and said that she had been planning to dispose of it.

Officer Sumner asked if he could get her information for his report because he had made contact with her. Defendant agreed, and then said that she was surprised he did not know her. She referred to an incident, later described in more detail by Officer Sumner at the hearing, where defendant had been in the news because defendant, who was homeless, had tried to steal diapers, diaper wipes, and shoes for her six children from a Wal-Mart in Roe-land Park, Kansas. When an officer apprehended her, he decided to pay for the items himself instead of arresting her. Media outlets covered the event, which prompted charitable donations from the public. A trust was set up for defendant as a result. She explained that the trust was how she was able to stay in the motel. Officer Sumner asked for her basic information, including her name, birthdate, mailing address (which was at her mother’s home), and cell phone number. Defendant volunteered that she had a warrant for a broken windshield. Officer Sumner asked if that was out of Kansas City, Kansas, and upon defendant’s confirmation, he said he was not worried about it.

Officer Sumner also asked for the name of the man in the motel room with her. She said and spelled Julio Balbuena, although it is now clear his name was actually Cesar Flores-Navarro. Officer Sumner asked for his birthdate and asked whether he was defendant’s boyfriend. She agreed that he was her boyfriend and admitted that he had a long-term relationship with another woman. Defendant could not remember whether his birthday was January 14 or 18 in 1980. Officer Sumner said he would ask him.

Officer Sumner then asked defendant whether there was Anything illegal in the room. Defendant said no. Officer Sumner said that he was concerned because of what was in the vehicle, and he asked whether he could search the motel room. He asked defendant if she “would mind” letting him search the room.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

Brown v. Illinois
422 U.S. 590 (Supreme Court, 1975)
United States v. Martinez-Fuerte
428 U.S. 543 (Supreme Court, 1976)
Florida v. Royer
460 U.S. 491 (Supreme Court, 1983)
Immigration & Naturalization Service v. Delgado
466 U.S. 210 (Supreme Court, 1984)
Florida v. Bostick
501 U.S. 429 (Supreme Court, 1991)
United States v. Arvizu
534 U.S. 266 (Supreme Court, 2002)
United States v. Nava-Ramirez
210 F.3d 1128 (Tenth Circuit, 2000)
United States v. Deluca
269 F.3d 1128 (Tenth Circuit, 2001)
Cortez v. McCauley
478 F.3d 1108 (Tenth Circuit, 2007)
United States v. Turner
553 F.3d 1337 (Tenth Circuit, 2009)
United States v. White
584 F.3d 935 (Tenth Circuit, 2009)
United States v. Edelmiro Augustin Fernandez
18 F.3d 874 (Tenth Circuit, 1994)
United States v. Fikri Soussi
29 F.3d 565 (Tenth Circuit, 1994)
United States v. Mary Ramona Flores
48 F.3d 467 (Tenth Circuit, 1995)
United States v. Paul Charleston Gregory
79 F.3d 973 (Tenth Circuit, 1996)
Maresca v. County of Bernalillo
804 F.3d 1301 (Tenth Circuit, 2015)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
197 F. Supp. 3d 1276, 2016 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 82101, 2016 WL 3573947, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/united-states-v-robinson-ksd-2016.