# U ni te d S ta te s Co ur t of A pp ea ls
For the Eig hth Circu it

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No. 1 6- 21 49

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Uni te d S ta te s o f Am eri ca

ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll l Pla in ti

ff - App el le e

v.

Cl ay to n Hi gh W ol f

ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll l Defe nd

an t - Ap pe ll an t

__ __ __ __ __ __ App eal fro m

Uni te d S ta te s Di st ric t Co ur t fo r th e Dis tri ct of S ou th Dako ta - Rap id Cit y

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Su bm it te d: Decem

be r 16 , 20 16 Fil ed : J an ua ry

26 , 20 17 [Un pu bl is he d]

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Befo re KELLY and MURPHY, Ci rcu it Ju dg es , and MAGNUSON, Dis tri ct Ju dg e. 1

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MAGNUSON, Dis tri ct Ju dg e.

The Hon or ab le Pau l A. Mag nu so n, Uni te d St at es Dis tri ct Ju dg e fo r th e 1
Dis tri ct of M in ne so ta , si tt in g b y de si gn at io n.App el la nt Cl ay to n Hig h W ol f ap pe al s th e di st ric t co ur t’s de ni al of hi s m ot io n 2

to su pp res s. Fo r th e fo ll owi ng reas on s, we af fir m

.

Sh or tl y aft er m id ni gh t o n J ul y 17

, 20 14

, Rap id Ci ty, So ut h Dak ot a po li ce of fic er Carm en Vis an was on pa tro l whe n sh e o b s e rv ed a ve hi cl e wit ho ut a li gh t
il lu m in at in g it s rear li cen se pl at e. Bec au se fai lu re to ha ve an il lu m in at ed rear li cen se pl at e vi ol at es So ut h Dak ot a la w, Vis an in it ia te d a tra ffi c st op

. Af t e r r e l a yin g th e dr iv er’s in fo rm at io n to di sp at ch

, Vis an di sc ov ered th at th e dr iv er was Cl ay to n Hig h

W ol f, an d th at he ha d an ou ts ta nd in g warran t for dri vi ng un de r su sp en si on an d was

on fed eral pr ob at io n. Vis an pl aced Hig h Wol f un de r arre st an d fo un d 39 sm al lcal ib er bu ll et s in hi s fro nt le f t p a n t s p oc ke t. An as si st in g of fic er pe rfo rm in g an in ve nt or y se arch of th e ve hi cl e lo cat e d a fir earm un de r th e pa ss en ge r’s se at of th e

ve hi cl e.

In Sep te m

be r 20 14 , t he Uni te d St at es ch arg ed Hig h W ol f w it h po ss es si on of

a fir e a r m an d am m

un it io n by a pr oh ib it ed pe rs on in vi ol at io n of 18 U.S.C. §§ 92 2( g) (1 ) an d 92 4( e)(1 ). Befo re tria l, High W ol f m ov ed to su pp res s t he fir earm

an d am m un it io n ob ta in ed du rin g th e tra ffi c st op , arg ui ng t h at Vis an di d no t ha ve

pr ob ab le cau se to st op th e ve hi cl e. The mag i s t r a t e jud ge co nd uc te d an ev id en ti ary he ari ng on th e m ot io n, he ard fo ur wit ne ss es te st ify, an d rece iv ed a vi de o an d ph ot os of th e tra ffi c st op in to ev id en ce. The m ag is tra te jud ge reco m m en de d th at th e m ot io n

to su pp res s be de ni ed be cau se th e vi de o an d ph ot os “ su pp or t Vis an ’s te st im on y th at
th e li cen se pl at e li gh t di d no t ap pe ar to be fu nc ti on in g. ” (Ap pe ll an t’s Bri ef Add . 4

at 13 .)

Hig h W ol f ti m el y ob jecte d to th e m ag is tra te jud ge ’s rep or t an d

reco m m en da ti on (“ R&R ”). Sp eci fic al ly, Hig h W ol f ob jecte d t o th e m ag is tra te

The Hon or ab le Je ffre y L. Vik en , Ch ie f Ju dg e, Uni te d St at es Dis tri ct Co ur t fo r 2
th e Dis tri ct of S ou th Dako ta

.

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-jud ge ’s fin di ng th at Vis an cred ib ly te st ifi ed ab ou t be in g un ab le to se e th e rear li cen se

pl at e li gh t wi th in 50 feet of t he ve hi cl e.

The di st ric t co ur t co nd uc te d a de no vo rev ie w of th e R&R

. Afte r rev ie win g th e

su pp res si on he ari ng tra ns cri pt an d watc hi ng th e vi de o of th e tra ffi c st op , th e di st ric t

co ur t de te rm in ed th at Vis an ’s te st im on y was in co ns is te nt

. D u r i n g th e su pp res si on he ari ng , Vis an te st ifi ed th at sh e was dr iv in g no rth bo un d on LaCro ss e St reet whe n sh e ob se rv ed Hig h W ol f ’s v e h i c le dr iv in g in th e op po si te di rect io n. Sh e te st ifi ed th at
whe n sh e lo ok ed in he r le ft si de vi ew m irr or sh e no ti ced th at no li gh t il lu m in at ed th e

ve hi cl e’s rear li cen se pl a t e

. Sh e al so te st ifi ed th at sh e tu rn ed aro un d an d be ga n fo ll owi ng th e ve hi cl e b e f o r e s h e in it ia te d th e tra ffi c st op

. The vi de o, ho wev er, sh owe d Vis an tra ve li ng no rth bo un d o n La Cro ss e St reet whe n Hig h W ol f’s ve hi cl e

m erg ed in fro nt of h er an d b eg an tra ve li ng in th e sa m e d ire ct io n.

Alt ho ug h th e di st ric t cou rt ack no wled ge d th at th is in co ns is te nc y co ul d affe ct
Vis an ’s cred ib il it y , he fo un d th at it was “ ne it he r ge rm an e to th e jus ti fic at io n for th e

su bs eq ue nt tra ffi c s t op no r to th e rem ai nd er of th e m ag is tra te jud ge ’s rep or t.” (Ap pe ll an t’s Bri ef Add

. 2 at 4.) The di st ric t co ur t al so fo un d th at Vis an ’s te st im on y ab ou t be in g un ab le to se e th e rear li cen se pl at e li gh t wit hi n 50 feet of th e ve hi cl e was

“ co nf irmed by th e vi de o reco rd in g.” (Id .) Co ns eq ue nt ly, th e di st ric t co ur t ov erru le d Hig h Wol f’s ob

jecti on s, ad op te d t he R&R, a nd de ni ed th e m ot io n t o s up pr es s.

A jury co nv ic te d Hig h W ol f on Ja nu a r y 7

, 20 16

, an d th e di st ric t co ur t

se nt en ced hi m

to 92 m on th s i n p ris on . Hig h Wol f ti m el y ap pe al ed

.

On ap pe al fro m th e de ni al of a m ot io n to su pp res s, we rev ie w le ga l co nc lu si on s de no vo an d fact ua l fin di ng s fo r cl ear erro r. Uni te d Stat es v. W oo ds

, 74 7 F.3 d 55 2,

55 5 (8 th Ci r. 20 14 ). Hig h W ol f ch al le ng es th e di st ric t co ur t’s fact ua l fin di ng th at th e

rear li cen se pl at e li gh t was no t fu nc ti on in g. Acco rd in g to Hig h W ol f, Vis an di d no t

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-cred ib ly te st ify ab ou t be in g un ab le to se e th e li cen se pl at e li gh t wit hi n 50 feet of th e

ve hi cl e, an d s he th eref

or e la ck ed pro ba bl e cau se to st op th e v eh ic le

.

The as se ss m en t of a wit ne ss ’s cred ib il it y is wit hi n t h e pr ov in ce of th e tri al

co u r t a n d is vi rtu al ly un rev ie wab le on ap pe al

. Uni te d St at es v. Can tre ll

, 53 0 F.3 d

68 4, 69 2 (8 th Ci r. 20 08 ) (q uo ta ti on an d ci ta ti on om it te d)

. A di st ric t co ur t’s

cred ib il it y as se ss m en t is cl earl y erro ne o u s o nl y if th ere is “ ex tri ns ic ev id en ce th at

co nt rad ic ts th e wit ne ss ’s st or y or th e st or y is so in te rn al ly in co ns is te nt or im pl au si bl e

on it s face th at a reas on ab le fact -fi nd er wou ld no t cred it it .” Uni te d St at es v. Heat h,

58 F.3d 12 71 , 12 75 (8t h C ir. 1 99 5) (ci ta ti on om it te d)

.

Hig h W ol f arg ue s th at be cau se Vis an ’s te st i mo n y a b ou t ho w sh e fir st

en co un te red hi s ve hi cl e was in co ns is te nt wit h th e vi de o of th e tra ffi c st op , th e di st ric t

co ur t cl earl y erre d in cred it in g he r te st im on y ab ou t be in g un ab le to se e a rear li cen se pl at e li gh t wit hi n 50 feet of th e ve hi cl e. Bu t as t h e d i s t r i c t co ur t ap tl y st at ed

, ho w Vis an en co un te red Hig h W ol f’s ve hi cl e was no t germ an e to th e jus ti fic at io n for th e

st op

. In ad di ti on , th e di st ric t co ur t watc he d t h e v i d e o of th e tra ffi c st op an d

in de pe nd en tl y de te rm in ed th at Vis an w a s u n a b l e to se e th e rear li cen se pl at e li gh t
wit hi n 50 feet o f t h e ve hi cl e. Hav in g vi ewed th e co rro bo rat in g vi de o it se lf, th e di st ric t co ur t di d no t cl earl y err in cred it in g Vis an ’s t e s t im on y an d co nc lu di ng th at
th ere was pro ba bl e cau se to st op th e v eh ic le

.

Affi rm ed

.

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