Court Opinion

ID: 9631036
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-22 10:27:20.408591+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:07:47.780928
License: Public Domain

MINZNER, Judge, specially concurring. I concur in the result reached by the majority and in the discussion contained in Sections 1, 2(A), 2(B), and 2(D) of the court’s opinion. I agree with the discussion in 2(C) of the period of time during which the vehicle was detained after Border Patrol Agent Burton’s conversation with Officer Newman. I write separately as to the discussion in 2(C) of the period of time during which the vehicle was detained before Burton informed Newman of his observations. I write separately because I view defendants’ first two appellate arguments as closely related and would prefer to address the issues analyzed in Section 2(C) from a different perspective and because I disagree with the holding that a “momentary extension (a few seconds) of a previously lawful detention for the purpose of requesting permission to search is constitutionally permissible in these circumstances.” 111 N.M. at 46, 801 P.2d at 112. However, to the extent I disagree with the majority opinion, I believe this court is bound by the supreme court’s decision in State v. Cohen, 103 N.M. 558, 711 P.2d 3 (1985) and that, under the supreme court’s decision in Cohen, the trial court’s decision to deny defendants’ motion to suppress should be affirmed. Consequently, I concur in the result reached by the majority in Section 2(C). DEFENDANTS’ APPELLATE ARGUMENT AS TO SECTION 2(C). Defendants have made only three arguments: (1) the initial stop constituted an unlawful seizure; (2) the detention was for the sole purpose of searching the vehicle and was unreasonable; and (3) they did not consent to the warrantless searches. Defendants rely primarily on the Tenth Circuit’s opinion in United States v. Guzman, 864 F.2d 1512 (10th Cir.1988) to argue that the initial stop was unlawful and that the subsequent detention was unreasonable. Defendants do not challenge their detention prior to the time Officer Newman completed his computer check, other than to contend, generally, that the roadblock did not meet the minimization requirement established in City of Las Cruces v. Betancourt, 105 N.M. 655, 735 P.2d 1161 (Ct.App.1987), and specifically that Officer Newman could not lawfully examine the driver’s license of passenger Bolton. The majority views defendant’s argument based on Betancourt as limited to the stop and analyzes Betancourt’s minimization requirement as addressed to the conduct of the initial stop and not to the further detention. While I think that is a reasonable interpretation of Betancourt, it does not fully answer defendants’ argument as to the detention before Burton informed Newman of his observations. I understand defendants’ argument as to the further detention as an extension of their argument concerning the stop. Thus, although I agree with the majority's characterization of defendants’ argument as to the roadblock, I believe defendants also have argued that the further detention was improper based on Guzman and that Betancourt supports that argument. Guzman involved a stop for violation of the New Mexico seat belt requirement. The stop involved an extended detention because the officer making the stop suspected that the defendants were carrying contraband. The trial court found that the officer’s actual intent in making the stop was to check for possession of drugs, and, in any event, the detention was prolonged beyond its legitimate scope. The appellate court ruled that the stop had to be judged by an objective rather than a subjective standard, but the appellate court then considered the trial court’s alternative holding that the detention was prolonged beyond its legitimate scope. On that issue, the appellate court agreed with the trial court. Reasoning that at a routine traffic stop, the officer making the stop may check license and vehicle registration, run a computer check, and issue a citation, the court appears to limit the length of the detention to the time necessary to accomplish those tasks, unless the officer develops reasonable suspicion of a serious crime during that time. Betancourt relied on a California Court of Appeals decision, Ingersoll v. Palmer, 193 Cal.App.3d 617, 221 Cal.Rptr. 659 (1985), which was subsequently affirmed by the California Supreme Court. See Ingersoll v. Palmer, 43 Cal.3d 1321, 241 Cal. Rptr. 42, 743 P.2d 1299 (1987). Both California decisions uphold sobriety roadblocks on the theory that they are administrative inspections, not subject to the usual rule that any detention be justified by reasonable suspicion of-individual wrongdoing. Thus, Betancourt’s minimization requirement is an integral part of the limitations imposed on a substitute for a criminal warrant based on probable cause. The same principle — minimization of police intrusion — is applicable to the detention during secondary inspection at a roadblock. The other members of the panel agree that the detention during secondary inspection at a roadblock must be based on reasonable suspicion. As the majority opinion notes, Officer Newman “requested consent only after the vehicle had been removed to secondary. Such removal requires reasonable suspicion or probable cause.” 111 N.M. at 37, 801 P.2d at 107. However, the majority concludes that, notwithstanding the requirement of reasonable suspicion or probable cause to support a secondary inspection, “a momentary extension (a few seconds) of a previously lawful detention for the purpose of requesting permission to search is constitutionally permissible in these circumstances.” 111 N.M. at 42, 801 P.2d at 112. I respectfully disagree. I believe that holding is inconsistent with the principle that detention during secondary inspection at a roadblock must be based on reasonable suspicion. THE MOMENTARY EXTENSION OP THE DETENTION AT SECONDARY INSPECTION. To permit an extended detention in the context of a roadblock to check licenses and registration is to make such a roadblock attractive for drug enforcement purposes. Guzman discusses the “pretextual use of police power,” id. at 1517, and also states that where police discretion to stop virtually everyone creates the potential for abuse, the United States Supreme Court has held the practice unconstitutional “without specific inquiry into whether the police actually abused discretion.” Id. at 1518. I think it is arguable that Guzman limited the scope of the detention after a traffic stop to the tasks associated with the traffic stop in order to prevent routine traffic stops from becoming excuses for investigation of more serious crimes. As I read Guzman, it limits the scope of the detention to the length of time it takes to dispel reasonable suspicion. I would do the same for the detention during secondary inspection at a roadblock. In the present case, the roadblock is a substitute for a warrant based on probable cause, and thus the scope of the permitted intrusion at and during a secondary inspection should be reasonable suspicion. Here, reasonable suspicion apparently arose as a result of the discrepancy between registration information and the actual occupancy of the vehicle. I note that there may often be a discrepancy between registration information and the actual occupancy of a vehicle. Family members or others sharing a residence may share cars not always registered in the name of each resident; friends loan cars to each other in case of emergency; and out-of-town visitors use the car of a host or hostess. Since reasonable suspicion sufficient for the secondary inspection to which the opinion refers can arise when license and registration do not match, see United States v. Lopez, 111 F.2d 543 (10th Cir.1985), I think it is important to limit the detention at a secondary inspection to the time necessary to dispel the suspicion that gave rise to the need for the secondary inspection. See United States v. Guzman; cf. City of Las Cruces v. Betancourt. The majority appears to accept that proposition as a general rule. However, they reject the result for which defendants have argued on the grounds that the request for consent was constitutionally permissible under the circumstances of this case. The Tenth Circuit cases cited in Section 2(C) of the court’s decision indicate that it is lawful for officers to ask for consent to search in the course of a detention supported by reasonable suspicion. See, e.g., United States v. Walraven, 892 F.2d 972 (10th Cir.1989). They also indicate that reasonable suspicion is not necessarily eliminated after a negative computer report. See, e.g., United States v. Diaz-Albertini, 772 F.2d 654 (10th Cir.1985). However, after a negative computer report, I am not clear why an officer would have reason to believe a car has been stolen. Thus, I am not persuaded it is always appropriate to check the vehicle’s identification number to see if it has been altered and therefore do not believe it is possible to say that the entire detention in this case was supported by reasonable suspicion. To the extent that the cases cited by the majority are to the contrary, I believe they are wrongly decided. The majority suggests that the momentary extension of a detention for purposes of requesting consent is, in any event, minimally intrusive. With respect, I suggest that is not the issue. See United States v. Guzman. Rather, under Guzman, I believe the issue is whether the entire detention is supported by reasonable suspicion. In any event, the request of consent in this case seems to me to be more than minimally intrusive. Cf. United States v. Lewis, 728 F.Supp. 784 (D.D.C.1990) (concerted planned police program that involves indiscriminate stopping, questioning, and searching of individuals traveling by bus, sometimes coupled with a request to search luggage, in order to obtain incriminating information, violates fifth amendment right to due process). THE SUPREME COURT’S DECISION IN COHEN. Perhaps the majority is reluctant to rely on the supreme court’s decision in Cohen. Their reluctance may stem from an unwillingness to extend its holding. I share that reluctance and appreciate the thoughtfulness with which the other members of the panel have searched for an alternative ground. However, I prefer to rely on Cohen, which may yet be overruled, than to adopt a rationale based on cases that seem to me inconsistent with the principle that detention at secondary inspection should be based on reasonable suspicion. In any event, I believe the supreme court’s ruling in Cohen is controlling. Perhaps the other members of the panel do not view the supreme court’s decision in Cohen in the same way. I wish I could agree. But see State v. Pena, Ct.App. No. 10,298 (Filed October 27, 1988), overruled on other grounds, 108 N.M. 760, 779 P.2d 538 (1989). In Cohen, the trial court had found that, although defendants had consented to a search of their vehicle and that their consent was voluntary, the consent was tainted by an illegal detention. This court affirmed the trial court, Judge Donnelly dissenting, and noted that to the extent State v. Ruud, 90 N.M. 647, 567 P.2d 496 (Ct.App.1977), could be read to say that a voluntary consent validated a consent tainted by an illegal detention, it was not to be followed. The supreme court reversed this court and held (a) that the detention was not illegal, and (b) in addition, New Mexico follows the rule that a voluntary consent can validate what might otherwise be an illegal search and seizure, citing Ruud. I view the additional holding as controlling this case. Under Cohen, then, I believe the detention that occurred prior to Burton’s conversation with Newman was validated by Gill’s consent to the search of the cab. I concur in the majority’s analysis of the period of time after Burton’s conversation with Newman and that “[o]nce Burton informed Newman of his suspicions concerning the rear gas tank and the basis for those suspicions, Newman had reasonable grounds for further detention of the truck.” 111 N.M. at 42, 801 P.2d at 112. Since Burton’s observations prior to the end of the search of the cab provided probable cause for a further search, I would not discuss the question of whether Gill consented to more than a search of the cab, nor the question of whether Burton’s knowledge can validate the detention during the period of time before Burton informed Newman of his observations on the alternative ground that “even if Newman had not requested or obtained consent, Burton would not have permitted the truck to depart.” 111 N.M. at 43, 801 P.2d at 113. On this basis, I concur specially.