### IN THE CO URT OF CR IMINAL APPEALS OF T ENN ESSEE

AT KNOX VILLE

Apr il 22 , 20 14 Ses si on

STATE OF TENNESS EE v . SOMER D. WI LD

A p p e a l f r o m t h e C r i m i n a l C o u r t f o r H a m b l e n C o u n t y

N o

. 1 2 C R 7 1 5 J o h n F

. D u g g e r , J r

. , J u d g e

N o

. E 2 0 1 3

- 0 1 7 7 7

- C C A

- R 3

- C D

- F i l e d A u g u s t 2 0

, 2 0 1 4



### T h e d ef en d an t, S o m er D

. Wild

, w as in d icted f o r d riv in g u n d er th e in f

lu en ce, a C l a s s A

m isd em ean o r. A f

ter th e trial co u rt d en ied h er m o tio n to su p p ress th e leg ality o f th e traf f ic

s t o p

, th e d ef

en d an t p led g u ilty to th e o f f en se an d w as sen ten ced to elev en m o n t h s a n d

tw en ty -n in e d ay s, su sp en d ed f o llo w in g th e serv ice o f f

o rty -eig h t h o u rs in j ail. A s p art o f h er

p lea o f g u ilty

, th e d ef

en d an t reserv ed as a certif ied q u estio n o f law th e leg ality o f th e traf f ic

sto p o f h er v eh icle. F o llo w in g o u r rev iew o f th e reco rd an d th e v id eo reco rd in g o f th e traf f ic

sto p

, w e co n clu d e th at th e trial co u rt erred in d en y in g th e m o tio n to su p p ress. A cco rd in g ly

,

w e rev erse th e j u d g m en t o f co n v ictio n an d d ism iss th e in d ictm en t.

T e n n

. R

. A p p

. P

. 3 A p p e a l a s o f R i g h t ; J u d g m e n t o f t h e C r i m i n a l C o u r t R e v e r s e d

a n d D i s m i s s e d

A LA N E

. G LE N N

, J

. , d e l i v e r e d t h e o p i n i o n o f t h e C o u r t

, i n w h i c h T H O M A S T

. W O O D A LL a n d

R O G E R A

. P A G E

, J J

. , j o i n e d

.

J o n a t h a n M

. H o l c o m b

, M o r r i s t o w n

, T e n n e s s e e

, f o r t h e a p p e l l a n t

, S o m e r D

. W i l d

.

R o b e r t E

. C o o p e r

, J r

. , A t t o r n e y G e n e r a l a n d R e p o r t e r ; D e s h e a D u l a n y F a u g h n

, A s s i s t a n t

A t t o r n e y G e n e r a l ; C

. B e r k e l e y B e l l

, D i s t r i c t A t t o r n e y G e n e r a l ; a n d D a n E

. A r m s t r o n g

,

A s s i s t a n t D i s t r i c t A t t o r n e y G e n e r a l

, f o r t h e a p p e l l e e

, S t a t e o f T e n n e s s e e

.

O P I N I O N

F A C T S

T h e d e f e n d a n t w a s o p e r a t i n g h e r v e h i c l e o n a r a i n y e v e n i n g i n M o r r i s t o w n

. T h e

q u a l i t y o f t h e v i d e o r e c o r d i n g o f h e r d r i v i n g i s p o o r

, a p p a r e n t l y b e c a u s e o f b o t h w e a t h e r a n d

r o a d c o n d i t i o n s

. A s w e w i l l e x p l a i n

, t h e S t a t e r e l i e d u p o n t h e v i d e o o f t h e d e f e n d a n t ’ s d r i v i n gt o j u s t i f

y t h e s t o p o f h e r v e h i c l e

.

A t t h e h e a r i n g o n t h e d e f e n d a n t ’ s m o t i o n t o s u p p r e s s e v i d e n c e

, O f f i c e r B r a d R i c e o f

t h e M o r r i s t o w n P o l i c e D e p a r t m e n t t e s t i f i e d t h a t o n A p r i l 2 5

, 2 0 1 2

, h e w a s w o r k i n g t h e

l a t e

- n i g h t s h i f

t

, t r a v e l i n g w e s t b o u n d o n W e s t A n d r e w J o h n s o n H i g h w a y w h e n h e o b s e r v e d

t h e d e f e n d a n t ’ s b l a c k R a n g e R o v e r p u l l o u t f r o m T a c o B e l l i n f

r o n t o f h i m

. O f

f i c e r R i c e

t e s t i f i e d a s t o h i s l i m i t e d m e m o r y o f t h e i n c i d e n t : “ W h a t I r e m e m b e r i s j u s t f r o m t h e v i d e o

.

I k n o w i n t h e v i d e o I s a y t h e y w e n t o v e r t h e l i n e t w i c e ; t h a t ’ s n o t i n t h e r e

. T h e p o r t i o n w h e r e

s h e ’ s g o i n g o v e r t h e l i n e f o r t h e l o n g a m o u n t o f t i m e i s i n t h a t v i d e o

, i f I r e c a l l c o r r e c t l y

. ”

A d d i t i o n a l l y

, O f

f i c e r R i c e a c k n o w l e d g e d t h a t h e c o u l d n o t r e m e m b e r h o w l o n g t h e

d e f e n d a n t s t r a d d l e d t h e l i n e b u t t h a t i t w a s a n “ e x t e n d e d t h i n g

. I t ’ s o n t h e v i d e o

. ” H e a d d e d

t h a t t h e d e f

e n d a n t s t r a d d l e d t h e t u r n l a n e a n d f a s t l a n e f o r “ a s i g n i f

i c a n t a m o u n t o f t i m e ” a n d

n e v e r t u r n e d l e f

t o r w e n t b a c k i n t o h e r l a n e

. A s t o h i s b a s e s f o r s t o p p i n g t h e d e f

e n d a n t ’ s

v e h i c l e

, h e r e s p o n d e d

, “ I d o n o t b e l i e v e e v e r y t h i n g i s o n t h e v i d e o b e c a u s e I s t a t e d i n t h e

v i d e o t h a t y o u w e n t o v e r t h e l i n e t w i c e

, w h i c h w o u l d b e f a i l u r e t o m a i n t a i n t h e r e

, d u e t o t h a t

p r e r e c o r d b e i n g o n l y 3 0 s e c o n d s

. B u t d u e t o t h e a g e

, I j u s t

– I r e a l l y c a n ’ t r e m e m b e r

. ”

A t t h e c o n c l u s i o n o f t h e h e a r i n g o n t h e m o t i o n t o s u p p r e s s

, t h e t r i a l c o u r t d e n i e d t h e

m o t i o n

, m a k i n g l e n g t h y o r a l f i n d i n g s :

T h e C o u r t f

i n d s s o m e t i m e a f

t e r m i d n i g h t o n A p r i l 2 5 t h

, 2 0 1 2 t h a t O f f i c e r R i c e

w a s t r a v e l i n g o n W e s t A J H i g h w a y

, o b s e r v e d a b l a c k R a n g e R o v e r p u l l o u t o f

T a c o B e l l h e a d i n g w e s t o n W e s t A n d r e w J o h n s o n H i g h w a y

. T h e C o u r t f i n d s

t h a t h e i s n o t c l e a r o n h i s r e c o l l e c t i o n a s t o w h a t o c c u r r e d p r i o r

. H e

. . . c a n ’ t

s a y t h e r e ’ s c l e a r a n d c o n v i n c i n g e v i d e n c e a s t o

. . . w h e n

, w h e r e a n d w h a t

h a p p e n e d

, b u t t h e t a p e s p e a k s f o r i t s e l f

. T h e t a p e s h o w s

, a n d y o u h a v e t o w a t c h

t h e t a p e v e r y c l o s e l y

, a n d I t h i n k y o u h a v e t o b e f a m i l i a r w i t h t h e r o a d s

, a n d

, o f

c o u r s e

, I ’ v e l i v e d i n H a m b l e n C o u n t y 5 3 y e a r s a n d I ’ m p r e t t y f a m i l i a r w i t h t h e

a r e a

. . . . [ T ] h e C o u r t f

i n d s t h a t [ t h e d e f

e n d a n t ] d i d c r o s s o v e r t h a t l a n e

– t h a t

l i n e i n t o t h e t u r n l a n e i n t h e v i c i n i t y o f

, i t a p p e a r s

, t h e i n t e r s e c t i o n o f E c o n o m y

R o a d

. . . . A n d t r a v e l e d a s h o r t d i s t a n c e s t r a d d l i n g t h a t l i n e

. B u t i t ’ s d i f f i c u l t

t o s e e b e c a u s e t h e r o a d s a r e w e t

, t h e r e i s g l a r e f r o m t h e h e a d l i g h t s

, f

r o m t h e

s t r e e t l i g h t s o n t h e r o a d

, b u t i f y o u l o o k a t t h e l i n e

, t h e r e i s a l i n e

, a n d t h a t s h e

d i d c r o s s o v e r i n t o t h a t l a n e

, a n d t h e n s h e p r o c e e d e d b a c k i n t o t h e p r o p e r l a n e

,

a n d m a d e a p r o p e r t u r n

, t u r n e d i n t o t h e P i l o t

. U n d e r B i n e t t e m e r e d r i f t i n g i n

o n e ’ s o w n l a n e [ ] d o e s n o t c o n s t i t u t e r e a s o n a b l e s u s p i c i o n

. A n d t h a t ’ s w h a t t h e

o f f i c e r h a s t o h a v e i s a r e a s o n a b l e s u s p i c i o n o r r e a s o n a b l e a n d a r t i c u l a b l e f a c t s

t h a t c r i m i n a l a c t i v i t y c o u l d b e a f o o t a n d t h e r e c o u l d b e a p o s s i b l e i n t o x i c a t e d

d r i v e r a n d t h a t h e h a s e n o u g h r e a s o n a b l e s u s p i c i o n t o s t o p t h e v e h i c l e

.

-2-I n t h i s c a s e

, i t ’ s n o t r e a l l y h e r o w n l a n e o f t r a v e l

, a t u r n l a n e

. A n d t h e

w a y W e s t A n d r e w J o h n s o n H i g h w a y i s s e t u p

, a n d I t a k e j u d i c i a l n o t i c e o f t h i s

,

t h e r e [ a r e ] t w o l a n e s t r a v e l i n g e a s t

, t w o l a n e s t r a v e l i n g w e s t

. T h e r e i s a m i d d l e

l a n e i n b e t w e e n t h e t w o l a n e s o n e a c h s i d e

. I t ’ s a f i v e

- l a n e r o a d

. T h a t i s a

s h a r e d t u r n l a n e

. Y o u c a n p u l l i n t h a t l a n e a n d g o l e f t

, o r y o u c a n p u l l i n e i t h e r

d i r e c t i o n

. I t ’ s s h a r e d b y b o t h l a n e s o f t r a v e l a s t o a t u r n l a n e

. B y c r o s s i n g o v e r

i n t o t h a t o t h e r t u r n l a n e

, t h e r e c o u l d b e a n o t h e r v e h i c l e c o m i n g u s i n g t h a t t u r n

l a n e

. I t c o u l d h a v e b e e n a n a c c i d e n t

. T h e r e i s r e a s o n a b l e s u s p i c i o n t o s t o p t h e

v e h i c l e

, c l e a r l y

, b y t h a t

. T h e o f f i c e r d o e s n ’ t h a v e a n i n d e p e n d e n t r e c o l l e c t i o n

b u t t h e t a p e s p e a k s f

o r i t s e l f

. H e h a s r e a s o n a b l e s u s p i c i o n t o s t o p t h e v e h i c l e

.

I n i t s f i n d i n g s

, t h e t r i a l c o u r t i d e n t i f i e s t h e l o c a t i o n i n M o r r i s t o w n d e p i c t e d o n t h e

v i d e o a n d t h e n t a k e s d e t a i l e d j u d i c i a l n o t i c e o f t h e l a y o u t o f t h e d r i v i n g l a n e s i n t h e a r e a

.

S i n c e t h e d e f

e n s e d i d n o t o b

j e c t t o t h e c o u r t ’ s m a k i n g t h e s e f i n d i n g s

, w e w i l l n o t r e v i e w

w h e t h e r t h e c o u r t c o u l d t a k e j u d i c i a l n o t i c e o f s u c h d e t a i l s

.



### A N A L Y S IS

We w ill rev iew th e b asis f o r th e d ef en d an t’s m o tio n to su p p ress, th at O f f icer R ice h ad

n o sp ecif ic, o b j ectiv e f acts f ro m w h ich h e co u ld h av e h ad a reaso n ab le su sp icio n th at sh e w as

en g ag ed in an y

crim in al activ ity

.

Wh en th is co u rt rev iew s a trial co u rt’s ru lin g o n a m o tio n to su p p ress ev id en ce,

“[ q ] u estio n s o f cred ib ility o f th e w itn esses, th e w eig h t an d v alu e o f t h e e v i d en ce, an d

reso lu tio n o f co n f

licts in th e ev id en ce are m atters en t r u sted to th e trial j u d g e as th e trier o f

f a c t

. ” S tate v

. O d o m

, 9 2 8 S .W.2 d 1 8

, 2 3 (T en n

. 1 9 9 6 ). T h e p arty p rev ailin g a t t h e

su p p ressio n h earin g is af f o rd ed th e “stro n g est leg itim ate v iew o f th e ev i d e n ce an d all

reaso n ab le an d leg itim ate in f eren ces th at m ay b e d raw n f ro m th at ev id en ce.” S tate v

. K eith

, 9 7 8 S .W.2 d 8 6 1

, 8 6 4 (T en n

. 1 9 9 8 ). T h e f in d in g s o f a trial co u rt in a su p p ressio n h earin g are

u p h e l d u n less th e ev id en ce p rep o n d erates ag ain st th o se f in d in g s. S ee id

. B o th p ro o f

p resen ted at th e su p p ressio n h earin g an d p ro o f p resen ted at trial m ay b e co n sid ered b y an

ap p ellate co u rt in d ecid in g th e p ro p riety o f th e trial co u rt’s ru lin g o n a m o tio n to su p p ress.

S tate v

. H en n in g

, 9 7 5 S .W.2 d 2 9 0

, 2 9 9 (T en n

. 1 9 9 8 ); S tate v

. P erry

, 1 3 S

. W

. 3 d 7 2 4

, 7 3 7

(T en n

. C rim

. A p p

. 1 9 9 9 ). H o w ev er, th e ap p licatio n o f th e law to th e f acts f o u n d b y th e trial

co u rt is a q u estio n o f law an d is rev iew ed d e n o v o w ith o u t p resu m p tio n o f co rrectn ess. S ee

S tate v

. B in ette, 3 3 S .W.3 d 2 1 5

, 2 1 7 (T en n

. 2 0 0 0 ); S tate v

. Y earg an

, 9 5 8 S .W.2 d 6 2 6

, 6 2 9

(T en n . 1 9 9 7 ).

A p p ly in g th i s s t a n d ard o f rev iew

, w e m u st n o w d eterm in e w h eth er sp ecif ic an d

artic u l a b l e f

acts ex isted to au th o rize a sto p o f th e d ef en d an t’s v eh icle. T h e F o u rth

-3-

### A m en d m en t to th e U n ited S tates C o n stitu tio n p ro v id es th at “[ t] h e rig h t o f th e p eo p le to b e

secu re

. . . ag ain st u n reaso n ab le search es an d seizu res, sh all n o t b e v io lated

, an d n o w arran ts

sh all issu e, b u t u p o n p ro b ab le cau se.” “A rticle I, sectio n 7 o f th e T en n essee C o n stitu tio n

sim ilarly p ro h ib its u n reaso n ab le search es an d seizu res an d is id en tical in in ten t an d p u rp o se

w ith th e F o u rth A m en d m en t.” B in ette, 3 3 S .W.3 d at 2 1 8 ; see S n eed v . S tate, 2 2 1 T en n . 6

, 4 2 3 S .W.2 d 8 5 7

, 8 6 0 (1 9 6 8 ). “C o n seq u en tly

, u n d er b o th th e f ed eral an d state co n stitu tio n s,

a w arran tless search o r seizu re is p resu m ed u n reaso n ab le, an d ev id en ce d isco v ered as a resu lt

th ereo f is su b

j ect to su p p ressio n u n less th e S tate d em o n strates th at th e search o r seizu re w as

co n d u cted p u rsu an t to o n e o f th e n arro w ly d ef in ed ex cep tio n s to th e w arran t req u irem en t.”

Y earg an , 9 5 8 S .W.2 d at 6 2 9

.

“O n e ex cep tio n to th e w ar r a n t r e q u irem en t ex ists w h en a p o lice o f f icer m ak es an

in v estig ato ry sto p b ased u p o n reaso n ab le su sp icio n

, su p p o rted b y sp ecif ic an d ar t i c u l a b le

f acts, th at a crim in al o f

f en se h as b een o r is ab o u t to b e co m m itted .” B in ette, 3 3 S .W.3 d at

2 1 8

. T h u s, in o rd er f

o r t h e s t o p i n th is case to b e co n stitu tio n ally v alid

, at th e tim e th at

O f f icer R ice tu rn ed o n h is v eh icle’s b lu e lig h ts, h e m u s t h a v e h ad reaso n ab le su sp icio n

,

su p p o rted b y sp ecif

ic an d articu lab le f

acts, th at th e d ef

en d an t h ad co m m itted

, o r w as ab o u t

to co m m it, a crim in al o f

f en se. S ee id

.

O n ap p eal, th e S tate relies o n th e trial co u rt’s f in d in g th at th e d ef

en d an t cro ssed th e

f ast lan e in to th e tu rn lan e an d “trav eled a sh o rt d istan ce strad d lin g th at lin e.” A d d itio n ally

, th e S tate p o in ts to th e trial co u rt’s co n cl u s i o n th at “[ b ] y cro ssin g o v er in to th at o th er tu rn

lan e, th ere co u ld b e an o th er v eh icle co m in g u sin g th at tu rn lan e. [ T h ere] co u ld h av e b een an

accid en t. T h ere is reaso n ab le su sp icio n to sto p th e v eh icle, clearly , b y th at.”

We h av e caref

u lly rev ie w e d t h e v id eo tap e f ro m w h ich O f

f icer R ice testif

ied

. T h e

cam era’s v iew is th ro u g h th e w in d sh ield o f O f f icer R ice’s v eh icle. A t th e tim e, a m o d erate

rain w as f allin g an d th e v eh icle’s w in d sh ield w ip ers w ere stead ily o p eratin g

. T h e p o lice car

f o llo w ed th e d ef

en d an t’s f o r ap p ro x im ately o n e m in u te, th ro u g h a c om m e r c i a l a r e a lin ed w ith

b u sin esses, all o f

w h ich ap p eared to b e illu m in ated b y th eir lig h ts an d sig n s. A d d itio n ally

, th ere w ere f

u n ctio n in g street lig h ts o n b o th sid es o f th e street. T h e s t r e e t i n th e d irectio n

w h ich th e d ef

en d an t w as trav elin g w as w et an d ref lected th e lig h ts w h ich lin ed its sid es. It

ap p ears th e street h ad at least t w o l a n e s o f trav el an d a sh ared m id d le tu rn lan e in th e

d irectio n tak en b y th e d ef en d an t, w ith in term itten t lan e m ark in g s. T h e ma r k in g s are n o t

ref lectiv e an d are d if

f icu lt to id en tif

y

, as th e ro ad cu rv es, an d th e d ef en d an t’s v eh icle f

o llo w s,

to th e rig h t an d th en th e lef t w h ile th e v id eo w as b ein g m ad e.

In su m

, th is case b o ils d o w n to th e ap p ro x im a t e l y o n e

- min u te v id eo

, sin ce O f f icer

R ice re c a l l e d t h e in cid en t “j u st f ro m th e v id eo .” A lth o u g h th e tap e w as p lay ed in co u rt

d u rin g t h e e v id en tiary h earin g

, th ere w as n o sim u ltan eo u s testim o n y f

ro m O f f icer R ice

-4-

### id en tif

y in g th e tim es w h en th e d ef en d an t’s v eh icle d rif

ted in to an o th er lan e. T h e trial co u rt

p ro v id ed a d etailed d escrip tio n o f th e lan e m ark in g s in th e area an d reco g n ized th at th e tap e

h ad to b e w atch ed “v ery

clo sely ” an d th at th e v iew er “h a[ d ] to b e f am iliar w ith th e ro ad s.”

We co n clu d e th at th e S tate’s p ro o f m u st f ail. T h e d ef

icien cies in th e v id eo tap e, an d O f f icer

R ice’s in ab ility to recall th e in cid en t, b o th co u p led w ith th e f act o f th e trial co u rt’s h av in g to

su p p ly in f o rm atio n reg ard in g lan e m ark in g s in th e area co m p el u s to co n clu d e th at th e co u rt

erred in d eterm in in g t h a t O f f icer R ice law f

u lly sto p p ed th e d ef

en d an t’s v eh icle. 1



### A cco rd in g ly

, w e rev erse th e j u d g m en t o f th e trial co u rt an d d ism iss th e D U I ch arg e ag ain st

th e d ef en d an t.

C O N C L U S IO N

B ased u p o n th e f

o reg o in g au th o rities an d reaso n in g

, w e rev erse th e j u d g m en t o f th e

trial co u rt an d d ism iss th e in d ictm en t ch arg in g th e d ef en d an t w ith d riv in g u n d er th e in f lu en ce

o f an in to x ican t.

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ A L A N E

. G L E N N

, J U D G E

Wh en a video is bei ng played d uri ng the te st imony of a witne ss, it is hel pfu l to an appel la te cou rt 1

to have the wit nes s exp la in what is dep ic te d o n t h e vi d e o and the poi nts

, if any, when par ti cul ar at te nti on

sho ul d be pai d. For ins ta nce

, in thi s cas e, Off ic er Ric e cou ld have bee n asked to te st if y re gardi ng the

ar ra ngem ent of la nes and the spe ci fi c point s in whic h, in his view, the def end ant ’s vehicl e had st ra yed int o

a not her la ne. T his te st imony is par ti cul ar ly import ant when, as her e, the video is of poor qua li t y a n d t h i s

cou rt m ust m ake it s own de n ovo det er m ina ti ons as to what th e vide o sh ows.

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