1 ... S ee Te x. R. App . P. 47. 4. 

## COURT OF APPEALS SECOND DISTRICTOFTEXAS FORT WORTH NO . 2- 07-412- CR M I CH AE LJ OHN K L E P P E R AP P E L L ANT V . TH E STA TE O F TEXA S STA TE

----- ----- -- FR O M THE CO UN TY CRI M I NA LCO URT NO . 8 OF TARRA NT CO UN TY

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### M E M ORANDU M OP I NI ON 1

----- ----- -- I . I nt r oduc t i on I n onepoi nt , A ppe l l antM i cha elJoh n Klep p e rap pea l s hi s m i sd em ea nor convi ct i on f ordr i vi ng w h il e i nt oxi cat ed ( D W I ) . Kl epperar gues t hatt he t r i al c o u rt e rre d b yd e n y i n g h i sm o ti o n to s u p p re s s . W e a ffir m .2 ... A f t ert he t r i al courtdeni ed hi s m ot i on t o suppr ess, K l epperpl eaded

gui l t y pu r su antt o a pl ea ag r ee m entb u t p re s e rve d hi s pr et r i alobj ec t i onsf or app ea l . The t r i alco urts ent enc ed Kl epp e r t o f ort y da ys ’ co nf i nem entan d or der ed hi m t o pay a $ 75 0 fi ne. 2 II . F a c tu a la n d P ro c e d u ra lH i s to ry The on l y e vi den cet hatt he t r i al cou rt con si der ed atKl epp er ’ s su ppr es si on h e a ri n g w a s N o rt h R i c h l a n d H i l l s P o l i c e O ffi c e r D . C u l l i n s’s o ffen se rep o rt , s u b m i tte d i n to e v i d e n c e b yK l e p p e r. 2The r eportcont ai ned t he f ol l ow i ng f act s:

• O n A ugu st24 , 2 0 0 7 , atabout 12 : 40 a. m . , O f f i cerC ul l i ns observed Kl epp er ’ s r ed 200 5 H um m erH 2 st oppe d a ta r ed l i ghti n t he m i ddl e o ft he i nt er se ct i on at Boul eva r d 26 and H ar w ood Road i n Tar r ant C o u n t y, Tex as;

• “Theve hi cl e h ad com pl ete l y s to p ped pa stt he l i m i tl i ne i n t he i nte rs e c t i on[ , ] pa rt i al l y i n t he l eftt ur n l anean d pa rt i al l y i n t he i ns i de l ane”;

• O f f i ce r C ul l i ns t ur ned hi s pat r ol uni t ar ound and pul l ed up b e h i nd K l epper ’ s vehi cl e;

• K l e p p e r starte d b a c k i n g u p tow a rds the p a tr o l ca r an d the n turn e d l e ft w hen t he i nt er se ct i on l i ghtt ur ned gr ee n; an d

• A fter O ffi c e rC u l l i n s i n i ti a ted a traffi c sto p , h e sta ted i n h i s re p o rt , “ S u bje c ta d m it t e d t o b e in g p a r k e d in t h e m id d le o f t h e r o a d w a y a n d s a id he w as w ai t i ng f or[ O f f i ce rCul l i ns ’ s] pa t r ol ca rt o pa ssb[ y] hi m s o he c o u l d m o v e o u t o f th e i n te rs e c ti o n .” O ffice r C u l l i n s ’s re p o rt a l s o s ta te d th a t, u p o n a p p ro a c h i n g K l e p p e r’s vehi cl e, O f f i cerC ul l i ns sm el l ed a st r ong odorofal coho l and obser ved t hat K l epperhad bl ood shot , w at er y e y e s and sl ur r ed speech. Kl epperi nf or m ed3

O ffice r C u l l i n sth a t h e w a sd ri v i n g h o m e fro m B e l l b o tto m s , a l o c a l b a r, w h e re h e h a d co n su m e d thre e “S c h o o n e rs.” A fter K l e p p e r f a i l e d a fi e l d so b ri e ty te st, O ffi c e r C u l l i n s p l a c e d K l e p p e r un d e r a rr e st fo r D W I . K l e p p e r r e fu se d req u e sts f orbr eat h orbl ood speci m ens. I I I . M ot i on t o S upp r ess I n Kl epp er ’ s so l e poi nt , he con t end s t hatt he t r i alco urter r ed by o ver r ul i ng hi s m ot i on t o suppr ess because t her e w as i nsuf f i ci entevi dence t o suppo rtt hat O f f i ce rCul l i nsr ea so nab l y be l i eve d t hata t r af f i c v i ol at i on ha d oc cur r ed. A . Standar d ofRev i ew W e r evi ew a t r i al court ’ s r ul i ng on a m ot i on t o suppr ess evi dence un der a b i fu rc a te d s ta n d a rd o f re v i e w . A m a do r v. S tate , 221 S. W . 3d 666, 673 ( Tex. C ri m . A p p . 2 0 0 7 ); G uzm a nv. S tate , 9 5 5 S. W . 2d 85, 89 ( Tex. Cr i m . A pp. 199 7) . I n r evi ew i ng t he t r i alco u rt’s de ci si on, w e d o noten gag e i n ourow n fa c tu a l re v i e w . Ro m ero v. S tate , 800 S . W . 2d 539, 543 ( Tex. C ri m . A pp. 1 9 9 0 ); Best v. S tate , 118 S. W . 3d 857, 861 ( Tex. A pp. — FortW ort h 2003, no pet . ) . The t r i alj udgei s t he so l e t r i erof f ac t and j udge of t he cr edi bi l i t y oft he
w i tn e s s e sa n d th e w e i g h t to b e g i v e n th e i r te s ti m o n y . W i e dev. S tate , 214 S .W .3 d 1 7 , 2 4

– 2 5 (T e x . C ri m . A p p . 2 0 0 7 ); S tate v. Ro ss , 32 S . W . 3d 853, 8 5 5 (T e x . C ri m . A p p . 2 0 0 0 ), m odif i ed on other

groun ds by S tate v. Cul len , 195 S . W . 3d 69 6 ( T e x . C rim . A pp. 20 06 ) . Ther ef or e, w e gi ve al m ostt ot al4

d e f e r e n c e t o t h e t r ia l c o u rt ’s ru lin g so n (1 ) q u e s t io n so fh is t o r ic a l f a c t , e v e n if t he t r i al co urt ’ s det er m i nat i on of t hos e f ac t s w asnotba se d on an eva l uat i on of c re d i b i l i tya n d d e m e a n o r, a n d (2 ) a p p l i c a ti o n -o f-l a w -to -fa c t q u e s ti o n sth a t tu rn o n a n e v a l u a ti o n o f c re d i b i l i t y a n d d e m e a n o r. A m ado r, 221 S. W . 3d a t673; Mo n tan ez v. S ta te , 1 9 5 S .W .3 d 1 0 1 , 1 0 8

– 0 9 (T e x . C ri m . A p p . 2 0 0 6 ); Jo hn so nv. S tate , 68 S . W . 3d 64 4, 65 2– 53 ( Tex . C r i m . A pp. 20 02 ) . But w hen app l i ca t i on- of
- l aw - t o- f ac tque st i onsdo n ott ur n on t he cr edi bi l i t y and de m ea nor of th e w i t nes se s, w e r evi ew t he t r i alco urt ’ s r ul i ngson t hos e q ues t i onsde n o v o . A m ado r, 2 2 1 S .W .3 d a t 6 7 3 ; E stradav. S tate , 154 S. W . 3d 604, 607 (T e x . C ri m . A p p . 2 0 0 5 ); Johnson , 68 S . W . 3d a t652– 53. St at ed ano t her w ay, w hen r evi ew i ng t he t r i alco urt ’ s r ul i ng on a m ot i on t o suppr ess, w e m ustvi ew t he evi dence i n t he l i ght m ostf avor abl e t o t he t r i al c o u rt’sru l i n g . W

i ede , 2 1 4S .W .3 d a t 2 4 ; S ta te v. Kelly , 204 S . W . 3d 808, 818 ( Tex. Cr i m . A pp. 2006 ) . W hen , as her e, t he r ec or d i s si l ent on t he r ea so nsf or t he t r i al court ’ s r ul i ng, or w hen t her e ar e no expl i ci t f act f i ndi ngs an d n e ither p a rt yt im e lyre q u e s t e d f in d in g sa n d c o n c lu s io n s f r o m t h e t r ia l c o u rt , w e im p ly t he nec es sa ry f ac tf i ndi ngst hatw ou l d s u pportt he t r i alco urt ’ s r ul i ng i ft he e v i d e n c e , v i e w e d i n th e l i g h t m o st fav o rab l e to th e tr i a l co u rt ’s rul i n g , su p p o rt s th o s e fi n d i n g s . State v. Ga rci a -Ca n tu , 253 S. W . 3d 236 , 241 ( Tex. C r i m . A pp. 2 0 0 8 ); se e W

i ede , 21 4 S . W . 3d at25 . W e t hen r evi ew t he t r i al court ’ s l egal5

r ul i ng de no vo un l ess t he i m pl i ed f actf i ndi ngs suppo rt ed by t he r ecor d ar e al so d i s p o s i ti v e o f th e l e g a l ru l i n g . Kelly , 204 S. W . 3d a t819. W e m us tupho l d t he t r i alco urt ’ s r ul i ng i f i t i s su pport ed by t he r ec or d a nd c o rre c t u n d e r a n yth e o ryo f l a w a p p l i c a b l e to th e c a s e e v e n i f th e tri a l c o u rt g a v e th e w ro n g re a s o n fo r i ts ru l i n g . State v. Stevens , 235 S. W . 3d 736, 740 (T e x . C ri m . A p p . 2 0 0 7 ); A rm en da ri z v. S tate , 123 S . W . 3 d 4 01, 404 ( Tex. C ri m . A p p . 2 0 0 3 ), cert. denied, 5 4 1 U .S . 9 7 4(2 0 0 4 ). B. A ppl i cabl e Law A pol i ce of f i cer has t he aut hor i t y t o st op and t em por ar i l y det ai n a dr i ver w h o h a s v i o l a te d a tra ffic la w . A rm itag ev. S tate , 637 S . W . 2d 936, 939 ( Tex. C ri m . A p p . 1 9 8 2 ); L em m o n s v. S tate , 1 3 3 S .W .3 d 7 5 1 , 7 5 6 (T e x . A p p .— F o rt W ort h 2 00 4, pet . r ef ’ d) . A n a u t om obi l e st op i s j ust i f i ed w hen an off i cerhas re a s o n a b l e s u s p i c i o n to b e l i e v e th a t a tra ffic v i o l a ti o n h a so c c u rre d . G oudeau v. S tate , 209 S . W . 3d 713, 716 ( Tex. A pp. — H ous t on [ 14t h Di st .] 2 0 06, no p e t. ). R e a so n a b l e su sp i c i o n ex i sts i f th e o ffi c e r h a s s p e c i fi c , a rt i c u l a b l e fac ts w h i c h , c o m b i n e d w i th rati o n a l i n fere n c e s from tho se fac ts, w o u l d l e a d h i m to r e a s o n a b lyc o n c lu d e t h a ta p a rt ic u la r p e r s o n a c t u a llyis , h a sb e e n , o rs o o n w ill b e e n g a g e d i n c ri m i n a l a c ti v i ty . Ca strov. S tate , 227 S . W . 3d 737, 741 ( Tex. C ri m . A p p . 2 0 0 7 ).6

T h e ru l e so f th e ro a d c o n ta i n e d i n th e T e x a sT ra n s p o rta ti o n C o d e re q u i re t h e o p e r a t o ro fa v e h ic le f a c in g o n lya s t e a d yre d s ig n a l t o s t o p a ta c le a r ly m a rk e d s to p l i n e . T e x . T ra n s p . C o d e A n n . § 5 4 4 .0 0 7 (d ) (V e rn o n 2 0 0 8 ). A ddi t i onal l y, an oper at orof a vehi cl e m ay not st op, st and, orpar k i n an i n te rs e c ti o n . Id . § 5 4 5 .3 0 2 (a )(3 ) (V e rn o n 2 0 0 8 ). C . A n a ly s is I n Kl epp er ’ s so l e poi nt , he con t end s t hatt he t r i alco urter r ed by o ver r ul i ng hi s m ot i on t o suppr ess. Speci f i cal l y, K l epperar gues t hatal t hou gh O f f i cer C u llin s ’s re p o rts t a t e d t h a tO f f ic e rC u llin sh a d o b s e rv e d K l e p p e r ’s v e h ic le st oppe d pa stt he m ar ke d s t op l i ne and “ part i al l y i n t he l eftt ur n l a n e an d part i al l y i n t he m i ddl e l ane , ” th e repo rtf ai l ed t o s t at e w het herO f f i ce rCul l i ns r ea so nab l y be l i eve d t hat t hes e ac t i onsw er e v i ol at i onsoft he t r af f i c c odean d f urt h e r t ha tt he s e a c t i on sw e r e , i n f a c t , v i ol a t i on so ft het r a f f i c c od e . To su pporthi s ar gum ent , Kl epp erdi r ec t s ourattent i on t o S ta tev. T a rvin , 972 S. W . 2d 910 ( Tex. A pp. — W ac o 1998, pe t . r ef ’ d) , an d F o rdv. S ta te , 158 S .W .3 d 4 8 8 (T e x . C ri m . A p p . 2 0 0 5 ). I n T a rvin , t he t r i al courtf oun d, an d th e appel l at e courtagr eed, t hat t ouch i ng t he r i ght- hand w hi t e l i ne di d not const i t ut e w eavi ng ou tofone’ s l ane. T a rvin , 9 7 2 S .W .2 d a t9 1 1

– 1 2 . S u c h d r iv in g b yT a rv in

— w h ic h s h o w e d o n ly
w e a v in g w it h in h is o w n la n e — d id n o tp r o v id e re a s o n a b le s u s p ic io n o fa t r a f f ic7

v i o l a ti o n . Id . at91 2. The evi dence di d not suppo rta f i ndi ng t hatt he of f i cer had a r easonabl e bel i eft hatTar vi n had vi ol at ed t he T exas Tr ansport at i on C ode. Id . Ther ef or e, be ca us e t her e w as no r ea so nab l e s us pi ci on f ora det ent i on a nd n o e v i d e n c e o f a tra ffic v i o l a ti o n , th e c o u rt o f a p p e a l sa ffir m e d th e tri a l c o u rt’s s u p p re s s i o n ru l i n g . Id . I n F o rd, t he of f i ce rs t oppe d t he veh i cl e f orf ol l ow i ng a not herve hi cl e t oo c l o s e l y . F

o rd, 158 S. W . 3d at490. The st at ut e i n F o rd

— sect i on 5 45 . 06 2( a) of th e T e x a s Tr ans port at i on Code— l i st s f ac t or s t o c ons i deri n de t er m i ni ng a vi ol a t i o n , i n c l u d i n g t h e s p e e d o f t h e v e h i c l e s , t r a f f i c , t h e c o n d i t i o n soft he h i g h w a y , a n d w h e th e r th e d ri v e r c o u l d s a fe l ys to p . Id . The of f i ce r ’ s st at em ent th a t h e s a w F o rd “ fo l l o w i n g to o c l o s e ” w a s h e l d to b e c o n c l u s o ryb e c a u s e th e re w asno t es t i m ony ofobj ec t i ve f ac t s orci r cum st anc est hatw oul d a l l o w t he a p p e lla t e c o u rtt o d e t e r m in e w h e t h e r t h e o f f ic e r ’s c o n c lu s io n w a so bje c t iv e ly re a s o n a b l e . Id . a t493– 94. T a rvinan d F

o rd, how ever , ar e both di st i ngu i shabl e f r om t he pr esentcase. Her e , t hed e t e r m i na t i on o f a vi ol a t i on ofs e c t i on s544. 007( d) a nd 545. 302( a ) ( 3) i s notbased on an off i cer ’ s s u b j ect i ve opi ni on. O n t he contr ary, O f f i cer C ul l i ns’ s st at em ent s t hatK l epperhad st opp ed com pl et el y past t he l i m i t l i ne at a r ed l i ghtan d t hat K l epp er ’ s veh i cl e w aspa r ke d i n t he m i ddl e o ft he i nt er se ct i on, an d Kl epp er ’ s ow n a dm i ss i on, doc um ent ed i n t he r epo rt , t hathe8

had bee n p a r k e d i n t h e mi d d l e o ft h e r o a d wa y , we r e o bj e c t i v e o b s e rv a t i ons upon w hi ch t he t r i al cou rtco ul d ha ve con cl ude d O f f i ce rCul l i nsde vel ope d t he r easonabl e suspi ci on t hatK l epperhad com m i t t ed one or m or e t r af f i c vi ol at i ons. F urt he r m ore, K l ep pe r ’ s co nten t i on — t ha tt he r e w as n o reaso n a b le s u s p ic io n b e c a u s e O f f ic e r C u llin s f a ile d t o s t a t e in h isre p o rtt h a th e re a s o n a b ly bel i eve d t hatKl epp er ’ s ac t i onsw er e v i ol at i onsoft he l aw an d f ai l ed t o s t at e t he exa ctpr ovi si on Kl epp er had vi ol at ed— i s i r r el eva nt , be ca us e w e d i sr ega r d a ny subj ect i ve i nt entoft he of f i cer m aki ng t he st op and l ook sol el y t o w het heran o bj e c ti v e b a s i s fo r th e s to p e x i s ts . Ga rci av. S tate , 43 S. W . 3d 527, 530 ( Tex. C r i m . A pp. 200 1) . The de t er m i nat i on oft he pr es enc e o fr ea so nab l e s us pi ci on i s a f a c t u a l o n e a n d i sma d e a n d r e v i e we d b yc o n s i d e r i n g t h e t o t a l i t yo ft he c i rc u m s ta n c e sa t th e ti m e o f th e s to p . See i d. ; Ickev. S tate , 36 S . W . 3d 913, 915 ( Tex. A pp. — H ous t on [ 1stD i st . ] 200 1, pet . r ef ’ d) . Ther ef or e, vi ew i ng t he evi den cei n t he l i ght m os tf avo r abl e t o t he t r i alco urt ’ s r ul i ng, w e h ol d t hatt he t r i al co urt pr ope r l y f ound t hatO f f i ce rCul l i nsha d r ea so nab l e s us pi ci on t o s t op K l e p p e r a n d fu rt h e r m o re th a t th e tri a l c o u rt d i d n o t e rr b yd e n y i n g K l e p p e r’s m o ti o n to s u p p res s. A c c o rding l y , w e o v e rr u l e K l e p p e r’ s s o l e p o i n t.9 I V . Concl us i on H a v i n g o v e rru l e d K l e p p e r’ss o l e p o i n t, w e a ffir m th e tri a l c o u rt’s j u d g m e n t.

P E R CU R I AM PA N EL: M C C O Y, J. ; CA YC E, C. J. ; an d W A LKER, J. DO NO T P UBLI SH Tex. R. A pp. P. 47. 2( b) DEL I VERE D: F e br ua ry 12, 2009