Court Opinion

ID: 9791880
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-31 02:19:55.222071+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T07:37:39.185801
License: Public Domain

Allegrucci, J.,
dissenting: I respectfully dissent from the majority’s holding that the stop by the police officer was reasonable. I agree with the statement of law expressed by the majority as to the officer’s right to make an investigative stop, but disagree with the application of that law to the facts in the present case.
In my opinion, the stop by the officer was unreasonable. The majority relies upon State v. Guzy, 139 Wis. 2d 663, 407 N.W.2d 548, cert. denied 484 U.S. 979 (1987). In Guzy, the Wisconsin Supreme Court set forth six relevant factors which must be considered in determining the reasonableness of such a stop: (1) particularity of description of offender or vehicle in which he fled; (2) size of area in which offender might be found, as indicáted by such facts as elapsed time since crime occurred; (3) number of persons about in that area; (4) known or probable direction of offender’s flight; (5) observed activity by particular person stopped; and (6) knowledge or suspicion that person or vehicle *341stopped has been involved in other criminality of type presently under investigation. 139 Wis. 2d at 677. The Guzy court applied these factors and the surrounding circumstances in determining the stop was legal.
I take issue with the majority’s statement that “[m]uch stronger facts for finding the stop reasonable exist in the case before us.” In Guzy, the description of the robber was broadcast over police radio as a white male with long, dark, shoulder-length hair and a beard, 5’5” to 5’8” in height, a slim build, wearing sunglasses and a blue vest with red stripes. No description was given of the getaway vehicle. The vehicle was observed and stopped at approximately 2:30 a.m. In arriving at its conclusion, the Guzy court found the uniqueness of the shoulder-length hair, coupled with the fact that very few vehicles are on the streets at 2:30 a.m., to be significant. Further, this location of the stop was consistent with the time of the robbery and where the vehicle would be at that time. In addition, the surrounding circumstances were important to the court’s conclusion. First, the officer received a “fairly specific physical description.” 139 Wis. 2d at 682. Second, because the truck was traveling at highway speed at night, they could not verify the physical description short of stopping the truck. Third, the truck was traveling toward the Minnesota border, which was only two miles away.
In the present case, the defendant was observed and stopped at 9:15 a.m., a very busy time of day. The officer indicated traffic was moderate, with cars traveling in both directions. The district court found that the officer was approximately one-half mile from the scene of the robbery; he was not dispatched to the scene but proceeded eastbound on 67th Street with red light and siren on to look for anyone suspicious; the officer did not recall any particular traffic or driver until he noticed the defendant. The district court further noted:
“[T]he driver was not looking in the direction he was driving but appeared to be looking for someone, and that immediately after passing the officer the driver appeared to look back at the police vehicle and, without signaling, made an abrupt left turn in violation of the traffic code; that it was the officer’s impression the defendant had not intended to make such a turn but had made the turn in response to observing the police officer.”
*342An officer can make an investigative stop if he has a reasonable and articulable suspicion, based upon facts known prior to the stop, that the defendant has committed, is committing, or is about to commit a crime. The test is an objective one. Here, the only “suspicious fact” is that the defendant is black. That “fact,” together with the defendant “nervously looking from side to side” as the patrol car passed and then making an abrupt left turn, is the only objective factual basis for the officer’s stopping the defendant. Looking nervous would be a normal reaction for a driver when a patrol car approaches with the red light and siren on; nor is a left-hand turn indicative of one who is, has, or is about to commit a crime. I do not find that the sum of these facts constitutes the reasonable, articulable suspicion necessary to support an investigatory stop. If in the present case the robbery had been committed by a white male and a white male was observed driving the brown pickup, would a reasonable suspicion exist to support the stop? According to the majority, it would. Who then, under the majority’s view, would be protected from such a stop? If one accepts the majority’s view of the constitutional limits to making an investigative stop, the answer is no one. The majority focuses on the officer’s subjective interpretations of the existing circumstances rather than facts known to the officer at the time of the stop. “Reasonable, articulable suspicion” to invade one’s privacy by an investigative stop requires more than an officer’s subjective belief. As noted by Chief Justice Heffeman in his dissent in Guzy, “In allowing a police officer’s subjective determination to be taken into account, the majority elevates society’s interest in apprehending offenders above the constitutional right to be free from unreasonable stops.” 139 Wis. 2d at 684 (Heffernan, C.J., dissenting). In my opinion, the stop by Officer Kennedy was constitutionally impermissible, and I would reverse the district court.