2008 D e c i sion s O p inion s of the U nit e d S t at e s C our t of Appe al s for the Thir d C ir c uit 12-24-2008 

# U SA v . Lop e z P r e c e de n t i al or N on-P r e c e de n t i al : N on-P r e c e de n t i al D ocke t N o . 07-2845

F o l low thi s a nd a dd it ion al work s at : http://d i git alc ommon s .l a w . vi l l a no va . e du/thir dc ir c uit_2008

Thi s de c i sion i s br ou gh t t o you for f r e e a nd ope n a c c e s s b y the O p inion s of the U nit e d S t at e s C our t of Appe al s for the Thir d C ir c uit at V i l l a no va U nive r sity S choo l of L a

w Di git al Re posit or y

. It h as be e n a c c e pt e d for inclusion in 2008 D e c i sion s b y a n author i z e d a dmini s tr at or of V i l l a no va U nive r sity S choo l of L a

w Di git al Re posit or y

. F or mor e inform at ion, p le as e c on t a ct Be n j amin . C a rl s on@l a

w . vi l l a no va . e du . Re c omme nde d C it at ion " U SA v . L opez " (2008). 2008 D e cisio n s . P ape r 45. http://d i git alc ommon s .l a

w . vi l l a no va . e du/thir dc ir c uit_2008/451 NOT P RE CE DE NT I AL UN I TED STATES CO UR T OF A PP EALS F O R T H E T H IR D C IR C U IT N o. 07- 2845 UNI TE D ST ATE S OF AM ERI CA

v. J UA N R OLA ND O R UB I O LO PEZ, A ppel l ant O n A p p ea l from the U n it ed S tat es D istri ct C o u rt fort he E as t ern D i s t r i ctof Penns y l vani a D i s t r i ctC our tN o. 05- cr - 00593- 1 D i stri ctJudg e: T he H on orabl e L egrom e D . D avis Subm i t t ed Pur s uantt o T hi r d C i r cui tL . A . R . 34. 1( a)

D ece m ber9, 2008 B e f o re : M C K E E , S M IT H , a n d R O T H , C i r cui tJudges ( Fi l ed: D ece m ber24, 2008 ) OP I NI ON S M IT H , C i r cui tJudge. A ppel l antJ uan R ol ando R ubi o L opez a ppeal s hi s convi ct i on and s ent ence for cert ai n fede r al drug cr i m es . L opez a s s er t s t hatt he U ni t ed St at es D i s t r i ctC our tfort heA s t he vehi cl e’ s ow ner , L opez c an cha l l enge the tr aff i c s t op even though he w as 1 n o t p re s e n t a t th e tim e . U ni t ed Stat es v. Schaef

er, Mi chael

and C l ai r t on Sl ag, I

nc. , 637 F . 2 d 2 0 0 , 2 0 3 (3d C ir . 1 9 8 0 ). 2 E as t ern D i s t r i ctof Penns y l vani a err ed i n deny i ng hi s m ot i on t o s uppr es s phy s i cal evi dence obt ai ned and de r i ved fr om an al l egedl yi m pr opers ei zur e fol l ow i ng a tr aff i c s t op i n O hi o. T he D i s t r i ctC our thad j ur i s di ct i on under18 U . S. C . § 3231, and w e have

1 j ur i s di ct i on pur s uantt o 28 U . S. C . § 1291 and 18 U . S. C . § 3742. Si nce the off i cerw ho i ni t i at ed the tr aff

i c s t op had ade quat e r eas onabl e s us pi ci on t o ext end the s cope of t he s t op a n d t o d e t a i n t h e t r a c t o rt r a i l o ra n d i t s o c c u p a n t s f o rf u r t h e ri n v e s t i g a t i o n , we wi l l a f f i r m. L opez a cce pt s t hatt he off i cerpr oper l ys t opped the tr act ort r ai l oraft ert he off i cer w at ched i tcr os s out s i de of mar ked l anes of t r avel . L opez, how ever , cl ai m s t hatt he offi cerr an af

oul of t he Four t h A m endment w hen he e xt ended the s cope of t he tr aff i c s t op and ca l l ed fora drug det ect i on dog. W e di s agr ee. “A ft er a traffi c st op t hat w as j ust i fi ed at i t s i ncep t i on , an o ffi cer w ho dev el op s a rea so n ab le, arti cu lable su sp ici o n o f c ri m inal ac ti v itym ayex p an d the s co p e o f a n inq u iry bey ond t he r eas on fort he s t op and det ai n t he vehi cl e and i t s occupa nt s forfur t her i nves t i gat i on. ” U

ni t ed Stat es v. G i van , 3 2 0 F .3 d 4 5 2 , 4 5 8 (3 d C ir. 2 0 0 3 ). In o rd e r to have r eas onabl e s us pi ci on, t he off i cerm us tbe abl e t o “art i cul at e s om e mi ni m al , obj ect i ve j us t i fi cat i on foran i nves t i gat or ys t op. ” Id . I n eval uat i ng t he off i cer ’ s bas i s for r eas onabl e s us pi ci on, w e “mustcons i dert he t ot al i t yof t he ci r cumst ance s , i n l i ghtof t he offi cer ’ s exper i ence . ” Id . H er e, t he off i cer , w ho had 16 y ear s of hi ghw aypatr ol3

exper i ence , poi nt ed t o no l es s t han s even f act or s he t ook i nt o acc ountdur i ng t he i ni t i al s t op and thathe bel i eved t o be unus ual i n t he trucki ng i ndus t r yand/ orcons i s t entw i t h t he tr a n s p o rt a tio n o f

ille g a l d ru g s : 1 ) t h e tr a c to r t ra ile r’ s lo a d o ri g in a te d f ro m O n ta ri o , C A ., a know n s our ce c i t yfori l l egal drugs ; 2) t he dr i verfl ew fr om Phoeni x, A Z . , t o pi ck up t he t ruck; 3) t he dr i verdr ove thr ee hour s , t hen s t opped forni ne, des pi t e tr ans por t i ng per i s habl e pr oduce thatus ual l yneeds t o arr i ve ati t s des t i nat i on as s oon as pos s i bl e; 4) t he dr i verhad bee n off dutyfors even da y s pr i ort o pi cki ng up t he truck; 5) t he tr act ort r ai l or had a hi gh D epart m entof Tra ns por t at i on num ber ; 6) t he pas s engeri n t he truck w as aw ake, i nst ead o f asl eep; and 7 ) the truck con t ai ned nu m erous r el i gious sym bo l s. Vi e wi n g t h e t o t a l i t yo f

t h e c i r c u ms t a n c e s i n l i g h to f t h e o f f i c e r ’ s e x p e r i e n c e , we a g re e w ith th e D istric t C o u rt th a t th e o f f ice r h a d th e re a so n a b le s u sp icio n n e c e ss a ryto “expa nd t he s cope of

an i nqui r ybey ond t he r eas on fort he s t op and det ai n t he vehi cl e and i t s occupa nt s forfurt heri nves t i gat i on. ” Id . Si nce the off i cerhad ampl e r eas on t o cal l for a drug det ect i on dog and t o det ai n t he tr act ort r ai l erand i t s occupa nt s unt i l t he dog a rriv e d , w e w ill a f

f irm th e D istric t C o u rt’s ju d g m e n t.