Court Opinion

ID: 9540150
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-07 16:13:07.538731+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T14:59:40.007588
License: Public Domain

DISSENTING STATEMENT BY
LALLY-GREEN, J.:
¶ 1 While the majority sets forth a persuasive rationale in support of its result, I respectfully dissent.
¶2 I believe the Commonwealth presented sufficient evidence in support of Appellant’s conviction under 75 Pa.C.S.A. § 3802(d)(2). As the trial court found, Appellant exhibited erratic driving prior to the traffic stop. She admitted to police that she ingested controlled substances. After police stopped her, Appellant’s hands were too shaky to light a cigarette and she failed three field sobriety tests. I believe the evidence of record is sufficient to support a finding, beyond reasonable doubt, that Appellant violated § 3802.
¶ 3 Further, I would not announce a rule requiring the submission of expert testimony. Here, the record hints of no explanation for Appellant’s conduct other than her ingestion of drugs. Our case law is clear that expert testimony is not a necessary part of proof of a violation under § 3802(d)(2) in all cases.
¶ 4 Moreover, I would reject Appellant’s argument that the seizure of several prescription pill bottles was not warranted under the plain view doctrine. Appellant asked a police officer to enter her car to care for her dog. Upon entering Appellant’s vehicle, the officer observed, in plain view, several open pill bottles in the center console of Appellant’s car. The officer immediately recognized them as containing controlled substances. The officer knew, at the time of the seizure of the open pill bottles, that Appellant had admitted to ingesting controlled substances prior to driving. Under these circumstances, the officer had probable cause to believe that *238the pill bottles were evidence of Appellant’s commission of a crime. Thus, he was justified in seizing them under the plain view doctrine. Commonwealth v. Ellis, 541 Pa. 285, 662 A.2d 1048 (1995).1
¶ 5 Since I believe that none of Appellant’s arguments warrants relief, I would affirm the judgment of sentence. Accordingly, I respectfully dissent.

. Appellant also argues that the blood test should be suppressed because it came about only as a result of the illegal seizure of the pill bottles. Since I believe the seizure of the pill bottles was proper, I would conclude that this argument lacks merit.