Court Opinion

ID: 9677840
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-24 06:01:43.789983+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:16:58.980024
License: Public Domain

STEVEN C. HILBIG, Justice,
concurring.
Although I agree with the result reached in the majority opinion, I write separately because of the majority’s failure to address what I perceive to be various problems with the trial court’s findings of fact and conclusion of law and the legal consequences flowing therefrom. Because findings of fact and conclusions of law are now required when requested in suppression cases and because the issues addressed in this concurrence are likely to arise again, I write separately to discuss these issues.
As related in the majority opinion, Cullen successfully challenged the evidence obtained as a result of his warrantless arrest for driving while intoxicated. In its first appeal to this court, the State claimed the trial court’s failure to file findings of fact and conclusions of law when properly requested is error requiring remand to the trial court with instructions to make the requested findings and conclusions. State v. Cullen, 167 S.W.3d 428, 430 (Tex.App.-San Antonio 2005), rev’d, 195 S.W.3d 696 (Tex.Crim.App.2006). Because there was no authority requiring such findings and conclusions, and the trial court was enti-*284tied to disbelieve all or part of the officers’ testimony, this court affirmed the trial court’s order granting the motions to suppress. Id.
The court of criminal appeals, however, granted the State’s petition for discretionary review and concluded that findings of facts and conclusions of law are required when requested by the party losing a motion to suppress. State v. Cullen, 195 S.W.3d 696, 700 (Tex.Crim.App.2006). The court remanded the case to this court with instructions to order the trial court to enter findings of fact and conclusions of law. Id. Upon order by this court, the trial court filed findings of fact and conclusions of law. The pertinent findings of facts are summarized as follows:1
• the police heard a report of a vehicle traveling at a high rate of speed, driving erratically;
• Detective Biasiolli heard, then saw, the vehicle going north on Broadway, estimated the speed of the car to be sixty miles per hour, saw the vehicle attempt to turn without slowing, saw the vehicle crash into a telephone pole at sixty miles per hour, observed that Cullen was unsteady on his feet, had slurred speech and bloodshot, glassy eyes, and smelled the odor of intoxicants on Cullen’s breath;
• Officer Marcus observed Cullen swaying as he walked, observed Cullen’s bloodshot, glassy eyes, smelled a strong odor of intoxicants on Cullen’s breath, observed that Cullen had all six clues on the horizontal gaze nys-tagmus test, and noted that Cullen exhibited “at least four clues” on the one-leg stand.
After finding these facts, the court entered Finding Number 14, which states, in relevant part:
The Court finds that the defendant’s head was traumatized. The Court finds that the testimony of Officer Marcus about the results of the field sobriety tests is not credible due to the head trauma. The Court finds that the defendant’s red, bloodshot, glassy eyes were caused by the head trauma. The Court finds that the defendant’s unsteadiness on his feet was caused by the head trauma.
The trial court then entered its single conclusion of law:
And conclusion of law, the Court finds that the only credible evidence is that the defendant was speeding and had the smell of alcohol on his breath. Therefore, there was no probable cause to arrest the defendant for driving while intoxicated.
The trial court’s actions in characterizing as “fact” that head trauma caused what is usually considered symptoms of intoxication and then apparently clothing that “fact” as a credibility choice is improper , and allowed the trial court to refuse to consider evidence supporting a finding of probable cause. First, the “finding” that head trauma caused the poor results of the field sobriety tests; the red, bloodshot, glassy eyes; and the defendant’s unsteadiness is really a conclusion. As a conclusion, it is subject to de novo review on appeal. Furthermore, as explained below, it is a conclusion not relevant to the probable cause review. Second, the trial court appears to be making a determination of what constitutes the better explanation as to the cause of the usual symptoms of intoxication — head trauma or alcohol— *285then easting its decision in terms of “the credible evidence.” It is within the trial court’s province in a suppression hearing to determine if it believes (or finds credible) the testimony of a witness. For instance, the trial court makes a credibility choice to believe a witness’s testimony that someone had bloodshot eyes, had all six clues on the horizontal gaze nystagmus test, or performed poorly on the field sobriety tests. But it is not the province of the trial court to decide the better or best underlying cause of the presence of the symptoms or behaviors. Such a decision is not the type of “credibility” choice envisioned by the standard of review. Furthermore, such a “conclusion” is not required by the probable cause standard and actually perverts that standard.
It is quite apparent the trial court believed Officer Marcus’s observation that Cullen had red, bloodshot and glassy eyes and that he performed poorly on the field sobriety tests. If the trial court did not find that testimony credible, it would not have been necessary to “conclude” that head trauma caused those symptoms; rather, it would have found the symptoms did not exist. But the trial court’s conclusion that head trauma caused the symptoms is of no importance in the determination of the existence of probable cause.
Probable cause for a warrantless arrest exists when the police have reasonably trustworthy information sufficient to warrant a person of reasonable caution to believe a particular person has committed or is committing on offense. Torres v. State, 182 S.W.3d 899, 901 (Tex.Crim.App. 2005); Johnson v. State, 32 S.W.3d 294, 298 (Tex.App.-San Antonio 2000, pet. ref d). The determination of the existence of probable cause concerns the practical and realistic considerations of everyday life on which normal prudent people — not legal technicians — act. Guzman v. State, 955 S.W.2d 85, 87 (Tex.Crim.App.1997). And while probable cause requires more than an officer’s mere suspicion, it requires “far less evidence than that necessary to support a conviction or even that needed to support a finding by a preponderance of the evidence.” Id. The determination of the existence of probable cause is judged by the totality of the circumstances. Torres, 182 S.W.3d at 902. Thus, under the proper standard for determining the existence of probable cause, even though there may be a number of explanations offered to account for an officer’s observations, the pertinent question is whether one of those explanations is that the person was committing an offense.2 See id. at 901.
There are two conclusions posited for the officers’ numerous observations in this case — head trauma and driving while intoxicated. The issue before the trial court was whether its factual findings, including the observations of Officer Marcus, supported the conclusion that Cullen may have been driving while intoxicated. If the answer was “yes,” the trial court was required to find probable cause existed. It is of no moment that the trial court’s findings of fact might also support the conclusion that Cullen suffered head trauma. So long as a person of reasonable prudence could conclude, based on the totality of facts, that there was some evidence Cullen had lost the normal use of his physical or mental faculties due to the ingestion of alcohol and was operating a motor vehicle in a public place, probable cause existed.
*286Here, in addition to finding Cullen was speeding, involved in an accident, and smelled of alcohol, the trial court found that Cullen: (1) was unsteady on his feet and swayed; (2) had slurred speech; (3) had bloodshot, glassy eyes; (4) showed all six clues on the HGN; and (5) showed four clues on the one-leg stand. The trial court was not entitled to ignore these latter factual findings in determining whether probable cause existed and erred in doing so.
The trial court erred in failing to properly apply the probable cause standard. In its findings of fact and conclusion of law, it made conclusions not relevant to such determination, characterized conclusions as factual findings, and cast some of its conclusions as a credibility choice. Because the majority fails to address these important issues and provide guidance for making appropriate findings and conclusions in future cases, I cannot join in the majority opinion. However, because the majority reached the proper result, I hereby concur.

APPENDIX A

Detective Paul Biasiolli, Detective Troy Marek and Officer Charles Marcus heard a radio broadcast by Bike Patrol wagon driver Lemastra of a description of a blue Volkswagen with a ski rack on top going north on Broadway at a high rate of speed, driving erratically and possibly a DWI.
Second finding, Detective Biasiolli and Detective Marek were outside their car speaking with the manager of Sam’s Burger Joint.
Finding three, shortly thereafter Biasiolli and Marek heard the described vehicle approaching at a high rate of speed.
Fourth finding, Biasiolli turned around and saw the described vehicle going north on Broadway.
Finding Number 5, Biasiolli estimated the vehicle’s speed at 60 miles per hour. Bia-siolli was radar certified, and as a part of that certification had to learn to estimate speeds of moving vehicles.
Finding Number 6, Biasiolli saw the described vehicle attempt to make a turn without slowing from the 60 miles per hour, never braking. The vehicle was unable to make the turn and crashed into a telephone pole at 60 miles per hour. The Detective never lost sight of the vehicle. He and his partner, Detective Marek, drove to the scene. When they arrived, the defendant and his passenger were out of the car.
Finding Number 7, both air bags had deployed at 60 miles per hour. The passenger had a broken nose. Detective Biasiolli didn’t see any bruises or blood on the defendant’s head. He said it was a fairly violent collision. He wouldn’t have been surprised if persons in the car were injured.
Finding Number 8, the detective observed that the defendant was unsteady on his feet, had slurred speech and bloodshot, glassy eyes. Later that night at the Intox-ilyzer room he smelled the odor of intoxicants coming from the defendant’s breath.
Finding Number 9, Officer Charles Marcus arrived at the scene very soon having been in the vicinity and heard the radio broadcast. He said the first thing he did was to find out who was injured and if anyone was intoxicated. Officer Marcus said, “that it was a fairly severe impact, a pretty good hit and that the accident was bad enough for air bags to go off, so bad enough.”
Finding Number 10, Officer Marcus asked the defendant if he was injured and needed EMS. The defendant said he wasn’t. Officer Marcus had the defendant walk over to him. And as he did, the defendant *287was swaying. And when the defendant stopped, he lost his balance, and Officer Marcus held out his hand to help the defendant keep his balance. Officer Marcus observed that the defendant had bloodshot, glassy eyes and a strong smell of intoxicants on his breath. Officer Marcus looked in the car, saw both air bags had gone off so he wanted to make sure the defendant was actually okay and didn’t need EMS. Defendant said he was okay and didn’t need EMS. Officer Marcus again wondered about the air bags going off and hitting the defendant. He didn’t see any bruises on the defendant’s face, didn’t see defendant’s nose bleed, didn’t see him hold his head or say “ouch” or didn’t see any burns on defendant’s face from the air bags. Officer Marcus observed that the defendant’s glasses were on. Officer Marcus was of the opinion that the defendant was so intoxicated he wouldn’t know if he was injured or not.
Finding Number 11, Officer Marcus administered the battery of standardized field sobriety tests to the defendant. He is certified to administer the tests. He knows that a person who has suffered a head injury would be inhibited in their ability to perform the standardized field sobriety tests. Officer Marcus knew that the defendant’s vehicle had hit a telephone pole at 60 miles per hour and air bags had deployed and hit the defendant at that speed. The officer testified that the defendant had all six clues on the HGN, at least four clues on the one leg stand. And after the defendant put his foot down twice in nine seconds, the officer stopped the test fearing that the defendant would fall down and really hurt himself.
Finding Number 12, Officer Marcus took the defendant down to the DWI room where the defendant couldn’t decide if he wished to give a breath sample so Officer Marcus took him to the video room where he was video taped.
Finding Number 13, Officer Marcus didn’t know what percentage of people showed nystagmus after a head injury. Officer Marcus doesn’t know if the defendant had a head injury. The officer asked the defendant on the video if he was injured. The defendant said he was injured. He said he had a head injury, that his head was traumatized. Officer Marcus just took the defendant at his word after asking him at least ten times if he was injured and again in front of the jail guards to protect himself if it turned out the defendant was injured.
Finding Number 14, the Court finds that the defendant was speeding at 60 miles per hour and hit a telephone pole at that speed. The Court finds that the defendant’s air bag hit him at that speed. The Court finds that the defendant’s head was traumatized. The Court finds that the testimony of Officer Marcus about the results of the field sobriety tests is not credible due to the head trauma. The Court finds that the defendant’s red, bloodshot, glassy eyes were caused by the head trauma. The Court finds that the defendant’s unsteadiness on his feet was caused by the head trauma. The Court finds that the defendant had a smell of alcohol on his breath.
And conclusion of law, the Court finds that the only credible evidence is that the defendant was speeding and had the smell of alcohol on his breath. Therefore, there was no probable cause to arrest the defendant for driving while intoxicated.

. The complete findings of facts and conclusion of law are found in Appendix A of this opinion.

. The trial court’s analysis in this case is somewhat similar to the abandoned standard of "conduct which is as consistent with innocent activity as with criminal activity” for determining if reasonable suspicion exists. See Woods v. State, 956 S.W.2d 33, 34 (Tex.Crim.App.1997).