Opinion ID: 2823194
Heading Depth: 4
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: The Testimony of Trooper Marc Alboum

Text: The state began its case with the testimony of Trooper Alboum of the Rhode Island State Police. Trooper Alboum testified that, while he was on patrol in his cruiser on the night of July 26, 2010, he heard a broadcast on his police radio about a carjacking at gunpoint in the city of Providence, specifically at the intersection of Admiral Street and Hawkins Street. Trooper Alboum stated that the broadcast described the carjacking suspects as “two dark-skinned males    wearing white T-shirts,” and he added that the broadcast described the car as a “light blue Kia minivan.” He further testified that he heard in a later broadcast that the carjacked vehicle had been recovered in a Walgreens parking lot. Trooper Alboum testified that he proceeded to that location; he said that, at the Walgreens, there were law enforcement officers from several police departments all “standing around.” In his testimony, Trooper Alboum estimated that there were around fifteen to twenty officers in uniform at the scene. 6 We omit from our discussion the testimony of Trooper Ernest Adams, Trooper Luke Shatz, and Trooper Herbert Tilson, as their testimony has no direct bearing on defendant’s contentions on appeal. In addition, we reference only where necessary the testimony of two forensic scientists, Paul Breault and Paul Steven Iwuc. The forensic testing undertaken by those scientists, performed in order to identify the substances found in defendant’s car, need not be revisited in detail here. The parties do not dispute on appeal that both MDMA and marijuana were discovered in defendant’s vehicle, nor do the parties dispute the amounts found therein. -3- Next, Trooper Alboum testified that, while he was standing in the Walgreens parking lot, he observed a black Nissan Maxima drive past. Trooper Alboum testified that he could see that the driver of the Nissan Maxima was a woman and that in the car there were two male passengers, both dark-skinned and wearing white T-shirts. Trooper Alboum also testified that the driver of the Nissan Maxima was “staring straight ahead” as she passed the Walgreens parking lot and that her two passengers were “slouching down,” while also “looking straight ahead.” Trooper Alboum further testified that the behavior of the occupants of that car stood out in contrast to what was transpiring in the other cars passing by, in that the occupants of the latter cars were turning their heads in the direction of what Trooper Alboum testified was a “large police presence” in the parking lot. Trooper Alboum then testified that, after observing the occupants of the Nissan Maxima, he proceeded to “run an inquiry” on the vehicle’s license plate and discovered that the license plate affixed to the Nissan Maxima “came back [registered to] a 2000 silver Toyota.” Trooper Alboum stated that “the registration [did not] match the vehicle.” It was Trooper Alboum’s testimony that, after that discovery, he started his cruiser and began to follow the Nissan Maxima. He further testified that he “clock[ed]” it as traveling at 45 miles per hour in a 25 mile per hour zone. Trooper Alboum stated that the Nissan Maxima proceeded to enter Route 146 and that, as it did so, it entered “right behind [another] vehicle, nearly striking it.” Trooper Alboum testified that, as he followed the Nissan Maxima onto Route 146, he activated his lights and siren; he added that the Nissan Maxima nonetheless continued without stopping. Trooper Alboum stated that it was only after another police cruiser passed the Nissan Maxima in the high speed lane, positioned itself in front of the vehicle, and slowed down, that the Nissan Maxima slowed and eventually stopped. -4- Trooper Alboum then testified that, after exiting his cruiser, he approached the Nissan Maxima and that, as he did so, he could smell “the odor of fresh marijuana” emanating from the back of that vehicle. He further testified that he approached the driver’s side of the car and asked all of the occupants to “put their hands up;” Trooper Alboum stated that he made this request in order to “see everyone’s hands to make sure they didn’t have any weapons in their hands    .” He testified that, although all of the occupants initially complied, he observed that Mr. Espinal, the passenger seated behind the driver’s seat, was “starting to put his hands down.”7 It was Trooper Alboum’s testimony that he asked Mr. Espinal to step out of the car, searched him for weapons, and handcuffed him, before finally placing him in the back of the police cruiser. Trooper Alboum testified that he then returned to the Nissan Maxima and approached the driver’s side. It was Trooper Alboum’s testimony that, at that point in time, he could detect the odor of burnt marijuana coming from inside the vehicle. He testified that he asked defendant, the driver of the car, for her license and that, when she began to reach toward the floor of the car, he asked her to step out of the car.8 He said that he made that request because “it’s not normal that people reach for their licenses on the floor of the vehicle.” Trooper Alboum further testified that, after defendant stepped out of the car, he “sent her    towards the other troopers;” he added that he did not handcuff her himself, because his “set of handcuffs was on Mr. Espinal.”9 Trooper Alboum next testified that he checked under the 7 During his testimony at trial, Trooper Alboum identified the person seated behind the driver as co-defendant Jonathan Espinal. 8 During Trooper Alboum’s in-court testimony, he identified defendant as being the driver of the car on the night of July 26, 2010. 9 Although Trooper Alboum was not able to testify specifically as to the details of defendant’s arrest because he neither arrested defendant personally nor observed another officer effectuating the arrest, it is apparent from the record that the arrest occurred after Trooper -5- floor mat on the driver’s side (where defendant had been sitting) and found a “clear plastic baggy with a half a blue pill” inside.10 He added that Officer Raymond Reall of the North Providence Police Department searched the other passenger, Mr. German, and in the course of that search found a “plastic bag” containing what appeared to be marijuana.11 It was Trooper Alboum’s testimony that, following that discovery, he embarked on a more thorough search of the car with the assistance of another law enforcement officer—namely, Officer Reall, who had accompanied him in a separate cruiser in the pursuit of the Nissan Maxima onto Route 146. Trooper Alboum stated that, in the course of the more thorough search, he opened the trunk of the Nissan Maxima and immediately observed “two rectangular objects that had a clearish green plastic baggy on it [sic].” In addition, Trooper Alboum noted that the odor of fresh marijuana “increased    significant[ly]” once he had opened the trunk. According to Trooper Alboum’s testimony, a complete search of the trunk yielded six such “rectangular objects” (which he described as “bales”) covered in “greenish clear cellophane wrap.” Later testimony at trial by one of the state’s forensic scientists was to the effect that the bales contained marijuana and that the total weight of the marijuana was approximately thirty kilograms.12 Trooper Alboum further testified that, on July 27, 2010 (the morning after the arrests of defendant, Mr. German, and Mr. Espinal), Mr. German agreed to make a statement, and he was Alboum asked defendant to step out of the car and sent her in the direction of the other law enforcement officers at the scene. 10 One of the forensic scientists who testified for the state indicated that his testing demonstrated that the blue pill contained MDMA. 11 When Officer Reall testified during defendant’s trial, he stated that the marijuana was found during a patdown of Mr. German’s clothing. 12 One kilogram is the equivalent of approximately 2.2 pounds in the system of weights commonly used in this country. See The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language 966 (5th ed. 2011). Accordingly, the bales referred to in the text weighed approximately sixtysix pounds. -6- advised of his constitutional rights at that time. The trooper testified that his subsequent discussion with Mr. German lasted approximately twenty to thirty minutes; he added that the discussion was thereafter memorialized in a six-page “formal typed statement” (hereinafter “the unsigned statement”). Trooper Alboum stated that Mr. German initialed each of the first five pages of the unsigned statement, but did not sign it or check a box indicating that the “above statement was true to the best of [his] knowledge.” Trooper Alboum further testified that he (Trooper Alboum) thereafter changed the last line of the unsigned statement and that the resulting version of the statement was read and signed by Mr. German (hereinafter “the signed statement”). According to Trooper Alboum’s testimony, the two statements were substantively identical, with the exception of the last line. Trooper Alboum first testified concerning the contents of Mr. German’s unsigned statement. He stated that, in the course of his conversation with Mr. German about the events leading to defendant’s arrest, Mr. German told him that defendant had come and picked up Mr. Espinal and Mr. German around 6 or 7 p.m. on what would be the night of the arrest. Trooper Alboum then testified that Mr. German said that a friend named Felix had called and told Mr. German that he had marijuana and wanted to know if Mr. German could “get rid of it.” Trooper Alboum further testified that Mr. German also told him that Felix then said that he had “something for Ellie”13 and that Mr. German should “come get it.” Trooper Alboum stated that Mr. German then said that defendant, who was in the car with Mr. German and Mr. Espinal, could hear the phone conversation between Mr. German and Felix and that Mr. German subsequently directed defendant to drive to the location where they would meet Felix. 13 It was Trooper Alboum’s testimony that Mr. German “specifically used the word ‘Ellie’ to refer to the defendant.” -7- It was Trooper Alboum’s further testimony that he asked Mr. German why defendant would be the one to “get rid” of the marijuana and that Mr. German replied: “Because she [(Ms. Mendez)] is the one that sells it.” Trooper Alboum stated that Mr. German said that defendant was “fully aware” that there was a large amount of marijuana in her car on the night of her arrest. Finally, Trooper Alboum testified that, when he asked Mr. German whether he had anything to add to his first statement, Mr. German stated: “It was not my weed. It was Elizabeth’s weed.” Trooper Alboum testified that Mr. German refused to sign anything at that point in time. Finally, Trooper Alboum testified that, after Mr. German opted not to sign the first statement (the unsigned statement), Trooper Alboum prepared another statement (the signed statement) in which he asked Mr. German the same series of questions, and Mr. German replied with exactly the same answers, with one exception. Trooper Alboum explained that, as he finished preparing the signed statement, he again asked Mr. German whether he had anything to add, and Mr. German replied: “The marijuana was all mine, and I am taking the hit for it all.” Trooper Alboum stated that, after the just-quoted assertion by Mr. German as to the marijuana being “all his” was added, Mr. German signed the second statement.