*

The Honorable Richard G. Kopf, Chief Judge, United States District Court for

the District of Nebraska, adopting the report and recommendation of the Honorable

Kathleen A. Jaudzemis, United States Magistrate Judge for the District of Nebraska.

United States Court of Appeals

FOR THE EIGHTH CIRCUIT

___________

No. 01-3711

___________

United States of America, *

*

Appellee, * Appeal from the United States

* District Court for the District

v. * of Nebraska.

*

Terrence Dean Brunt, Jr., * [UNPUBLISHED]

*

Appellant. *

___________

Submitted: May 14, 2002

Filed: May 20, 2002

___________

Before McMILLIAN, FAGG, and MELLOY, Circuit Judges.

___________

PER CURIAM.

Terrence Dean Brunt, Jr. pleaded guilty to possession of cocaine base with the

intent to distribute in violation of 21 U.S.C. § 841(a)(1). The district court*

 then

sentenced Brunt to 135 months in prison. Brunt appeals the district court’s denial of

his motions to suppress evidence and to dismiss the case, contending the vehicle he

was driving was unlawfully searched. We affirm the district court.
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An Omaha, Nebraska police officer initially pulled over the vehicle Brunt was

driving because of a traffic violation: the vehicle’s tail lights were white rather than

red, as required by state law. After asking for Brunt’s license (which he did not have)

and the vehicle’s registration (which was not in the name of any of the vehicle’s three

occupants), the officer ran a background check on Brunt, questioned Brunt further,

and properly arrested Brunt for suspicion of providing false information and driving

without a license. A second officer arrived on the scene and, along with the arresting

officer, went to ask the two passengers if either had a valid license and could drive

the car away. After the second officer smelled marijuana coming from the vehicle,

the two officers searched the vehicle and discovered a substantial amount of cocaine

base in a small bag sitting in front of the front seat. The officers impounded the

vehicle and, during a second search, uncovered a partially burnt marijuana joint and

a semi-automatic handgun. (Neither the discovery of the marijuana nor the weapon

affected the single-count indictment against Brunt, thus the validity of the second

search is not an issue before our court.)

Brunt argues the first search, which occurred nine minutes after his arrest, was

impermissible because it unreasonably lengthened the original traffic stop. Although

we do not view Brunt’s argument favorably, it is not necessary for us to decide the

specific question Brunt raises because we conclude the search was permissible under

the automobile exception to the warrant requirement. Brunt had given the arresting

officer a false name as well as an unusual story about who he was, how he knew the

vehicle’s other occupants, and where the three of them were going. Combined with

the second officer’s statement that he smelled marijuana coming from the vehicle,

these circumstances gave the officers probable cause to search the vehicle. “[G]iven

the totality of the circumstances, a reasonable person could believe there is a fair

probability that contraband . . . would be found in” the vehicle Brunt had been

driving. United States v. Fladten, 230 F.3d 1083, 1085 (8th Cir. 2000) (per curiam);

see also United States v. Neumann, 183 F.3d 753, 756 (8th Cir.) (the smell of burnt
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marijuana provides probable cause for an officer to search the entire vehicle for

drugs), cert. denied, 528 U.S. 981 (1999). 

Because the search in question was constitutionally permissible under the

automobile exception to the warrant requirement, we affirm the district court’s denial

of Brunt’s motions to dismiss the case and to suppress the evidence discovered in the

search. 

A true copy.

Attest:

CLERK, U.S. COURT OF APPEALS, EIGHTH CIRCUIT.