State of Louisiana Versus Kevin Barker ( 2019 )


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  • STATE OF LOUISIANA                                     NO. 19-KA-223
    VERSUS                                                 FIFTH CIRCUIT
    KEVIN BARKER                                           COURT OF APPEAL
    STATE OF LOUISIANA
    ON APPEAL FROM THE TWENTY-FOURTH JUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT
    PARISH OF JEFFERSON, STATE OF LOUISIANA
    NO. 18-6405, DIVISION "B"
    HONORABLE CORNELIUS E. REGAN, JUDGE PRESIDING
    December 11, 2019
    JUDE G. GRAVOIS
    JUDGE
    Panel composed of Judges Fredericka Homberg Wicker,
    Jude G. Gravois, and Hans J. Liljeberg
    AFFIRMED
    JGG
    FHW
    HJL
    COUNSEL FOR PLAINTIFF/APPELLEE,
    STATE OF LOUISIANA
    Paul D. Connick, Jr.
    Terry M. Boudreaux
    Andrea F. Long
    Meredith Hearn
    COUNSEL FOR DEFENDANT/APPELLANT,
    KEVIN BARKER
    Davidson S. Ehle, III
    GRAVOIS, J.
    Defendant, Kevin Barker, appeals his conviction and sentence for possession
    with intent to distribute methamphetamine weighing less than twenty-eight grams,
    following the trial court’s denial of his motion to suppress evidence. For the
    following reasons, we affirm defendant’s conviction and sentence.
    PROCEDURAL HISTORY AND FACTS
    On October 23, 2018, the Jefferson Parish District Attorney filed a bill of
    information charging defendant, Kevin Barker, with possession with intent to
    distribute methamphetamine weighing less than twenty-eight grams, in violation of
    La. R.S. 40:967(A). Derrick Jones was charged as a co-defendant in the same bill
    of information. Defendant entered a plea in absentia of not guilty at his
    arraignment on November 19, 2018.1 On that same date, defendant filed omnibus
    motions, including a motion to suppress evidence. On February 11, 2019, the trial
    court heard only defendant’s motion to suppress evidence.2 On February 19, 2019,
    the trial court denied the motion to suppress.
    On March 14, 2019, defendant withdrew his not guilty plea and pled guilty
    as charged pursuant to State v. Crosby, 
    338 So.2d 584
     (La. 1976). After informing
    defendant of his Boykin3 rights and accepting his Crosby plea, the trial court
    sentenced defendant to four years imprisonment at hard labor, suspended the
    sentence, and placed him on three years of active probation. On March 20, 2019,
    defendant filed a motion for an appeal, which was granted on March 21, 2019.
    Defendant’s appeal follows where he challenges the trial court’s denial of his
    motion to suppress evidence.
    1
    On that same date, a Motion, Affidavit and Order to Waive Defendant’s Presence at Arraignment was
    filed into the record. Per La. C.Cr.P. art. 832, a defendant may waive his presence at arraignment.
    2
    The remainder of defendant’s omnibus pretrial motions, such as a motion to suppress a confession and
    identification, were not heard. When a defendant fails to object to the trial court’s failure to hear or rule on a pretrial
    motion before pleading guilty, the motion is considered waived. See State v. Corzo, 04-791 (La. App. 5 Cir.
    2/15/05), 
    896 So.2d 1101
    , 1102. Here, because defendant did not object to the trial court’s failure to hear or rule on
    his other pre-trial motions, any objection thereto is waived.
    3
    Boykin v. Alabama, 
    395 U.S. 238
    , 242, 
    89 S.Ct. 1709
    , 1711, 
    23 L.Ed.2d 274
     (1969).
    19-KA-223                                                   1
    Because defendant pled guilty, the facts of his case were not fully developed
    at a trial. The bill of information provides that on or about October 4, 2018,
    defendant knowingly or intentionally possessed with intent to distribute
    methamphetamine weighing less than twenty-eight grams.
    At the February 11, 2019 suppression hearing, Detective Allan Doubleday
    with the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office testified that on October 4, 2018, at
    approximately 11:00 a.m., he went to the Boomtown Casino located on Peters
    Road in Jefferson Parish after he received information that morning from a known
    confidential informant (“CI”).4 The CI provided that defendant would deliver “a
    quantity of methamphetamine and liquid methamphetamine” to the casino and that
    he would arrive at approximately 11:00 a.m. in an Uber accompanied by a black
    male. The CI did not know the name of the black male, but he or she provided
    screenshots of both individuals.5
    With this information and due to time constraints, Detective Doubleday went
    to the casino and established surveillance. As he waited for the suspects to arrive,
    Detective Doubleday was able to monitor their Uber on the Uber app, and the CI
    also sent Detective Doubleday a text message indicating that the suspects would be
    arriving at the casino soon. Detective Doubleday then observed defendant and the
    black male from the previously provided screenshots arrive in an Uber. Both
    defendant and the black male carried backpacks, and as predicted by the CI,
    walked to the lobby of the casino near the elevator “where the meet was supposed
    to happen.” At that point, the suspects were detained and brought outside of the
    casino to the parking lot.6 Based on the CI’s information and his corroboration of
    that information, Detective Doubleday believed that defendant was about to
    4
    Detective Doubleday testified that he had worked with this CI before and the CI was paid after the
    investigation.
    5
    Detective Doubleday could not recall whether the photographs of the suspects came from “Grinder” or
    another social media application.
    6
    Detective Doubleday denied that the suspects appeared nervous or attempted to discard their backpacks.
    19-KA-223                                                  2
    commit a crime. Detective Doubleday Mirandized7 both defendant and the black
    male, who was identified as Derrick Jones (the co-defendant).
    Detective Doubleday testified that Mr. Jones waived his Miranda rights and
    elected to speak with him while defendant remained silent. Mr. Jones proceeded to
    inform Detective Doubleday that he had arrived in Louisiana from Oklahoma a
    few weeks earlier and was living with defendant in an apartment. During that
    time, he learned that defendant was distributing methamphetamine from that
    location. He further provided that defendant had asked him that morning to travel
    with him to deliver a quantity of methamphetamine, and when they went to leave
    their apartment, defendant asked Mr. Jones to hold the methamphetamine while
    they traveled to the casino. Mr. Jones stated that he had placed the
    methamphetamine in a candy box inside of his backpack. Detective Doubleday
    testified that after Mr. Jones said that the methamphetamine was in a candy box
    inside of the backpack, the backpack was searched.8 Detective Doubleday
    subsequently discovered a bag of crystal methamphetamine and also liquid
    methamphetamine.9 Defendant did not have any contraband in his backpack or on
    his person.
    After Detective Doubleday’s testimony concluded, defendant argued that
    there was not any corroboration of the information provided by the CI. He averred
    that defendant was arrested without any probable cause when he was stopped at the
    elevator in the casino lobby before any true corroboration of the tip occurred. He
    urged that the arrest was illegal and that the evidence seized thereafter should be
    7
    Miranda v. Arizona, 
    384 U.S. 436
    , 
    86 S.Ct. 1602
    , 
    16 L.Ed.2d 694
     (1966).
    8
    Detective Doubleday provided contradicting information as to whether Mr. Jones consented to a search of
    his backpack. He was asked: “Mr. Jones on the other hand at that point in the parking lot after he was detained gave
    you consent; is that right?” Detective Doubleday responded: “Correct.” However, he thereafter denied that Mr.
    Jones was asked for consent to search his bag or executed a written consent form but rather, “[h]e told us it was in
    his bag.”
    9
    During cross-examination, Detective Doubleday denied knowing that the liquid methamphetamine “came
    back negative” after it was tested. The Arrest Report and Probable Cause Affidavit indicates that sixteen grams of
    “a crystal like substance that tested positive for methamphetamine” was discovered, as well as “a clear liquid, that
    tested positive for methamphetamine with an approximate weigh of 10 milliliters.”
    19-KA-223                                                3
    suppressed. The State responded that the CI’s specific information as to the drug
    deal provided Detective Doubleday with probable cause to arrest defendant and
    that Mr. Jones did not need to consent to a search of his backpack as the backpack
    was searched incident to Mr. Jones’ arrest.
    The trial court took the matter under advisement. On February 19, 2019, the
    trial court denied the motion to suppress evidence, noting that it had listened to the
    testimony of Detective Doubleday. Defendant objected to the ruling, but stated no
    particular grounds for his objection.
    In his only assignment of error on appeal, defendant argues that the trial
    court erred in denying his motion to suppress evidence. Defendant argues that
    Detective Doubleday did not have reasonable suspicion to detain him, nor did he
    have probable cause to effectuate an arrest. More specifically, defendant argues
    that the tip provided by the CI did not establish reasonable suspicion to detain
    defendant, nor was there probable cause for his arrest. Defendant alleges that
    although some predicative information was correct, none of his behavior was
    suspicious, there was no corroborating behavior, and the CI’s veracity and
    reliability are unknown. Defendant additionally argues that the searches of his and
    Mr. Jones’ backpacks were illegal and therefore the evidence seized from Mr.
    Jones’ backpack should be suppressed.
    The State responds that the trial court properly denied the motion to suppress
    evidence, as the suppression hearing testimony shows that the CI’s tip accurately
    predicted defendant’s future conduct in sufficient detail to justify an investigatory
    stop. The State avers that Detective Doubleday’s reasonable suspicion ripened into
    probable cause to arrest upon a statement made by Mr. Jones. Lastly, the State
    asserts that the searches of the backpacks were lawfully conducted incident to an
    arrest, and that the methamphetamine would inevitably have been discovered
    during an inventory search of the backpacks.
    19-KA-223                                 4
    LAW AND ANALYSIS
    In the instant case, defendant entered a guilty plea pursuant to Crosby,
    supra. While a plea of guilty normally waives all non-jurisdictional defects in the
    proceedings prior to the plea, a plea under Crosby allows appellate review if, at the
    time the plea is entered, the defendant expressly reserves his right to appeal a
    specific adverse ruling in the case. State v. Overstreet, 18-380 (La. App. 5 Cir.
    12/27/18), 
    263 So.3d 1241
    , 1246, writ denied, 19-0235 (La. 4/29/19), 
    268 So.3d 1033
    ; State v. Turner, 10-995 (La. App. 5 Cir. 9/27/11), 
    75 So.3d 491
    , 492, writ
    denied, 11-2379 (La. 4/27/12), 
    86 So.3d 625
    .
    The record does not reflect a specific ruling defendant desired to preserve
    for review. A defendant’s failure to specify which pretrial ruling he desires to
    reserve for appeal as part of a guilty plea entered under Crosby may limit the scope
    of appellate review, but does not preclude review altogether. State v. Joseph, 03-
    315 (La. 5/16/03), 
    847 So.2d 1196
     (per curiam). Absent a detailed specification of
    which adverse pretrial rulings the defendant reserved for appellate review as part
    of his guilty plea, an appellate court should presume that the Crosby reservation
    preserves review of those evidentiary rulings which “go to the heart of the
    prosecution’s case,” such as the denial of a motion to suppress, and not rulings that
    may affect the conduct of the trial but do not substantially relate to guilt, such as
    the denial of a continuance or a severance. Joseph, 847 So.2d at 1196-97.
    Considering the foregoing, we find that the denial of defendant’s motion to
    suppress is properly before this Court on appeal. See Overstreet, 
    263 So.3d at 1246
    .
    The Fourth Amendment to the United States Constitution and Article 1, § 5
    of the Louisiana Constitution protect individuals against unreasonable searches and
    seizures. If evidence is derived from an unreasonable search or seizure, the proper
    remedy is to exclude the evidence from trial. State v. Burton, 11-1023 (La. App. 5
    19-KA-223                                  5
    Cir. 5/22/12), 
    98 So.3d 375
    , 379, writ denied, 12-1422 (La. 1/11/13), 
    106 So.3d 547
    .
    In a hearing on a motion to suppress, the State has the burden to establish the
    admissibility of evidence seized without a warrant. La. C.Cr.P. art. 703(D). The
    trial court’s denial of a motion to suppress is afforded great weight and will not be
    set aside unless the preponderance of the evidence clearly favors suppression.
    State v. Bellow, 07-824 (La. App. 5 Cir. 3/11/08), 
    982 So.2d 826
    , 829.
    The right of law enforcement officers to stop and interrogate those
    reasonably suspected of criminal activity is recognized by La. C.Cr.P. art. 215.1, as
    well as by state and federal jurisprudence. Terry v. Ohio, 
    392 U.S. 1
    , 
    88 S.Ct. 1868
    , 
    20 L.Ed.2d 889
     (1968); State v. Belton, 
    441 So.2d 1195
     (La. 1983), cert.
    denied, 
    466 U.S. 953
    , 
    104 S.Ct. 2158
    , 
    80 L.Ed.2d 543
     (1984). The Terry standard,
    as codified in La. C.Cr.P. art. 215.1, authorizes police officers to stop a person in a
    public place whom they reasonably suspect is committing, has committed, or is
    about to commit an offense, and demand that the person identify himself and
    explain his actions. State v. Molette, 11-384 (La. App. 5 Cir. 11/29/11), 
    79 So.3d 484
    , 489.
    “Reasonable suspicion” necessary to conduct an investigatory stop is
    something less than probable cause and is determined under the facts and
    circumstances of each case by whether the officer had sufficient facts within his
    knowledge to justify an infringement on the individual’s right to be free from
    governmental interference. State v. Triche, 03-149 (La. App. 5 Cir. 5/28/03), 
    848 So.2d 80
    , 84, writ denied, 03-1979 (La. 1/16/04), 
    864 So.2d 625
    . In making the
    determination of whether a police officer had reasonable suspicion, a reviewing
    court must take into consideration the totality of the circumstances and give
    deference to the inferences and deductions of a trained police officer that might
    elude an untrained person. Molette, 
    79 So.3d at 489
    .
    19-KA-223                                  6
    Whether an informant’s tip establishes reasonable suspicion to conduct an
    investigatory stop is considered under the totality of the circumstances. Illinois v.
    Gates, 
    462 U.S. 213
    , 214, 
    103 S.Ct. 2317
    , 2320, 
    76 L.Ed.2d 527
     (1983); State v.
    Nelson, 02-65 (La. App. 5 Cir. 6/26/02), 
    822 So.2d 796
    , 801, writ denied, 02-2090
    (La. 2/21/03), 
    837 So.2d 627
    . The United States Supreme Court has applied a
    “totality of the circumstances approach” which considers an informant’s veracity,
    reliability and basis of knowledge as highly relevant in determining the value of an
    informant’s tip. 
    Id.
     This Court has held that a tip by an informant can supply
    reasonable suspicion if it accurately predicts future conduct in sufficient detail to
    support a reasonable belief that the informant had reliable information regarding
    the illegal activity. State v. Murphy, 14-437 (La. App. 5 Cir. 10/15/14), 
    181 So.3d 1
    , 7. The informant’s ability to predict the person’s future behavior goes to the
    informant’s reliability because it demonstrates inside information and a special
    familiarity with the person’s affairs. In addition, the tip must be corroborated. 
    Id.
    “If the tip has a relatively low degree of reliability, more information will be
    required to establish the requisite quantum of suspicion than would be required if
    the tip were more reliable.” Alabama v. White, 
    496 U.S. 325
    , 330, 
    110 S.Ct. 2412
    ,
    2416, 
    110 L.Ed.2d 301
     (1990); State v. Tovar, 03-513 (La. App. 5 Cir. 10/15/03),
    
    860 So.2d 51
    , 54-55.
    In State v. Anthony, 07-204 (La. App. 5 Cir. 11/27/07), 
    971 So.2d 1219
    ,
    1226, writ denied, 08-0338 (La. 1/16/09), 
    998 So.2d 98
    , the CI informed the police
    that a black male nicknamed “Twin” would be delivering crack cocaine to the
    Oasis Motel located at 70 Westbank Expressway in Gretna. The informant stated
    that “Twin” would be driving a newer-model, black Pontiac Grand Prix with
    chrome rims. Id. at 1223. The police set up surveillance, and approximately
    twenty to thirty minutes after the call, police observed a black Grand Prix with
    three occupants enter the Oasis Motel parking lot. Id. The officers converged on
    19-KA-223                                  7
    the vehicle, stated that they were the police, ordered the driver to turn off the
    vehicle, and ordered the occupants to exit the car. Id. This Court found that the
    CI, who had previously provided information that aided in apprehensions and
    convictions, provided a specific description of the vehicle, the vehicle’s driver, and
    the location of where the delivery of the drugs would take place. Within twenty
    minutes of the tip, the police corroborated the reliable CI’s tip with surveillance of
    the Westbank Expressway and the motel’s parking lot, which this Court found
    gave the police reasonable suspicion to stop the defendants. Id. at 1226.
    Upon review, we find that Detective Doubleday had reasonable suspicion to
    conduct an investigatory stop of defendant. Detective Doubleday provided that he
    has worked with this CI in the past. The CI provided the detective with
    defendant’s name, a photograph of defendant, that he would sell
    methamphetamine, his mode of transportation, the time and location of his arrival
    to the drug transaction, that he would be traveling with a black male, and a
    photograph of the black male. The CI was also able to inform Detective
    Doubleday that defendant would soon arrive at the casino when he was en route,
    which the detective was able to monitor and confirm himself. Upon defendant’s
    arrival, in an Uber as described by the CI, Detective Doubleday was able to
    confirm defendant and the black male were the previously described suspects, and
    the CI had also described that defendant would approach the elevators inside the
    casino. The only information contained in the CI tip which was not accurate was
    that Mr. Jones, rather than defendant, would carry the methamphetamine.
    However, Mr. Jones explained that defendant had asked him to carry the
    methamphetamine.
    Considering the above, we find that the CI’s tip accurately predicted
    defendant’s future conduct with in-depth details sufficient to support a reasonable
    belief that the CI had inside information and a special familiarity with defendant’s
    19-KA-223                                  8
    affairs. The CI’s information was sufficiently corroborated by the surveillance by
    Detective Doubleday. Therefore, under the totality of the circumstances, we find
    that the CI’s tip was sufficient to justify an investigatory stop of defendant after he
    observed defendant’s arrival to the location with Mr. Jones and in an Uber.
    Defendant further argues that Detective Doubleday did not have probable
    cause to arrest him without a warrant. An arrest occurs when the circumstances
    indicate intent to affect an extended restraint on the liberty of the accused, rather
    than at the precise time an officer tells an accused he is under arrest. State v.
    Bazley, 09-358 (La. App. 5 Cir. 1/11/11), 
    60 So.3d 7
    , 24, writ denied, 11-0282 (La.
    1/17/11), 
    63 So.3d 1039
    . A seizure is an arrest, rather than an investigatory stop,
    when a reasonable person in the defendant’s position would have understood the
    situation to be a restraint on freedom of movement of the degree that the law
    associates with a formal arrest. State v. Cojoe, 01-2465 (La. 10/25/02), 
    828 So.2d 1101
    , 1104. Although a seizure occurs for Fourth Amendment purposes either
    when an individual has been subjected to physical restraint or when he submits to
    the assertion of official authority, no bright-line rule exists for distinguishing
    between investigatory stops, characterized by brief restraint imposed on a lesser
    showing of reasonable suspicion, from arrests based on probable cause. Id. at
    1103; Bazley, 
    60 So.3d at 24
    . The Louisiana Supreme Court has held that an
    investigatory stop does not turn into an arrest when detainees are read their
    constitutional rights. See State v. 
    Thompson, 11
    -0915 (La. 5/8/12), 
    93 So.3d 553
    ,
    570 (“[W]e cannot fault the officer for providing Thompson with greater protection
    that he might otherwise have had in an investigatory stop.”).
    An officer may make a warrantless arrest when the officer has probable
    cause to believe that the person to be arrested has committed an offense. State v.
    Gibson, 12-350 (La. App. 5 Cir. 10/30/12), 
    103 So.3d 641
    , 650; State v. Davis, 00-
    278 (La. App. 5 Cir. 8/29/00), 
    768 So.2d 201
    , 212, writ denied, 00-2730 (La.
    19-KA-223                                   9
    8/31/01), 
    795 So.2d 1205
    . Probable cause to arrest exists when the facts and
    circumstances known to the arresting officer are sufficient to justify a man of
    ordinary caution in believing that the person to be arrested has committed a crime
    or was committing a crime. State v. Brisban, 00-3437 (La. 2/26/02), 
    809 So.2d 923
    , 927. While mere suspicion is insufficient to justify an arrest, a police officer
    need not have sufficient proof to convict in order to arrest. State v. Wells, 08-2262
    (La. 7/6/10), 
    45 So.3d 577
    , 583.
    After defendant and Mr. Jones were stopped inside the casino, they were
    relocated and brought outside of the casino to the parking lot, and Detective
    Doubleday testified that both defendant and Mr. Jones were detained at that point
    and Mirandized as he believed a crime, likely the actual distribution of the drugs,
    was about to occur. Detective Doubleday did not provide if the suspects were
    handcuffed or restrained, but immediately after their detention, Mr. Jones waived
    his Miranda rights and stated that defendant had asked him that morning to travel
    with him to the casino to deliver the methamphetamine, which was located in his
    backpack. Undoubtedly, at that point in the investigation, Detective Doubleday
    had probable cause to arrest both Mr. Jones, as he admitted that he had the drugs,
    and defendant, as it was clear that he and Mr. Jones were working together to
    distribute the methamphetamine.10 Considering Mr. Jones’ statement coupled with
    Detective Doubleday’s observations confirming several aspects of the CI tip, we
    find that Detective Doubleday had probable cause to conduct a warrantless arrest
    of defendant.
    As his final argument, defendant asserts that the searches of his and Mr.
    Jones’ backpacks were performed illegally following their arrests. Defendant
    10
    The term “possession” in La. R.S. 40:967 is broad enough to encompass both actual and constructive
    possession. Brisban, 809 So.2d at 929. A person may be in constructive possession of a drug even if it is not in his
    physical custody, but rather only the subject of his dominion and control. 
    Id.
     Also, a person may be deemed to be
    in joint possession of a drug which is in the physical custody of a companion, if he willfully and knowingly shares
    with the other the right to control of it. 
    Id.
     See also State v. Smith, 
    250 La. 1109
    , 1114, 
    245 So.2d 327
    , 329 (La.
    1971).
    19-KA-223                                                10
    suggests that Detective Doubleday did not have a warrant, nor did either of them
    consent to a search.
    As to the search of Mr. Jones’ backpack,11 we find the search was lawful
    pursuant to Mr. Jones’ arrest. A search incident to a lawful arrest is a well-
    recognized exception to a warrantless search. State v. Grimes, 09-2 (La. App. 5
    Cir. 5/26/09), 
    16 So.3d 418
    , 423, writ denied, 09-1517 (La. 3/12/10), 
    28 So.3d 1023
    . In a search incident to a lawful arrest, a police officer can search the
    suspect’s person and the area within his immediate control in order to remove
    weapons and prevent destruction of evidence. State v. Murray, 17-534 (La. App. 5
    Cir. 3/14/18), 
    242 So.3d 821
    , 830. It is irrelevant that the actual custodial arrest of
    defendant may have taken place after the methamphetamine was found in Mr.
    Jones’ backpack. See State v. Melton, 
    412 So.2d 1065
    , 1068 (La. 1982) (“When
    there is probable cause but no formal arrest, a limited search to preserve evidence
    is justified.”).
    Upon review, we find that the search of Mr. Jones’ backpack, which yielded
    the only contraband in this case, was a lawful search incident to arrest performed
    by Detective Doubleday in order to prevent the removal or destruction of evidence
    from the scene due to Mr. Jones’ statement that the backpack contained drugs.12
    The incident happened quickly, and Detective Doubleday testified that both
    suspects were wearing backpacks. Further, Mr. Jones’ consent to search was not
    required. As discussed, Detective Doubleday had probable cause to arrest Mr.
    Jones when he stated that he was carrying the methamphetamine in his backpack,
    11
    Defendant has standing to challenge the search of Mr. Jones’ backpack, as he was adversely affected by
    the search. Under federal law, a person has no standing to challenge an illegal search and seizure of a third party’s
    property; conversely, in Louisiana, any person adversely affected by an illegal search or seizure shall have standing
    to raise its illegality. State v. Bone, 12-34 (La. App. 5 Cir. 9/11/12), 
    107 So.3d 49
    , 63 n. 19, writ denied, 12-2229
    (La. 4/1/13), 
    110 So.3d 574
    .
    12
    There was no explicit testimony that the methamphetamine was in the candy box inside the backpack,
    only that it was inside the backpack. Nonetheless, a search of the candy box would still be valid pursuant to a search
    incident to an arrest, as it was within Mr. Jones’ immediate control and would have contained the contraband.
    19-KA-223                                                11
    and the record does not show that the search was performed before his statements
    were made.13
    In conclusion, Detective Doubleday had reasonable suspicion to conduct an
    investigatory stop of defendant after conducting surveillance and corroborating the
    information contained in the detailed tip from a known CI. Detective Doubleday
    further had probable cause to arrest defendant upon Mr. Jones’ voluntary statement
    that he had methamphetamine in his backpack and was asked by defendant to carry
    the drugs to the casino to be distributed. Finally, Mr. Jones’ backpack was
    lawfully searched pursuant to his arrest, and thus, the methamphetamine was
    legally seized. Therefore, we find that the trial court did not abuse its discretion in
    denying defendant’s motion to suppress evidence.
    ERRORS PATENT REVIEW
    The record was reviewed for errors patent, according to La. C.Cr.P. art. 920,
    State v. Oliveaux, 
    312 So.2d 337
     (La. 1975), and State v. Weiland, 
    556 So.2d 175
    (La. App. 5th Cir. 1990). We find no errors requiring corrective action.
    CONCLUSION
    For the foregoing reasons, defendant’s conviction and sentence are affirmed.
    AFFIRMED
    13
    Although defendant challenges the search of his backpack, defendant was not adversely affected by the
    search as no evidence was found therein.
    19-KA-223                                               12
    SUSAN M. CHEHARDY                                                             CURTIS B. PURSELL
    CHIEF JUDGE                                                                   CLERK OF COURT
    MARY E. LEGNON
    FREDERICKA H. WICKER
    CHIEF DEPUTY CLERK
    JUDE G. GRAVOIS
    MARC E. JOHNSON
    ROBERT A. CHAISSON                                                            SUSAN BUCHHOLZ
    STEPHEN J. WINDHORST
    FIRST DEPUTY CLERK
    HANS J. LILJEBERG
    JOHN J. MOLAISON, JR.                       FIFTH CIRCUIT
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    24TH JUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT (CLERK)
    HONORABLE CORNELIUS E. REGAN (DISTRICT JUDGE)
    DAVIDSON S. EHLE, III (APPELLANT)     TERRY M. BOUDREAUX (APPELLEE)    ANDREA F. LONG (APPELLEE)
    THOMAS J. BUTLER (APPELLEE)
    MAILED
    HON. PAUL D. CONNICK, JR. (APPELLEE)
    MEREDITH HEARN (APPELLEE)
    ASSISTANT DISTRICT ATTORNEYS
    TWENTY-FOURTH JUDICIAL DISTRICT
    200 DERBIGNY STREET
    GRETNA, LA 70053
    

Document Info

Docket Number: 19-KA-223

Judges: Cornelius E. Regan, Pro Tempore

Filed Date: 12/11/2019

Precedential Status: Precedential

Modified Date: 10/21/2024