Opinion ID: 2499220
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: State v. Wright

Text: ¶ 14 On November 29, 2006, Seattle police officer Chris Gregorio was on routine patrol driving northbound on Waters Avenue South approaching the intersection with South Roxbury Street, in a neighborhood the officer described as a hot spot known for burglaries and car prowls. Verbatim Report of Proceedings (VRP) at 7-8, 32-33. At 4:45 p.m., as he approached Roxbury, he saw a car one block away on a parallel street, 59th Avenue South, driving north and beginning to turn eastbound on Roxbury without headlights, though it was dark out. Although the vehicle began the turn heading toward the patrol car, it stopped about midturn, backed onto 59th Avenue South, and then turned and headed westbound on Roxbury, moving away from the patrol car. ¶ 15 Gregorio immediately pulled in behind the vehicle and stopped it because the driver was driving without headlights. [3] As he was making the stop, he asked that another officer also respond to the scene. [4] Officer Gregorio then approached Roger Wright, the sole occupant, and noticed a strong odor of marijuana coming from the vehicle. ¶ 16 Officer Gregorio asked Mr. Wright for his driver's license, registration, and proof of insurance and told him why he had stopped him. At some point in his conversation with Wright, Gregorio indicated that the area was a hot spot for stolen cars, burglaries, and vehicle prowls. The officer noticed that Wright was extremely nervous and reluctant to open the glove box and, when he did, Gregorio noticed a large roll of money. ¶ 17 Gregorio arrested Wright and passed him off to Officer Larned, the backup officer who had arrived on the scene shortly after Gregorio had initiated contact with Wright. Wright was placed in the back of a patrol car and read his Miranda [5] rights, which he waived. Officer Gregorio questioned Mr. Wright about the odor of marijuana in the car. Wright was reluctant to answer questions about marijuana but eventually admitted he had been smoking marijuana earlier. Officer Gregorio testified that all Wright would say was that he was smoking it. Realizing that the conversation was not going any further, Gregorio requested a K-9 unit. ¶ 18 When it arrived about 20 minutes later, a dog uncovered two baggies of marijuana, $1,300 in cash, and a prescription bottle of Oxycodone in Wright's name in the vehicle. The dog then found two additional baggies of marijuana and a scale in the backseat. Based upon this search, Gregorio obtained a warrant for the vehicle and discovered a bag containing MDMA (methylenedioxymethamphetamine or ecstasy) in the trunk. ¶ 19 Wright was charged with possession of MDMA with intent to distribute and possession of marijuana with intent to distribute. He moved to suppress the evidence. Following a CrR 3.6 hearing, the trial court denied the motion in an oral ruling. Wright waived the right to a jury trial and agreed to trial on stipulated facts. The court found him guilty of the lesser included offense of possession of MDMA and guilty on the count of possession of marijuana with intent to distribute. ¶ 20 Mr. Wright appealed and the Court of Appeals affirmed. Wright then filed a motion for reconsideration in light of Gant, which was granted. This court then issued its decision in Patton. The Court of Appeals again affirmed based on its determination that probable cause existed to believe the vehicle contained evidence of the crime of arrest. State v. Wright, 155 Wash.App. 537, 230 P.3d 1063 (2010) ¶ 21 We granted Wright's petition for discretionary review. Additional facts regarding the traffic stop are addressed below in connection with Mr. Wright's contention that the stop was pretextual.