Opinion ID: 891566
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: blake was without statutory authority to either detain or arrest defendant

Text: {11} A ruling on a motion to suppress evidence presents a mixed question of law and fact. State v. Rivera, 2008-NMSC-056, ¶ 10, 144 N.M. 836, 192 P.3d 1213. This Court reviews factual findings under a substantial evidence standard, viewing the facts in the light most favorable to the prevailing party, and we review de novo whether the district court correctly applied the law to the facts. Id. In this case, the district court made formal findings of fact in its order denying Defendant's motions. Neither party asserts that these findings were made in error, and the pertinent factual findings are supported by the record. We therefore accept these findings as conclusive. Davis v. Devon Energy Corp., 2009-NMSC-048, ¶ 13, 147 N.M. 157, 218 P.3d 75 (When there are no challenges to the district court's factual findings, we accept those findings as conclusive.). {12} Defendant's argument that his seizure by Blake was unreasonable within the context of the Fourth Amendment rests entirely on the assertion that Blake lacked the statutory authority to detain or arrest anyone suspected of committing a crime. We believe that Defendant would concede that if a commissioned police officer had seized him, his detention and arrest would have been reasonable under the Fourth Amendment. Thus, Defendant's argument presents two separate issues: (1) whether Blake had the authority to seize Defendant, because if she did, her actions were presumably reasonable under the Fourth Amendment; and (2) if she did not have such authority, whether her lack of authority is an unreasonable seizure under the Fourth Amendment, which would entitle Defendant to application of the exclusionary rule. We address these arguments in turn. {13} The State argues that there is nothing in the record to show that Blake's actions were unauthorized because Blake had the authority to seize Defendant for two reasons: (1) she may be considered to have the authority to arrest by virtue of her status as a peace officer under this Court's decision in State v. Ogden, 118 N.M. 234, 245, 880 P.2d 845, 856 (1994); and (2) she was acting on the express authority of the Roswell Police Department. We disagree with both contentions. {14} We are not persuaded by the State's first argument, which relies on Ogden as support for Blake's authority to arrest Defendant. In Ogden we determined that a City of Farmington Community Service Officer (CSO) was a peace officer within the context of the aggravating circumstances statute, NMSA 1978, Section 31-20A-5(A) (1981). 118 N.M. at 245, 880 P.2d at 856. We concluded that by enacting the aggravating circumstances statute, the Legislature intended to protect a broader category of law enforcement officers than only police officers. Id. at 244, 880 P.2d at 855. Because CSOs are charged with the duty to maintain public peace or order and all of their responsibilities are of a peace-keeping nature[,] we held that the Legislature intended to include CSOs in the definition of peace officer for the purpose of Section 31-20A-5(A). Ogden, 118 N.M. at 245-46, 880 P.2d at 856-57. {15} While we recognized in Ogden that CSOs and, by extension, PSAs may perform some police functions similar to those of commissioned officers, we did not endeavor to identify the scope of these non-commissioned officers' duties. In fact, in holding that the aggravated circumstances statute protects a broader category of peace officer than simply commissioned police officers, we implicitly recognized that CSOs, PSAs, and other auxiliary officers or service aides are sometimes treated differently by virtue of their lack of commission. In any case, the analysis of whether a PSA possesses the authority to seize a person suspected of violating the Motor Vehicle Code or other laws regarding motor vehicles presents a distinct issue of statutory construction that is only tangentially related to the aggravated circumstances statute we addressed in Ogden. Therefore, although Blake was likely a peace officer within the context of the aggravating circumstances statute, as a non-commissioned employee of the Roswell Police Department, her authority to arrest individuals suspected of violating the Motor Vehicle Code has been limited by the Legislature. {16} We are also not persuaded by the State's second argument that Blake was acting with the express authority of the Roswell Police Department. Any authority granted to Blake by the City of Roswell to arrest individuals suspected of violating the Motor Vehicle Code would be nullified by statutory authority to the contrary. See Stennis v. City of Santa Fe, 2008-NMSC-008, ¶ 21, 143 N.M. 320, 176 P.3d 309 ([A] municipality may adopt ordinances or resolutions not inconsistent with state law. A municipal ordinance does not conflict with state law unless the ordinance permits an act the general law prohibits, or vice versa. (internal quotation marks and citations omitted)). The Legislature has expressly stated that [n]o person shall be arrested for violating the Motor Vehicle Code [66-1-1 NMSA 1978] or other law relating to motor vehicles punishable as a misdemeanor except by a commissioned, salaried peace officer who, at the time of arrest, is wearing a uniform clearly indicating the peace officer's official status. NMSA 1978, {66-8-124(A) (1961, prior to 2007 amendments). The Legislature intended that only commissioned officers may arrest a person who is suspected of violating the Motor Vehicle Code. Therefore, any municipal grant of authority to the contrary would permit[ ] an act the general law prohibits and would be impermissible. Stennis, 2008-NMSC-008, ¶ 21, 143 N.M. 320, 176 P.3d 309 (internal quotation marks and citations omitted). {17} Here, it is undisputed that Blake was not a commissioned police officer. It is also undisputed that Defendant was charged with second offense aggravated DWI, contrary to Section 66-8-102, a misdemeanor. See § 66-8-102(F) (stating that second offense aggravated DWI is punishable by up to 364 days in jail); NMSA 1978, {30-1-6(B) (1963) (A crime is a misdemeanor if it is so designated by law or if upon conviction thereof a sentence of imprisonment in excess of six months but less than one year is authorized.). Therefore, according to Section 66-8-124(A), Blake was without statutory authority to arrest Defendant.