Title: State v. Marcello

State: vermont

Issuer: Vermont Supreme Court

Document:

ENTRY ORDER

                      SUPREME COURT DOCKET NO. 90-125

                              JUNE TERM, 1991


State of Vermont                  }          APPEALED FROM:
                                  }
                                  }
     v.                           }          District Court of Vermont,
                                  }          Unit No. 3, Orange Circuit
                                  }
Richard Marcello                  }
                                  }          DOCKET NO. 452-10-89 OeCr


    In the above entitled cause the Clerk will enter:

     Defendant appeals the denial of his motion to suppress evidence under
the Fourth Amendment to the United States Constitution, and Chapter l,
Article 11, of the Vermont Constitution, contending that a state trooper did
not have reasonable suspicion to justify stopping defendant's vehicle.  The
trial court held that the trooper had probable cause to stop defendant.  We
disagree and hold that the trooper lacked probable cause or reasonable sus-
picion of criminal activity; however, the stop was justified on other
grounds.  Therefore, we affirm the trial court's denial of defendant's
motion to suppress.

     On October 16, 1989, a motorist driving north on Interstate 89 told a
state trooper driving in the same direction, to stop defendant's car,
because "[t]here's something wrong with that man."  The trooper stopped both
motorists based on this information.  The trooper later arrested defendant
for violating 23 V.S.A. { 1201(a)(2), which prohibits operating a motor
vehicle while under the influence of intoxicating liquor, after observing
obvious signs of intoxication.  Defendant entered a conditional guilty plea,
reserving the right to appeal the denial of his motion to suppress the
fruits of the stop.  See V.R.Cr.P. 11.

     Generally, the Fourth Amendment to the United States Constitution and
Chapter l, Article 11, of the Vermont Constitution require that police
officers have reasonable and articulable suspicion that someone is engaged
in criminal activity, or is violating a motor vehicle law, before conducting
an investigatory stop.  Brown v. Texas,