Opinion ID: 168153
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Constitutionality of the Search of Mitchell's Vehicle

Text: When reviewing an order granting a motion to suppress, we accept the trial court's factual findings unless clearly erroneous, and we view the evidence in the light most favorable to the district court's finding. United States v. Little, 60 F.3d 708, 712 (10th Cir.1995) (quotations omitted). The issue of Fourth Amendment reasonableness, however, is reviewed de novo. Id. Mitchell argues his arrest was in violation of the Fourth Amendment because, after the initial inspection, the officers had no reasonable suspicion Mitchell had committed an offense. In particular, Mitchell contends the inspection of the inside of the trailer was unlawful because N.M. Stat. Ann. § 65-5-1, which authorizes inspections of commercial trucks, is unconstitutional and thus could not support the regulatory search undertaken in this case. This court has previously held the commercial trucking industry is a closely regulated industry. United States v. Vasquez-Castillo, 258 F.3d 1207, 1210 (10th Cir.2001). As a result, whether New Mexico's regulatory scheme is a sufficient substitute for a warrant is determined by the three-part test articulated in New York v. Burger, 482 U.S. 691, 107 S.Ct. 2636, 96 L.Ed.2d 601 (1987). Under Burger, a warrantless inspection made pursuant to a regulatory scheme governing a pervasively regulated business is reasonable if it meets three criteria. Id. at 702, 107 S.Ct. 2636. First, the regulatory scheme must be informed by a substantial government interest. Id. Second, warrantless inspections must be necessary to further the regulatory scheme. Id. at 702-03, 107 S.Ct. 2636. Third, the inspection program must provide a constitutionally adequate substitute for a warrant in terms of the certainty and regularity of its application. Id. at 703, 107 S.Ct. 2636. Mitchell acknowledges this court has previously considered the constitutionality of the New Mexico regulatory scheme governing commercial carriers and held the statute was constitutional. Vasquez-Castillo, 258 F.3d at 1211-12; see also United States v. Gwathney, 465 F.3d 1133, 1139-40 (10th Cir.2006). He contends, however, that Vasquez-Castillo is distinguishable on its facts and therefore should not be applied here. Mitchell's contention is incorrect as a matter of law. Vasquez-Castillo analyzed the constitutionality of New Mexico's regulatory scheme using the three-prong test laid out in Burger and held that the scheme satisfied all three prongs. Id. at 1211-12. As this court has noted, the Burger criteria are applied generally to a statutory scheme, not to a given set of facts arising under that scheme. Gwathney, 465 F.3d at 1140. Under the established precedent of this circuit, the New Mexico statutory scheme meets the requirements of the warrant exception set out in Burger. [14] See id.; Vasquez-Castillo, 258 F.3d at 1212. Mitchell also argues the officer's order to unlock the trailer exceeded the scope of the permissible § 65-5-1 inspections because Mitchell told the officer there was no cargo in the trailer and there was therefore no justification for inspecting the inside of the trailer. The New Mexico statute authorizes inspectors to inspect the vehicle and its contents to determine whether all laws and all rules and regulations of the departments of this state with respect to public safety, health, welfare and comfort have been fully complied with. N.M. Stat. Ann. § 65-5-1(F). In addition, the statute provides [t]he person in charge of the port of entry may satisfy himself as to the contents of the cargo. Id. § 65-5-1(D). An inspector may also inspect the vehicle's contents to ensure all excise taxes on fuel, alcohol, or other property have been paid. Id. § 65-5-1(E). This court has held New Mexico's regulatory scheme clearly contemplates entrance into the trailer to inspect blocking and bracing, and also allows inspection of the contents of the vehicle. Gwathney, 465 F.3d at 1139. There is no meaningful distinction under this statutory scheme between inspection of the contents of a vehicle and inspection of a vehicle to confirm there are no contents. If an operator could escape inspection by giving a verbal statement that the trailer was empty, New Mexico's ability to conduct meaningful inspections would be seriously compromised. This is particularly true where, as here, the officer has reason to believe the operator has not provided accurate information. New Mexico's statutory scheme contemplates the inspection of trailers to confirm compliance with New Mexico's laws and this authorization extends to inspections to confirm an operator's assertion that he or she carries no cargo. N.M. Stat. Ann. § 65-5-1(F); Gwathney, 465 F.3d at 1140. Because we hold that the officer's inspection of the inside of the trailer did not violate the Fourth Amendment, Mitchell's argument that his consent to examine the contents of the boxes was tainted fails. The district court found, and Mitchell does not directly contest, that he consented to the search of the boxes. Absent any Fourth Amendment violation, this consent was valid and justified a warrantless search. United States v. Jackson, 381 F.3d 984, 988 (10th Cir.2004).