T hi s di s pos i t i on i s notappr opr i a t e f orpubl i c a t i on a nd i s notpr e c e de nt * e xc e pta s pr ovi de d by 9th C i r . R . 36- 3. NOT F OR P UB L I CAT I ON UN I TE D STATE S C OU RT OF APPE ALS FOR T HE NI NTH CI RC UI T UN I T E D S T AT E S OF AME R I C A, P l ai nt i ff

- A pp el l ee , v. GE R AR DO A. C R UZ - C AS T R O, D e f

e n d a n t - A p p e lla n t. N o. 09- 10243 D. C . No . 3 : 0 8 - C R - 0 0 0 1 7 - L R HR A M -1 ME MOR AN DU M *

UN I T E D S T AT E S OF AME R I C A, P l ai nt i ff

- A pp el l ee , v. PE DRO A . VELASQUEZ, D e f

e n d a n t - A p p e lla n t. N o. 09- 10244 D. C . No . 3 : 0 8 - C R - 0 0 0 1 7 - L R HR A M -2 

# FI LED APR30 2 010 M OLLY C. DW Y ER, CLERK U . S. C O U R T OF APPE ALST he pa ne l una ni m ous l y c onc l ude s thi s c a s e i s s ui t abl e f orde c i s i on ** w ith o u t o r a l a r g u m e n t. See F ed. R . A pp . P . 34 (a )( 2).

T he H onor abl e R i c a r do S . M a r t i ne z , U ni t e d S t a t e s D i s tr i c tJ udge f or ** * the W e s t e rn D i s tr i c tof

W a s hi ngt on, s i tt i ng by de s i gna t i on.

2 A pp ea l fr om the U ni t ed S t at es D i stri ctC ou rt

f orthe D i s tr i c tof

N e va da L a rry R . H i c ks , D i s tr i c tJ udge , P r e s i di ng S ubm i tt e d A pr i l 12, 2010 ** S a n F r a n c is c o , C a lif

o rn ia B ef ore: N O O N A N and C A L L A H A N , C i rc ui tJudg es , and M A R T IN E Z , D i stri ct Judg e. *** W hi l e tr a ve l i ng e a s tbound on I nt e r s t a t e 80 i n N e va da , A ppe l l a nt s G e r a r do C ruz- C as tro and P edro V el as qu ez w er e s t op ped for speedi ng by T roop erW i l l i am M u rw in o f

th e N e v a d aH ig h w a y P a tr o l. D u r in g th e e n s u in g e n c o u n te r , M u rw in obt a i ne d C ruz - C a s tr o’ s c ons e ntt o s e a r c h the ve hi c l e a nd di s c ove r e d 220 gr a m s of coca i ne base and 1 23 . 5 g ra m s of her oi n, for w hi ch A pp el l ant s w er e l at erchar ged w i th pos s e s s i on w i th i nt e ntt o di s tr i but e . A ppe l l a nt s m ove d t o s uppr e s s the narc ot i cs evi dence, and the di stri ctcourtdeni ed thei r m ot i on s a ft eran evi dent i ary he a r i ng. A ppe l l a nt s s ubs e que nt l y w e r e c onvi c t e d by aj ury a nd s e nt e nc e d t o the m a nda t ory m i ni m um of 10 y e a r s of

i m pr i s onm e nt . O n appe a l , the y c ha l l e nge the de ni a l of the i rs uppr e s s i on m ot i ons , the a dm i s s i on of c e r t a i n tr i a l t e s t i m ony , a nd3

the de ni a l of

s a f e ty - va l ve tr e a tm e nta ts e nt e nc i ng. W e ha ve j ur i s di c t i on pur s ua nt t o 2 8 U . S. C. § 1 2 9 1 a n d 1 8 U . S. C § 3 7 4 2 , a n d w e a f f i rm. The Suppr e s s i o n M o t i o ns A p p e lla n ts r a is e s e v e r a l a r g u m e n ts c o n te s tin g th e d e n ia l o f th e irm o tio n s to s uppr e s s . F i r s t , V e l a s que z a s s e r t s tha tthe r e w a s i ns uf f i c i e nte vi de nc e t o c onc l ude th a t th e in itia l tr a f

f ic s to p w a s la w f

u l. W e r e v ie w d e n o v o w h e th e rth e f a c ts adequat el y s up po rta tra ff i c s t op , and w e r evi ew the di stri ctcourt ’ s f i nd i ng s of f

ac t f o rc le a re rr o r . U

ni ted States v. D rake , 54 3 F . 3d 10 80 , 10 87 (9th C i r. 20 08 ). H er e, T r o o p e rM u rw in te s tif

ie d th a t h e o b s e rv e d A p p e lla n ts ’ v e h ic le a n d e s tim a te d its s p e e d t o b e ap p r o x i m a t e l y 8 0 m i l e s p e rh o u r , wh i c h h e c o n f i rm e d u s i n g r a d a r . He a l s o t e s t i f

i e d th a tth e p o s t e d s p e e d l i m i ti n th e a r e awa s 7 0 m i l e s p e rh o u r . No obj e c t i on w a s r a i s e d t o thi s t e s t i m ony . I n l i ghtof thi s e vi de nc e , w e a gr e e w i th the d is tr ic t c o u r t th a t th e in itia l s to p o f th e v e h ic le w a s la w f

u l. See U

ni ted Stat es v. Ch o u dh ry , 46 1 F . 3d 10 97 , 11 00 (9th C i r. 20 06 ). A pp el l ant s proce ed t o argue thatthe ensui ng se ar ch of the vehi cl e r endered the dur a t i on of

the tr a f f i c s t op unr e a s onabl e . W e r e vi e w de novo w he the ras t op e x c e e d s its p r o p e rd u r a tio n , U ni ted Stat es v. M

ayo , 3 9 4 F .3 d 1 2 7 1 , 1 2 7 6 n .8 ( 9 th C i r . 2005) , i nqui r i ng w he the rl a w e nf or c e m e nt“ pur s u[ e d] the i nve s t i ga t i on i n a4

di l i gentand reas on abl e m anner, ” H ayni e v . C ou nt

y of L os A ng eles , 339 F . 3d 1071, 10 76 (9th C i r. 20 03 ) ( i nt ernal qu ot at i on m arks and ci t at i on om i tt ed). A cc ordi ng t o M urw i n’ s t es t i m on y, nei ther C ruz- C as tro no r V el as qu ez pr oduc e d dr i ve r ’ s l i c e ns e s w he n pr om pt e d, a nd C ruz - C a s tr o di d notha ve a ny m o n e y o rc r e d it c a r d s in h is p o s s e s s io n . C ru z - C a s tr o c o u ld n o t e x p la in w ith r e a s onabl e pr e c i s i on w he r e the y w e r e goi ng orw hom the y w e r e m e e t i ng, a nd he appe a r e d abnorm a l l y ne rvous — hi s pul s e w a s vi s i bl y pr otrudi ng f r om hi s ne c k a nd hi s e y e s w e r e tw i t c hi ng. M urw i n obt a i ne d C ruz - C a s tr o’ s c ons e ntt o s e a r c h the vehi cl e, and w hi l e s ea rc hi ng the trunk M urw i n n ot i ce d a spi l l ed w hi t e pow der that he s us pe c t e d t o be ac ontr ol l e d s ubs t a nc e . M urw i n pr oc e e de d t o s e a r c h the pa s s e nge rc om pa r tm e nt , ope ne d aba c kpa c k be hi nd the pa s s e nge rs e a t , a nd di sc ov er ed w hatappeare d t o b e her oi n and coca i ne base . B y thi s t i m e, the t ot al du ra t i on of the st op w as 16 m i nu t es . In l i gh tof the suspi ci ou s c i rc um st ance s that cont i nu ed t o u nfol d d uri ng the encoun t er , w e c on cl ud e thatM urw i n’ s bri ef e x te n s io n o f

th e tr a f f ic s to p in o r d e rto d is p e l h is s u s p ic io n s w a s r e a s o n ab le . See M ayo , 39 4 F . 3d at12 76 (c on cl ud i ng that“ [t ] he peri od of det ent i on w as pe rm i s s i bl y e xt e nde d [ t o f or ty m i nut e s ] be c aus e ne w gr ounds f ors us pi c i on of cr i m i nal ac t i vi ty c on t i nu ed t o u nfol d”).5

A p p ellan ts fu rth erco n ten d th at M u rw in u n law fu ll y c o er ce d C ru z- C as tro ’s c ons e ntt o s e a r c h the ve hi c l e . W he the rc ons e nti s obt a i ne d thr ough c oe r c i on de pe nds on the t ot a l i ty of the c i r c um s t a nc e s a nd i s aque s t i on of f a c tw e r e vi e w f

or c le a re rr o r . U

n ite d S ta te s v . E n s lin , 327 F . 3d 788, 792 ( 9th C i r . 2003) . F i ve fact o rs are o ft en th e fo cu s o f th i s i n q u i ry: (1 ) w h eth er th e su sp ectw as i n cu st o d y; (2) w hether off

i ce rs had thei r gun s dra w n; (3) w hether Mi r anda w arni ng s w er e gi ve n; ( 4) w he the rthe s us pe c tw a s not i f i e d tha the ors he c oul d r e f us e c ons e nt ; a nd ( 5 ) w h e th e rth e s u s p e c t w a s to ld th a t as e a r c h w a rr a n t c o u ld b e o b ta in e d . U ni ted State s v . P atay an Sor i ano , 361 F . 3d 494, 502 ( 9th C i r . 2004) . W he n appl i e d t o the f a c t s of thi s c a s e , the m a

j or i ty of the s e c ons i de r a t i ons w e i gh i n f a vorof vol unt a r i ne s s , a nd the a ddi t i ona l c i r c um s t a nc e s not e d by C ruz - C a s tr o do not pers uasi vel y s ug gestthathi s abi l i ty t o ref use c on se ntw as ov erbo rne. T he di stri ct co u rtd i d n o tcl earl y err i n fi n d i n g th atC ru z-C astro ’ s co n sen tw as v o l u n t ary. F i nal l y, A pp el l ant s a rgue thatthe sc op e of C ruz- C as tro’ s c on se ntw as lim ite d to th e tru n ko f

th e v e h ic le . W e r e v ie w f o rc le a re rr o rw h e th e ras e a r c h f e ll w ith in th e s c o p e o f

c o n s e n t. U

ni te d State s v . R odr i

guez - P r e c i ado , 399 F . 3d 1118, 1131 ( 9th C i r . 2005) . A f t e rl e a rni ng tha tC ruz - C a s tr o w a s the ow ne rof the ve hi c l e , M urw i n t e s t i f

i e d tha the a s ke d C ruz - C a s tr o “ i f [ he ] c oul d s e a r c h the ve hi c l e ” a nd tha tC ruz - C a s tr o “ s a [ i d] y e s ” a nd s t a t e d tha tM urw i n “ w oul dn’ tf i ndT o the e xt e nttha tV e l a s que z a r gue s tha tC ruz - C a s tr o’ s c ons e nti s “ not 1 c ontr ol l i ng” a s t o hi m , w e de e m thi s a r gum e ntw a i ve d s i nc e i tw a s r a i s e d f orthe f ir s t tim e in h is r e p ly b r ie f . U ni te d State s ex r e l. Me

y e rv . H or i z on H e al th C or p. , 56 5 F . 3d 11 95 , 11 99 n. 1 (9th C i r. 20 09 ). 6 a ny thi ng. ” A vi de o of

the e nc ount e rs how s tha tM urw i n s e a r c he d the trunk of the ve hi c l e a nd the n i ndi c a t e d t o C ruz - C a s tr o tha the w oul d pr oc e e d t o s e a r c h the p a s s e n g e rc o m p a r tm e n t . Mu rwi n t e s t i f i e d th a th e l o o k e d i n th e b a c k s e a t , s a w a ba c kpa c k, a nd m ot i one d t o V e l a s que z tha the w a nt e d t o l ook i ns i de . A tno poi nt d id A p p e lla n ts o b

je c t, a n d th e v id e o in d ic a te s th a t th e y h a d a m p le o p p o r tu n ity to do so. “ F ai l ure t o o bj ec tt o the cont i nu at i on of a vehi cl e s ea rc h aft ergi vi ng general c o n s e n t to s e a r c h is p r o p e r ly c o n s id e r e d a s a n in d ic a tio n th a t th e s e a r c h w a s w ith in the sc op e of the i ni t i al consent . ” U ni te d State s v . C annon , 2 9 F .3 d 4 7 2 , 4 7 7 ( 9 th C ir . 1 9 9 4 ) ( in te rn a l q u o ta tio n m a rk s a n d c ita tio n o m itte d ) . T h e d is tr ic t c o u r t d id no tcl ea rl y e rri n con cl ud i ng thatC ruz- C as tro’ s c on se nti ncl ud ed the pass enger c om pa r tm e nta nd c l os e d c ont a i ne r s the r e i n. 1 Tr i a lTe s t i m o ny V el as qu ez cont es t s the di stri ctcourt ’ s dec i si on t o al l ow M urw i n t o t es t i fy tha tV e l a s que z ha d s t a t e d, “ I do thi s be c aus e I m a ke m or e m one y he r e tha n I m a ke i n the H ondur a s . ” V e l a s que z a l s o c ha l l e nge s the a dm i s s i on of e xpe r tt e s t i m ony f r o m D E A S p e c ia l A g e n t M ic h a e l B a k io s , w h o o p in e d r e g a r d in g w h e th e rc e r ta in7

c h a r a c te r is tic s o f

n a r c o tic s w o u ld in d ic a te th a t th e y w e r e in te n d e d f o rd is tr ib u tio n . W e r e v ie w th e s e e v id e n tia ry d e c is io n s f o ra n ab u s e o f

d is c r e tio n . See U

ni ted State s v . Hi

gue r a-L lam os , 57 4 F . 3d 12 06 , 12 09 (9th C i r. 20 09 ); se e al so U ni ted S ta te s v . C u r tin , 58 8 F . 3d 99 3, 99 5 (9th C i r. 20 09 ). A s t o V el as qu ez ’ s s t at em ent , the prob at i ve val ue of thi s e vi dence w as di m i ni s he d by the l a ngua ge ba rr i e rbe tw e e n V e l a s que z a nd M urw i n a nd the a m bi gui ty of

the w or d “ thi s . ” T he s e s hor t c om i ngs , how e ve r , do notr e nde rthe e v id e n c e in a d m is s ib le . C f . , e . g. , U ni ted Stat es v. W

arre n , 2 5 F .3 d 8 9 0 , 8 9 5 ( 9 th C ir . 1 9 9 4 ) ; U

ni ted Stat es v. E ub an ks , 591 F . 2d 513, 518 ( 9th C i r . 1979) . I n l i ghtof the othe re vi de nc e a dduc e d a ttr i a l a nd the c i r c um s t a nc e s unde rw hi c h the st at em entw as m ade, the j ury c ou l d p erm i ss i bl y i nferfr om the st at em entthat V e la s q u e z w a s e n g a g in g in s o m e f o rm o f c o m m e r c e , to w it, n a r c o tic s tr a f f ic k in g . T he di s tr i c tc our tdi d notabus e i t s di s c r e t i on by f i ndi ng the s t a t e m e ntt o be p r o b a tiv e o f

af a c t a t is s u e a n d n o t s u b s ta n tia lly o u tw e ig h e d b y th e r is ko f u n f a ir prej ud i ce . R eg ar d in g B ak io s’s tes ti m o n y, V elas q u ez as se rts th at th e s p ec ial ag en t’ s la c ko f p e r s o n a l k n o w le d g e ab o u t th e s p e c if ic n a r c o tic s r e c o v e r e d f

r o m th e v e h ic le ren d ered h i s t est i m o n y i rrel ev an tan d u n h el p fu l t o th e tri er o f fact . T h ese a r g u m e n ts a r e n o t w e ll- ta k e n ; b a s e d o n h is e x p e r ie n c e , B a k io s te s tif ie d th a t a8

p e r s o n in p o s s e s s io n o f

2 2 0 g r a m s o f

c o c a in e b a s e a n d 1 2 3 .5 g r a m s o f h e r o in w oul d l i ke l y i nt e nd t o di s tr i but e the na r c ot i c s . H e a l s o e xpl a i ne d the pr a c t i c e of d is tr ib u tin g h e r o in in 2 5 - g r a m “p ie c e s ” in p la s tic b a g s . T h e ju ry c o u ld r e a d ily appl y B aki os’ s t es t i m on y t o d et erm i ne w hether the narcot i cs i n thi s c as e w er e in te n d e d f

o rd is tr ib u tio n r a th e rth a n p e r s o n a l u s e . T h e p r e s e n ta tio n o f th is te s tim o n y in th e f

o rm o f a n s w e r s to h yp o th e tic a l q u e s tio n s d id n o t r e n d e rit irr e le v a n t o ru n h e lp f

u l. See U

ni ted Stat es v. Y

ou ng er , 3 9 8 F .3 d 1 1 7 9 , 1 1 9 0 ( 9 th C i r. 20 05 ). Sa f e t y- Va l v e Tr e a t m e nt a t Se nt e nc i ng B o th C ru z - C a s tr o a n d V e la s q u e z c o n te n d th a t th e d is tr ic t c o u r t e rr e d in d en yi n g th em safety-v al v e treatm en t . A d efen d an th as th e b u rd en o f p ro v i n g b y a p r e p o n d e r a n c e o f

th e e v id e n c e th a t h e o rs h e q u a lif ie s f o rth e s a f e ty v a lv e , U

ni ted State s v . Zakhar ov , 46 8 F . 3d 11 71 , 11 81 (9th C i r. 20 06 ), and w e r evi ew for c l ea r e rr o rth e d is tr ic t c o u r t’s f a c tu a l d e te rm in a tio n th a t ap a r tic u la rd e f e n d a n t is in e lig ib le , U

ni te d State s v . Me

j i a- P i m e ntal , 47 7 F . 3d 11 00 , 11 03 (9th C i r. 20 07 ). T he di s tr i c tc our tde ni e d s a f e ty - va l ve tr e a tm e ntt o C ruz - C a s tr o be c aus e he d id n o t d e m o n s tr a te th a t h e f u lly d e b r ie f

e d to th e g o v e rn m e n t. See 1 8 U .S .C . § 3553( f ) ( 5) . T o m a ke thi s de t e rm i na t i on, the di s tr i c tc our tr e l i e d on the t e s t i m ony of D E A S peci al A gentK ar en R ossi , w ho had d ebri ef ed C ruz- C as tro and con cl ud ed9

thathe di d n otdi vu l ge hi s “ t ot al kn ow l edge of the tra nsac t i on . ” T he di stri ctcourt al so re l i ed on ce rt ai n evi dence pres ent ed attri al . A l tho ug h B aki os had t es t i fi ed tha tdrug c our i e r s typi c a l l y know “ ve ry , ve ry l i tt l e , ” a nd R os s i c onc e de d the “p o s s ib [ ility ]” th a t C ru z - C a s tr o h a d a c te d s o le ly a t th e d ir e c tio n o f V e la s q u e z , th is e vi de nc e w a s f

a rf r om c om pe l l i ng. T he di s tr i c tc our tdi d notc l e a r l y e rri n f i ndi ng C ruz- C as tro i nel i gi bl e f or sa fe ty- val ve tre atm ent . F urtherm ore, because C ruzC a s tr o r e c e i ve d the m a nda t ory m i ni m um s e nt e nc e , hi s c ont e nt i ons r e ga r di ng m in o r - r o le a n d a c c e p ta n c e - o f - r e s p o n s ib ility a d

ju s tm e n ts a r e m o o t. See U ni ted Stat es v. V

an D oren , 18 2 F . 3d 10 77 , 10 83 (9th C i r. 19 99 ). A s t o V el as qu ez , he ac kn ow l edges thatsa fe ty- val ve tre atm enti s pre cl ud ed w h e r e ad e f

e n d a n t h a s m o r e th a n o n e c r im in a l- h is to ry p o in t, se e 1 8 U .S .C . § 35 53 (f )( 1), bu tcont ends thatthe di stri ctcourt“ di d n ot‘ char ge’ [hi s] cr i m i nal hi s t ory poi nt s a ga i ns t ” hi m . T hi s a r gum e ntm i s i nt e rpr e t s the r e c or d; a l though the d is tr ic t c o u r t f

o u n d V e la s q u e z ’s c r im in a l- h is to ry c a te g o ry to o v e r s ta te th e s e v e r ity of hi s pri or conv i ct i on s, the courtdi d n otre m ov e V el as qu ez ’ s c ri m i nal -hi st ory p o in ts , n o rw o u ld it h a v e h a d a u th o r ity to d o s o . See U ni ted Stat es v. H ern a n dez-C a stro , 47 3 F . 3d 10 04 , 10 08 (9th C i r. 20 07 ). T he di stri ctcourt prop er l y deni ed sa fe ty- val ve tre atm entt o V el as qu ez . A FFI R M ED .