Court Opinion

ID: 9796669
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-31 04:02:11.255469+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T08:50:53.924260
License: Public Domain

Buser, J.:
dissenting. I dissent from the majority’s holding because it is predicated on an interpretation of K.S.A. 8-1548 that is at variance with our Supreme Court’s opinion in State v. DeMarco, 263 Kan. 727, 952 P.2d 1276 (1998).
In DeMarco, a Kansas Highway Patrol Trooper parked on the shoulder of the road observed a vehicle make a lane change without signaling. At the time of this unsignaled lane change, there was no other traffic in the vicinity of the vehicle. Subsequent to the Trooper stopping the vehicle for violation of K.S.A. 8-1548, a large quantity of marijuana was discovered in the vehicle’s trunk.
*153DeMarco was charged with possession of marijuana with intent to distribute. Prior to trial, he filed a motion to suppress evidence asserting that he had not violated K.S.A. 8-1548 because there was no moving traffic either in front of or behind his vehicle at the time he changed lanes.
In addressing DeMarco’s contention, our Supreme Court concluded: “K.S.A. 8-1548 requires a lane change signal within 100 feet of the point where the vehicle makes the lane change, regardless of whether there is any traffic moving in front of or behind the vehicle.” 263 Kan. at 733; see also State v. Garcia, 250 Kan. 310, 316, 827 P.2d 727 (1992) (noting district court found an unsignaled lane change as reason for the traffic stop to be facially valid); State v. Chapman, 23 Kan. App. 2d 999, 1004, 939 P.2d 950 (1997) (failure to signal a lane change provided Trooper with reasonable suspicion that defendant was violating a traffic ordinance).
In the present case, Deputy Sheriff Justin Maxfield personally witnessed Greever activate his turn signal less than 100 feet before the defendant turned at the intersection. The majority concedes this uncontroverted evidence: “Greever did not signal his intention to turn at the‘T’ intersection until his vehicle came to a stop behind Maxfield’s patrol car.” Under the plain language of K.S.A. 8-1548(b), as interpreted by our Supreme Court in DeMarco, because Greever did not signal 100 feet prior to his turn, Deputy Maxfield had eyewitness evidence to support a “reasonable suspicion” that Greever had just committed a traffic violation. That should have ended our court’s analysis regarding the propriety of the traffic stop.
Like the defendant in DeMarco, however, the majority presumes that “[t]he obvious purpose of K.S.A. 8-1548 is to provide adequate warning to other motorists and pedestrians of a vehicle’s imminent movement ... in order to give them an opportunity to react accordingly.” My colleagues then sua sponte engage in some time, speed, and distance calculations, and a bit of human factors research, and suggest that Greever’s failure to comply with the 100-foot requirement mandated by K.S.A. 8-1548 was not a violation because “Greever’s turn signal provided probably 5 to 10 times more warning to other motorists than the required notice at high*154way speeds.” If true, that is beside the point because nowhere in the language of K.S.A. 8-1548 did the legislature mandate that safe drivers who provide “probably 5 to 10 times more warning” than cars traveling 70 miles per hour are exempted from the requirement to signal at least 100 feet before they turn their vehicle.
“A statute should not be read to add language that is not found in it or to exclude language that is found in it. When a statute is plain and unambiguous, tire court must give effect to the legislature’s intent as expressed rather than determining what the law should or should not be. [Citation omitted.]” State v. Bryan, 281 Kan. 157, 159, 130 P.3d 85 (2006).
The majority then states that a law enforcement officer must possess evidence establishing a driver s intention to turn and where that intention was formulated in order to have a reasonable suspicion to stop the driver for violation of K.S.A. 8-1548. Apart from being contrary to our Supreme Court’s simple, straightforward interpretation of K.S.A. 8-1548, this proposed requirement is an especially speculative endeavor, grounded in clairvoyance, and inappropriate for proof of a minor traffic infraction.
In support of their view, my colleagues emphasize that Deputy Maxfield did not prove there were advance warning signs or sufficient sight distance to alert Greever to the upcoming “T” intersection and his need to formulate an intention to turn. This testimony, however, would not have provided any inkling as to if and when Greever formulated his intention to turn. Assuming arguendo this testimony should have been determinative of a violation of K.S.A. 8-1548, however, the record reveals that Greever’s testimony at the suppression hearing established these very facts.
Greever testified:
“I was coming around the curve from South Hutch approaching the intersection. I turned on my turn signal lcnowing that there’s a car in front of me, a stop sign, I’m turning left. I fully intended on turning left. I turned on my turn signal. As I approached the vehicle in front of me I get a phone call from a friend.” (Emphasis added.)
Greever’s testimony established there was sufficient warning and sight distance for an ordinary motorist to formulate an intention to turn prior to turning and that Greever, in fact, formulated such an intention upon his approach to the intersection.
*155I would affirm the district court’s denial of Greever’s motion to suppress. See State v. Nash, 281 Kan. 600, 602, 133 P.3d 836 (2006) (district court correctly denied relief for the wrong reason).