Opinion ID: 198094
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Was the pat-down of appellant a permissible Terry stop and frisk?

Text: 7 Appellant questions the validity of his frisk by the Maine officer as being beyond the scope permitted by Terry v. Ohio, 392 U.S. 1, 88 S.Ct. 1868, 20 L.Ed.2d 889 (1968), and seeks the suppression of all evidence discovered, claiming it is fruit of the poisonous tree. Wong Sun v. United States, 371 U.S. 471, 485-86, 83 S.Ct. 407, 9 L.Ed.2d 441 (1963). In this respect it is important to keep in mind that the district court's findings of fact are reviewable only for clear error, although its legal conclusions receive de novo treatment. See Ornelas v. United States, 517 U.S. 690, 699, 116 S.Ct. 1657, 1663, 134 L.Ed.2d 911 (1996). 8 Because appellant concedes that Terry permits the police to stop a person to investigate upon a reasonable suspicion that a crime has been committed, and because appellant does not contest the fact that he was violating the speed limit when he was stopped, our inquiry is narrow in scope. Was appellant's search after the legitimate stop reasonable under the circumstances? 9 We first look to whether the officer acted properly in ordering appellant to step outside his vehicle upon being stopped. The district court in effect concluded that the officer's suspicions were justifiably heightened, not only by the abrupt manner in which appellant's vehicle pulled over and came to a stop, but by the exaggerated level of movement of the occupants of the car as it came to a stop, particularly those of the passenger in the right front seat. Given these findings, which are fully supported by the record, the officer's request that appellant step outside his automobile was justified. See Maryland v. Wilson, 519 U.S. 408, 117 S.Ct. 882, 885, 137 L.Ed.2d 41 (1997) (noting that, once vehicle lawfully stopped for traffic violation, constitutionally permissible for officer to order driver to get out of vehicle). 10 The next and final step of this inquiry is whether appellant's frisk, which provided the immediate cause for his arrest and which uncovered some of the incriminating evidence for which he was charged and convicted, was appropriate under Terry. 11 This step need not detain us long. Analyzing the propriety of a frisk involves a two-part inquiry, in which no single factor is controlling: first ... [one must determine] whether the officer's action was justified at its inception, and second, whether the action taken was reasonably related in scope to the circumstances which justified the interference in the first place. United States v. Walker, 924 F.2d 1, 3 (1st Cir.1991) (quoting United States v. Stanley, 915 F.2d 54, 55 (1st Cir.1990)). The court must consider the circumstances as a whole, and must balance the nature of the intrusion with the governmental interests that are served. United States v. Hensley, 469 U.S. 221, 228, 105 S.Ct. 675, 83 L.Ed.2d 604 (1985). 12 The circumstances of this stop are such that the officer would have been foolhardy not to have frisked appellant for weapons. See Walker, 924 F.2d at 4. In particular, the time of day and location of the incident, the excessive speed at which the vehicle was driven, the manner in which it came to a stop, and the unexplained commotion among its occupants who outnumbered the police officer five to one, was sufficient cause to conduct the initial limited patdown of appellant's front pants pockets, in which contraband was in fact discovered. What followed has been fully recounted and need not be repeated, but was certainly not poisoned fruit. 13 The Fourth Amendment by its terms prohibits 'unreasonable' searches and seizures. New York v. Class, 475 U.S. 106, 116, 106 S.Ct. 960, 89 L.Ed.2d 81 (1986). The stop and ensuing search were reasonable under the circumstances and thus the ruling of the district court denying suppression of the evidence is affirmed.II. The Sufficiency of the Evidence 14 In considering a motion for judgment of acquittal, both the trial and reviewing courts must evaluate the evidence and such reasonable inferences as arise therefrom in the light most favorable to the government. United States v. Loder, 23 F.3d 586, 589 (1st Cir.1994). 15 Appellant's arguments go principally to the credibility of various government witnesses, and are thus in large measure addressed to the wrong forum. See United States v. Meader, 118 F.3d 876, 881 (1st Cir.1997) (finding credibility assessments to be uniquely the domain of the jury). A. 18 U.S.C. § 924(c)(1) 16 Count VII of the indictment charges appellant with using and carrying a firearm in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 924(c)(1). Since this relates to the use or carrying of a firearm during and in relation to the drug crime alleged in Count I, we must look first to the government's proof in that respect. 17 In Count I of the indictment, appellant was charged with engaging in a conspiracy to distribute cocaine base in violation of 21 U.S.C. §§ 841(a)(1) and 846. At least 8 witnesses testified that throughout the summer of 1996, they and others purchased crack cocaine from appellant. Each of these witnesses corroborated the other seven, and their testimony was also confirmed by the introduction of evidence seized from appellant's premises, which included cash, drugs, and drug paraphernalia. Viewing this evidence and all reasonable inferences that may be drawn therefrom in the light most favorable to the government, we find that there was enough evidence to allow a reasonable jury to convict on Count I. 18 Turning to the proof regarding Count VII, the evidence is equally overwhelming that appellant carried the 9-mm pistol that was introduced into evidence during the various phases of his drug deals, including during purchases, transportation, and, most bone-chillingly described by several witnesses, during drug-debt-collection episodes. Count VII was well proven. B. 18 U.S.C. §§ 922(g)(1) and 924(e)(1) 19 The above evidence is also relevant to the Count VIII charge which alleges his condition as a felon in possession with respect to the 9-mm pistol. There is no question that appellant was a three-time felon, and that he was in possession of a firearm. Thus, Count VIII was established. 20 This evidence is equally applicable to Count IX, with the slight variation that appellant is charged there with knowing possession of the seven rounds of 9-mm ammunition discovered in various places where he had passed through during his travails. Appellant's disavowals as to this evidence were appropriately brought to the attention of the jurors, who were entitled to give his contention the weight that they considered it deserved. We see no reason to disturb their conclusion.