Opinion ID: 1925383
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 6

Heading: Liquor Store Under Surveillance

Text: The testimony of the officers at the suppression hearing, and the ruling from the trial judge, relied upon a belief that Riley was possibly purchasing alcohol for the underage females. Indeed, the officers were present at the shopping center because of their involvement in the Cops In Shops detail. The suspicion that the stop was related to the crime of purchasing alcohol for minors was the basis for the trial judge's ruling: It's a close one, but basically, what the second officer said about the pattern or practice of behavior there and what they had seen and how it was identified and what drew their suspicion, I can't say it's unreasonable. He was able to articulate it. And it wasn't off a hunch because he saw the red car, and people underage who buy alcohol drive red cars. It wasn't an irrational point to it. So I think there was a basis, a constitutional basis to approach and have the initial confrontation. The pattern or practice of behavior referred to by the trial judge is taken from Officer Anunias' testimony: Because we were working Cops In Shops, and we were actually outside the shops that evening. And that vehicle approached, slowed down, stopped, parked, and there were 2 young females in the car. And they drew our attention that they may not be 21 and they may be trying to obtain alcohol, and it fit a scenario that we've seen several times before in providing situations. Riley's opening brief substantially focused on the trial judge's reliance on the stop being related to the Cops In Shops detail and Riley's presence near a liquor store with underage females. Riley argued that the officers could not have objectively suspected that he was engaging in a purchase of alcohol for minors because there was no evidence to suggest that such a crime was underway. Since Riley did not attempt to purchase alcohol, and there was no evidence that he had agreed to make a purchase of alcohol for the minors, Riley submits that the officers' suspicions were merely hunches. In its answering brief, the State appears to agree with many of Riley's points. On appeal, the State does not rely exclusively on the Cops In Shops program to justify the stop of Riley by the police. Instead, the State argues that the stop was justified on the suspicion that a drug transaction was taking place. With regard to reasonable articulable suspicion that a drug sale was taking place, Riley contends that once the particularized attention given to him as a result of the Cops In Shops detail is removed from the analysis, the State's case is weakened even further. The record supports Riley's contention. There was no evidence that the area was the focus of special attention because of drug sales. There was no evidence that the officers had observed a drug sale in that area before the defendant's stop. There was no evidence that the conduct observed was consistent with conduct the officers had observed in prior drug transactions. There was no evidence of any exchange of money or any other item.