Walker v. State

962 So. 2d 39, 2006 WL 3593462
Court of Appeals of Mississippi·Decided December 12, 2006·No. 2005-KP-00611-COA·Published·Cited by 9 cases

Opinion

962 So.2d 39 (2006)

Dontay WALKER, Appellant
v.
STATE of Mississippi, Appellee.

No. 2005-KP-00611-COA.

Court of Appeals of Mississippi.

December 12, 2006.
Rehearing Denied May 8, 2007.

*41 Dontay Walker, Appellant, pro se.

Office of the Attorney General by Jeffrey A. Klingfuss, attorney for appellee.

Before MYERS, P.J., SOUTHWICK and GRIFFIS, JJ.

SOUTHWICK, J., for the Court.

¶ 1. Dontay Walker was convicted by an Oktibbeha County Circuit Court jury of possession of marijuana and possession of cocaine. On appeal, his claims of error include issues regarding instructions and the admissibility and sufficiency of evidence. We find no error and affirm.

FACTS

¶ 2. Walker was the passenger in a car that was driven by Shaundrysus Frazier. Frazier testified that he purchased the vehicle from a friend about one month prior to the stop but that the vehicle was not yet titled in his name. The vehicle was stopped by Oktibbeha Deputy Sheriff Michael Hunter. Deputy Hunter noticed that the windows of the vehicle were almost completely and illegally black from being heavily tinted. Hunter recognized the vehicle as one he had previously stopped for the same violation. As Hunter passed the vehicle traveling in the opposite direction, he also noticed that both the driver and passenger were not wearing their seat belts. Hunter stopped the vehicle based on the tint-law violation. Hunter questioned Frazier and then proceeded to question Walker. Walker was visibly nervous as evidenced by his hands shaking. He was talking on a cell phone and would not make eye contact with Hunter.

¶ 3. While talking to Walker, Hunter was notified by radio that Frazier's license was suspended. Frazier was arrested and searched. Frazier had almost $700 cash in his pants pocket. Hunter told Frazier that Walker could drive the vehicle away because Walker had a valid driver's license. Frazier refused the offer. A deputy named Whitfield arrived to assist Hunter. Officer Shawn Word of the Starkville Police Department contacted Deputy Whitfield about the stop. Officer Word was informed as to the identity of the two *42 passengers and recognized them both. Due to Walker's reputation as a drug dealer, Officer Word wanted to speak with him and proceeded to the traffic stop. Frazier had already been taken into custody but Walker was still seated in the passenger side of the vehicle. Officer Word arrived on the scene and approached the passenger side of the vehicle.

¶ 4. Officer Word testified that Walker was talking on a cell phone but ended the conversation when he saw Word approaching. Officer Word noticed the distinctive smell of marijuana emanating from within the vehicle and believed Walker looked nervous. Officer Word observed Walker moving his right foot in a manner that indicated he was trying to push something underneath the passenger seat. Officer Word had talked with Walker prior to the day of the traffic stop. Walker would not look Officer Word in the eye but persisted in staring straight forward. Due to Walker's suspicious behavior and the smell of marijuana, Officer Word asked Walker to step out of the vehicle. Deputy Whitfield was at the rear of the vehicle and took control of Walker. Deputy Whitfield searched Walker by patting him down and found $1,390 in Walker's front pants pocket. Officer Word immediately located a container under the passenger seat. The container contained marijuana and a substantial amount of crack cocaine. Officer Word told Deputy Whitfield that drugs were found and to arrest Walker. Walker and Frazier were taken into police custody and transported for booking and questioning.

DISCUSSION

1. Admissibility of Seized Evidence

¶ 5. Walker initially argues that Deputy Hunter did not have probable cause to stop Frazier's vehicle and therefore the evidenced seized should have been suppressed at trial. Walker in his pro se brief recites at length the development of search and seizure case law to support his argument. He argues that there was no testimony that Frazier was driving erratically or that any traffic violations occurred to cause the stop.

¶ 6. The trial court denied Walker's motion to suppress, finding that the traffic stop was valid. The action of an officer stopping a vehicle is reasonable when there is "probable cause to believe that a traffic violation has occurred." Whren v. United States, 517 U.S. 806, 810, 116 S.Ct. 1769, 135 L.Ed.2d 89 (1996). Probable cause for a traffic stop may arise from an officer's reasonable belief that windows of the vehicle are excessively tinted in violation of law. McCollins v. State, 798 So.2d 624, 627 (Miss.Ct.App.2001). The stop was a valid one.

¶ 7. The smell of marijuana constitutes reasonable suspicion and supports further investigation of a suspected criminal offense, including the search of the passengers and interior of a vehicle. Dies v. State, 926 So.2d 910, 918 (Miss.2006) (citing Boches v. State, 506 So.2d 254, 264 (Miss.1987)). In addition, Walker does not have standing to argue error in the vehicle search: "Fourth Amendment rights are personal rights . . . which may not be vicariously asserted." Spicer v. State, 921 So.2d 292, 310 (Miss.2006) (quoting Alderman v. United States, 394 U.S. 165, 174, 89 S.Ct. 961, 22 L.Ed.2d 176 (1969)). A passenger who does not own the vehicle cannot complain about the legality of its search. Spicer, 921 So.2d at 310 (citing Walker v. State, 913 So.2d 198, 225 (Miss. 2005)). The motion to suppress the contraband was properly denied.

2. Refused Jury Instructions

a. Co-Defendant Cautionary Instruction

¶ 8. Walker argues that the trial court erred in refusing to grant certain *43 jury instructions. One refused instruction, D-9, would have stated among other things that "the testimony of a co-defendant must be weighed with great care and be scrutinized closely," which apparently refers to, but does not name, Shaundrysus Frazier. The trial court refused the instruction because was not a co-defendant. A petition to revoke Frazier's probation from an earlier offense had been filed, but he was not a co-defendant nor is there evidence that he was indicted for any offense arising from the events that led to Walker's arrest. After denying the instruction, the court invited the defense to present a differently worded instruction for the court to consider. None was offered.

¶ 9. Granting a cautionary instruction due to the testimony of an accomplice who is not being tried with the defendant is within the discretion of the trial court. Slaughter v. State, 815 So.2d 1122, 1133 (Miss.2002) (citing Wheeler v. State, 560 So.2d 171 (Miss.1990)). The instruction should be given when the witness is in fact an accomplice, but only if the testimony is uncorroborated. Id. An accomplice is a person who is implicated in the commission of the crime for which the defendant is being tried. Id. The Slaughter court concluded that a witness charged as an accessory after the fact was not an accomplice. Id.

¶ 10. The difficulties with Walker's allegation of error include that the instruction referred to Fr

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