2005 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 5-11-2005 

# U SA v . G arc i a-M ore no P r e c e de nt i al or N on-P r e c e de nt i al : N on-P r e c e de nt i al D ocke t N o . 04-1428

F o llow thi s and a dd it ion al work s at : http://d i git alc ommon s .l a w . vi ll anova . e du/thir dc ir c uit_2005

Thi s de c i sion i s br ou ght t o you for f r e e and 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 ll anova U nive r sity S choo l of L a

w Di git al Reposit ory

. It h as be e n a c c ept e d for inclusion in 2005 D e c i sion s b y an authori z e d a dmini s tr at or of V i ll anova U nive r sity S choo l of L a

w Di git al Reposit ory

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

w . vi ll anova . e du . Re c omme nde d C it at ion " U SA v . G ar c i a -M or e no " (2005). 2005 D e cisio n s . P ape r 1214. http://d i git alc ommon s .l a

w . vi ll anova . e du/thir dc ir c uit_2005/1214NOT P RE CE DE NT I AL I N TH E 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 S. 04- 1428 & 04- 1429

____________________ UN I TE D STAT ES O F AM ERI CA

v. RUBENDARI O GARCIA-MORENO a nd RIC ARD O F RA

N C O - GAR C IA

Ap pe lla nts

_______________________________________ O n A p p ea l Fro m the U n it ed S tat es D istri ct C o u rt

Forthe D i s tr i ctof N ew J er s ey ( D . C . N os . 01- cr - 00729- 2 & 01- cr - 00729- 3) D istri ct Ju d g e: H o n o rab le Jo sep h A . G ree n aw ay , Jr.

______________________________________ Subm i t t ed U nderT hi r d C i r cui tL A R 34. 1( a)

A pr i l 18, 2005 B e f o re : R O T H , F U E N T E S a n d B E C K E R , C i r cui tJudges .

( Fi l ed M ay11, 2005)

________________________

OP I NI ON

________________________ B E C K E R , C i r cui tJudge .2

D e f e n d a n ts, R u b e n D a rio G a ric ia- M o re n o a n d R ica rd o F ra n c o -G a rc ia f iled th is cons ol i dat ed appe al fol l ow i ng thei rconvi ct i on aft era benc h tr i al on s t i pul at ed fa ct s on char ges of cons pi r acyt o di s tr i but e and pos s es s w i th i nt entt o di s tr i but e i n exce s s of fi ve g ra m s o f c o c a in e . In e ss e n c e , D e f e n d a n ts a p p e a l th e D istric t C o u rt’s d e n ial o f th e ir s uppr es s i on m ot i ons al l egi ng thatthe pol i ce di d nothave pr obabl e ca us e t o arr es tthem and then s ear ch thei rper s ons and thei raut om obi l e. I n addi t i on, theycl ai m thatthei rcodefe ndantdi d notgi ve vol unt ar i l ycons entt o a s ear ch of the apa r t m ent . W e conc l ude, how ever , thatther e w as pr obabl e ca us e forthe arr es tand s ear ch and thatthe D i s tr i ct C o u rt’s f in d in g th a t th e c o -d e f

e n d a n t co n se n ted to th e a p a rtm e n t se a rc h w a s n o t cle a rly e rr o n e o u s . W e wi l l th e r e f o r e a f f i r m. W e re v ie w th e D is tr ic t C o u rt ’s f in d in g s o f

f a c t f o r c le a r e rr o r, U

ni t ed Stat es v. R obers on , 9 0 F . 3 d 7 5 ( 3 d Ci r . 1 9 9 6 ) , a n d q u e s t i o n s o f l a w de novo , O r enelas v. U ni t ed Stat es , 5 1 7 U . S . 6 9 2 , 6 9 9 (19 9 6 ). I. A. O n O ct ober17, 2001, a conf i dent i al i nform antt ol d D E A agent s thatther e w as su sp icio u s b e h a v io r ta k in g p lac e a t A p a rtm e n t 2 0 6 o f a n a p a rtm e n t co m p lex in E dgew at er , N ew J er s ey . A . 199. L aw enfor cementoffi cer s obs erved thata dea dbol thad been pl ace d on t he apa r t m entdoor , i n vi ol at i on of the apa r t m entrul es . I nves t i gat i ng fur ther , the off

i cer s w er e t ol d bythe compl ex’ s s uper i nt endentthathe di d notknow t hat3

a n y o n e w a s o c c u p y in g th e a p a rtm e n t, alth o u g h th e se c u rityd e p o sit a n d re n t h a d b e e n p a id fori n cas h. A . 200- 01. Forthr ee da y s begi nni ng O ct ober29, 2001, the D E A conduct ed s ur vei l l ance of the a p a rtm e n t an d o b se rv e d th e c o m in g s a n d g o in g s o f L u is V a len c ia- G a rc ia, a n d d e f e n d a n ts G a rc ia- M o re n o , an d F ra n c o -G a rc ia. T h e D E A a g e n ts o b se rv e d d e f e n d a n ts e n g a g e in count er - s ur vei l l ance t echni ques i ncl uded “s quar i ng the bl ock” ( m eani ng dr i vi ng ar ound the bl ock) , u- turns on s m al l s tr eet s , parki ng ata di s t ance fr om the des t i nat i on, and unus ual dr i vi ng m aneuve r s . T he age nt s t es t i fi ed thattheys aw defe ndant s l ooki ng over thei rs houl der s and thattheyappea r ed nervous . D efe ndant s w er e al s o s een e nt er i ng and exit i ng the ap artm ent w i th lar ge d uff el bag s. O n N ovember1, 2001, the age nt s s aw G ar ci a- M or eno and Fr anco- G ar ci a l eave t he a p a rt m e n t a n d e n te r a b la c k H o n d a c iv ic in th e p a rk in g g a ra g e o f th e a p a rt m e n t c o m p le x . T he pai rthen parked the ca rnearbyand goti nt o a V ol ks w agen Fox. T he age nt s t es t i fi ed thattheyw er e unabl e t o fol l ow the ca rbeca us e of the count er - s ur vei l l ance m eas ur es t aken bydefe ndant s . L at erthataft ernoon, the D E A agent s obs erved Fr anco- G ar ci a, now d ri v ing a T o y o ta C am ry , g o ing in circles aro u n d the a p artm en t com p lex, be fo re eventual l yent er i ng the compl ex’ s gar age. A . 219. T he D E A agent s t es t i fi ed thatthey s us pect ed thi s thi r d car , the C amry , w as a “l oad ca r ” w hi ch cont ai ned nar cot i cs . A . 320- 2 1 . T he age nt s s aw Fr anco- G ar ci a t ake a l ar ge bl ack s ui t cas e outof the ca r , w hi ch4

appea r ed empt y , and w al k t ow ar d t he compl ex. H e then turned ar ound, opened the trunk of the ca r , putthe s ui t cas e bac k i nt o the trunk, and s aton a benc h i n fr ontof the compl ex. A . 222. G ar ci a- M or eno r eturned t o the compl ex, parked i n a nea rbyl ot , and j oi ned F ra n c o -G a rc ia o n th e b e n c h . B o th e n ter e d th e a p a rtm e n t to g e th e r a n d lef t sh o rtly ther eaf t er . G ar ci a- M or eno r etr i eved the bl ack s ui t cas e fr om the trunk of the C amryand re tu rn e d to th e a p a rtm e n t. V al enci a- G ar ci a then dr ove i nt o the parki ng gar age i n a M azda pi ck- up truck w hi ch he ba cked i nt o t he s pace cl os es tt o the el evat or s , and w entout s i de t o s i ton the sa m e p a rk b e n c h . G a rc ia- M o re n o c a m e o u t o f A p a rtm e n t 2 0 6 w ith a lar g e , ap p a re n tly heavy , duffe l bag, w hi ch he pl ace d i n the open f r ontpas s engerdoorof the pi ck- up truck, and then j oi ned V al enci a- G ar ci a on the park bench. A ft era br i ef c onver s at i on, V al enci aG ar ci a dr ove the truck aw ayw i th t he duff el bag i ns i de, fol l ow ed byD E A agent s . G ar ci aM o re n o re tu rn e d to A p a rt m e n t 2 0 6 . F o rty -f iv e m in u tes late r, th e a g e n ts o b se rv e d G a rc ia- M o re n o a n d F ra n c o -G a rc ia lea v in g A p a rtm e n t 2 0 6 , w ith G a rc ia- M o re n o o n c e a g a in c a rry in g a lar g e , ap p a re n tly heav y , black du ffel bag. F ranco-G arci a w as w heeli ng the b l ack suit case. T he suit case a n d th e d u f

f e l b a g w e re p la c e d in to th e T o y o ta C a m ry. T he age nt s s us pect ed thatthes e bags cont ai ned nar cot i cs ornar cot i cs pr ocee ds and a t th is p o in t ap p ro a c h e d F ra n c o -G a rc ia a n d G a rc ia- M o re n o . A f ter A g e n t R o b e rts id e n tifie d h im se lf

, b o th m e n a ttem p ted to ru n a w a yo n f o o t, bu t w e re q u ick ly5

appr ehende d. A . 228- 29. T he trunk and ca rdoorof the C amryw er e l eftopen. A gent R obert s s aw br i cks of coc ai ne i n t he duff el bag i n the open trunk. H e then opene d the f ro n t p a ss e n g e r d o o r w h e re h e o p e n e d th e b a g a n d f o u n d m o re c o c a in e b ric k s. L a b tes ts l at err evea l ed thatthi s w as i ndeed 50 ki l ogr ams of coc ai ne. T he off i cer s then arr es t ed F ra n c o -G a rc ia a n d G a rc ia -M o re n o . M eanw hi l e, the age nt s fol l ow i ng V al enci a- G ar ci a s t opped hi s carand s aw the duffe l bag i n pl ai n vi ew i n t he fr ontpas s engers eat . T he off i cer s s ear ched the pi ck- up truck and the duff

el bag and s ei zed a ppr oxi m at el y26 ki l ogr ams of coc ai ne. V al enci aG a rc ia h a d c o n s e n te d to th e a u to m o b ile s e a rc h a n d s ig n e d a c o n s e n t f o rm a t th e s c e n e . A . 239- 242. T o s um m ar i ze, the fa ct s s uppor t i ng the age nt s ’ pr obabl e ca us e forthe arr es tw er e: 1) the paym entforthe apa r t m entr entand s ecur i tydepos i ti n cas h; 2) the unauthor i zed deadbol ton the apa r t m entdoor ; 3) the fa ctthatthe l andl or d appar ent l ybel i eved the apart m entw as unoccupi ed; 4) the us e of e xtr eme count er - s ur vei l l ance dr i vi ng t echni ques overa thr ee- dayper i od; 5) the us e of thr ee ve hi cl es i n one dayand the fr equents w i t chi ng of vehi cl es ; 6) dr oppi ng off s ui t cas es and duff el bags i nt o unoccupi ed vehi cl es w hi l e the ow nerw ai t s ata di s t ance ; 7) the as s es s m entof the demeanorand ac t i ons of the defe ndant s bytr ai ned governm entagent s ; and 8) thatdefe ndant s fl ed as s oon as the l aw e n f o rc e m e n t o f

f ic e rs id e n tif

ie d th e m s e lv e s , s e e Un i t e d S ta t e s v . Br o wn , 159 F. 3d 147, 150 ( 3d C i r . 1998) ( “del i ber at el yfur t i ve ac t i ons and fl i ghtatthe appr oach of s tr anger s or6

l aw offi cer s ar e s tr ong i ndi ci a of mens r ea” ) ( quot i ng Sibron v. N ew Y ork , 392 U . S. 40, 66 (19 6 8 )). B. W e agr ee w i th t he governm entthat“i ti s di ffi cul tt o i m agi ne an i nnocent expl anat i on forthe mul t i tude of c ount er - s ur vei l l ance t echni ques engage d i n bythe defe ndant s overan ext ended pe r i od of t i m e. ” R ed B . at18. T he Supr eme C our thas not ed thatal though “i nnocentbehavi orfr equent l yw i l l pr ovi de the bas i s fors how i ng of p ro b a b le c a u se . . . [i]n m a k in g a d e ter m in a tio n o f p ro b a b le c a u se th e re lev a n t in q u iryis notw hetherpart i cul arconducti s ‘ i nnocent ’ or‘ gui l ty , ’ butthe degr ee of s us pi ci on that att ache s t o part i cul artypes of noncr i m i nal act s . ” I l l i nois v. G at es , 462 U . S. 213, 243- 44 n. 1 3 (1 9 8 3 ). M or eover , court s i n s i m i l arcas es have f ound pr obabl e ca us e exi s t ed. For exampl e, i n U

n itedS ta tes v . So to , 375 F. 3d 1219, 1222 ( 10th C i r . 2004) , the pane l found pr obabl e ca us e foran arr es tand s ear ch bec aus e “Ther e w as no appar entr eas on forthe b lue truc k to circle the p ark ing lot an d lat er p ark there ex ce p t t o co n d u ct co u n tersu rv e ill a n c e .” In th a t ca se , the a g e n ts h a d a rra n g e d f o r a c o n tro lled d ru g tra n sa c tio n a t a gas s t at i on w her e the def endant s ’ pecul i ardr i vi ng of tw o pi ck- up trucks ar ound the gas s ta tio n a re a w a s s u f

f ic ie n t to g iv e ri s e to p ro b a b le c a u s e . Si m i l ar l y , pr obabl e ca us e w as es t abl i s hed i n U ni t ed Stat es v. P ayne , 119 F. 3d 637, 64 2-43 (8 C i r. 19 97 ), w here l aw enfo rcem ent agents had ob served an ex chan ge o f a fir st

th7

empt y , and then ful l , s ui t cas e fr om a condomi ni um compl ex, r emi ni s centof the exc hange betw een G ar ci a- M or eno and Fr anco- G ar ci a. A gent s had pr evi ous l ys ei zed a box fr om t he d e f e n d a n t w h ic h a d ru g -s n if f in g d o g in d ic a te d h a d n a rc o tic s o d o r. Id . A gen t s had als o obs erved the def

endantus i ng count er - s ur vei l l ance dr i vi ng t echni ques on the w ayt o the c o n d o m in iu m c o m p le x . Id . T hi s w as enough forthe Ei ghth C i r cui tt o fi nd the age nt s had e s ta b lis h e d p ro b a b le c a u s e . See a l so U nited S tates v. Frost , 999 F. 2d 737, 743 ( 3d C i r . 1993) ( fi ndi ng pr obabl e ca us e w her e def endantm at ched drug cour i erpr ofi l e i n an ai rport , act ed fu rt i vely , becam e nervo us w hen eng aged i n co nv ers at i on bytw o d et ect i ves, and had e m pl oy ed count er - s ur vei l l ance t echni ques even though drug- s ni ffi ng dogs had b e e n w ith o u t re a c tio n w h e n sn if f in g d e f e n d a n t’s s u itca se ); U

ni t ed Stat es v. O cam

po , 937 F. 2d 485, 490 ( 9th C i r . 1991) ( fi ndi ng thatthe i s s uance of a w arr antw as s uppor t ed by pr obabl e ca us e bec aus e def endant ’ s “count er - s ur vei l l ance dr i vi ng, t andem dr i vi ng, a ca r s w i t ch, and numer ous beepe rphone ca l l s ” w er e “f act s i ndi cat i ve of na r cot i cs d istrib u tio n ” ); U

ni t ed Stat es v. M

ar t i nez - Mol i na , 6 4 F .3 d 7 1 9 , 7 2 9 (1 st C ir. 1 9 9 5 ) (“ It is w e ll se ttl e d th a t co u n ter -su rv e ill a n c e e f f o rts a re in d ica tiv e o f

k n o w in g p a rticip a tio n in c rim in a l ac tiv ity .”); U

n itedS ta tes v . M

a rin , 761 F. 2d 426, 432 ( 7th C i r . 1985) ( fi ndi ng pr obabl e ca us e w her e age nt s had r ece i ved an a nonym ous t i p of drug act i vi tycorr obor at ed bydefe ndantdr i vi ng tw o di ffe r entaut om obi l es , nei therof w hi ch w as r egi s t er ed i n her n a me , d r i v i n g c i r c u i t o u s l yd e f e n d a n t ’ s r e s i d e d , e x i t i n g th e b u i l d i n g c a rry i n g a b r o wn paperbag w hi l e ac t i ng caut i ous l ybefor e ent er i ng the vehi cl e w i th anotheri ndi vi dual , and8

a g a in u s in g c ir c u ito u s d ri v in g te c h n iq u e s ). G iv e n th e to talityo f

th e f a c ts a n d th e sig n if

ica n t p re c e d e n t o n th is iss u e , w e w ill affirm the judgm ent of the D i stri ctC ou rtthat there w as probab l e cause to 1) arres t defe ndant s ; 2) s ear ched de fenda nt ’ s per s on; and 3) s ear ch def endant ’ s vehi cl e. II. D efe ndant s al s o chal l enge the s ear ch of the apa r t m entfol l ow i ng thei rarr es t . T he o f f ic e rs a n d d e f

e n d a n ts g a v e w id e ly d is p a ra te v e rs io n s o f w h a t tr a n s p ir e d a f

te r t h e a rr e s t. A t th e su p p re ss io n h e a rin g , the o f f ice rs te stif

ied th a t d e f

e n d a n ts w e re M ira n d ize d in S p a n is h . F ra n c o -G a rc ia te s tif ie d , h o w e v e r, t h a t h e d id n o t r e c e iv e th e M ir a n d a w a rn in g s . I ti s uncont es t ed thatnei therdefe ndanti ni t i al ed the M i r anda c ar d, al though D et ect i ve R o m e ro c la im s th is w a s b e c a u s e th e w a rn in g s w e re o n h a rd c a rd b o a rd . T he age nt s al s o t es t i fi ed thatFr anco- G ar ci a vol unt ar i l ycons ent ed t o a s ear ch of A p artm en t 20 6 . T h e d ef en d an ts w ere ea ch p lace d in se p ara te po li ce ca rs. T h e o ff icers re p re se n ted th a t F ra n c o -G a rc ia w a s n o t h a n d c u f f e d in th e p o lice v a n , b u t F ra n c o -G a rc ia c laim s th a t h e w a s h a n d c u f f e d u n til h e w a s s e a rc h e d . D e tec tiv e R o m e ro sp o k e w ith Fr anco- G ar ci a i n Spani s h t hr ough t he w i ndow of the van, and A gentR obert s w as sta n d in g n e a rb y . It w a s a t th is p o in t th a t A g e n t R o b e rts c o n ten d e d F ra n c o -G a rc ia cons ent ed t o t he s ear ch and ga ve the off i cer s the key s t o the apa r t m ent . Fr anco- G ar ci a, how ever , i ns i s t s thathe di d notcons entt o the apa r t m ents ear ch, and thathe w as hi ti n t he fac e thr ee t i m es byR om er o. A . 439- 43. N o cons entform w as s i gned, al though the9

offi cer s cl ai m thi s w as beca us e theydi d nothave s uch a f orm on s i t e and be caus e, A gent R obert s t es t i fi ed, he di d notthi nk i tw as nece s s aryatthe t i m e. A . 238- 240. W hen l at er a sk e d to sig n a c o n se n t f o rm a t th e D E A o f

f ice , F ra n c o -G a rc ia r e f

u se d to sig n it. T he D i s tr i ctC our t ’ s deci s i on cr edi t ed the t es t i m onyof A gentR obert s and D e tec tiv e R o m e ro o v e r th e tes tim o n yo f F ra n c o -G a rc ia, to f

in d th a t F ra n c o -G a rc ia h a d in f a c t c o n s e n te d to th e a p a rt m e n t s e a rc h . W e re v ie w th is d e te rm in a tio n f o r c le a r e rr o r. Un i t e d S ta t e s v . I

g b o n wa , 1 2 0 F . 3 d 4 3 7 , 4 4 0 ( 3 d Ci r . 1 9 9 7 ) . W h i l e d e f e n d a n t s r a i s e s o me m i nori ncons i s t enci es i n t he age nt s ’ t es t i m onyatthe s uppr es s i on hear i ng, thi s i s not e n o u g h f o r u s to s a yth e D is tr ic t C o u rt ’s d e te rm in a tio n w a s c le a rl ye rr o n e o u s . A d d iti o n a lly , fo r th e re a so n s s e t f o rth in P a rt I, w e h e ld th e re w a s s u f f icie n t p ro b a b le caus e t o arr es tFr anco- G ar ci a and s o, w e do notagr ee w i th D efe ndant ’ s ar gum entthatt he cons entw as the pr oductof an i l l egal arr es t . Si m i l ar l y , the D i s tr i ctC our tdi d notbel i eve Fr anco- G ar ci a’ s t es t i m onythatcons entw as “bea tout ” of Fr anco- G ar ci a, and thi s fac tual fi ndi ng w as notcl ear l yerr oneous . T he j udgm entof the D i s tr i ctC our tw i l l ther efor e be aff i r m ed. III . D e f e n d a n ts a ls o ra is e a s e ri e s o f c h a lle n g e s b a s e d o n th e s e n te n c in g g u id e lin e s . H avi ng det erm i ned thatthe s ent enci ng i s s ues appel l antr ai s es ar e bes tdet erm i ned byt he D i s tr i ctC our ti n t he fi r s ti ns t ance , w e w i l l vaca t e the s ent ence and r emand for r es ent enci ng i n acc or dance w i th U ni t ed Stat es v. B ooker , 543 U . S. — , 125 S. C t . 738 (2 0 0 5 ).