STATE OF NEW JERSEY VS. KENNETH K. COOK (15-06-1457, ESSEX COUNTY AND STATEWIDE) ( 2019 )

NOT FOR PUBLICATION WITHOUT THE
APPROVAL OF THE APPELLATE DIVISION
This opinion shall not "constitute precedent or be binding upon any court." Although it is posted on the
internet, this opinion is binding only on the parties in the case and its use in other cases is limited. R. 1:36-3.
SUPERIOR COURT OF NEW JERSEY
APPELLATE DIVISION
DOCKET NO. A-3296-17T3
STATE OF NEW JERSEY,
Plaintiff-Respondent,
v.
KENNETH K. COOK, a/k/a
KEITH COOK, JACQUE BOOKER,
JACQUES J. BOOKER, and KEITH
ROBERSON,
Defendant-Appellant.
______________________________
Submitted September, 11, 2019 – Decided September 27, 2019
Before Judges Koblitz and Gooden Brown.
On appeal from the Superior Court of New Jersey, Law
Division, Essex County, Indictment No. 15-06-1457.
Joseph E. Krakora, Public Defender, attorney for
appellant (Amira R. Scurato, Designated Counsel, on
the brief).
Theodore N. Stephens II, Acting Essex County
Prosecutor, attorney for respondent (Emily M. M. Pirro,
Special Deputy Attorney General/Acting Assistant
Prosecutor, of counsel and on the brief).
PER CURIAM
Following the denial of his motion to suppress evidence seized without a
warrant, defendant Kenneth Cook entered a negotiated guilty plea to second-
degree eluding, N.J.S.A. 2C:29-2(b), and two counts of third-degree aggravated
assault, N.J.S.A. 2C:12-1(b)(5)(a). The charges stemmed from a multi-car
police pursuit of a vehicle driven by defendant with one other occupant. The
chase ended when defendant's car struck a police vehicle, injuring the two
officers inside, and both defendant and the passenger were apprehended when
they allegedly attempted to flee the scene. The pursuit began when police
attempted to conduct a motor vehicle stop of defendant's vehicle based on erratic
driving, and because the car allegedly matched the description of a vehicle
involved in a nearby armed robbery. After the collision, inside the car, officers
allegedly observed two black masks, three black surgical gloves, and a plastic
bag containing $319 in currency on the rear seat. Officers also allegedly found
ten envelopes containing suspected heroin in the center console.
Defendant was sentenced in accordance with the plea agreement to an
aggregate term of six years' imprisonment, and the remaining drug and weapons
related charges contained in the nine-count indictment returned against him were
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dismissed.1 On appeal, defendant raises the following points for our
consideration:
POINT I
THE TRIAL JUDGE ERRED IN FINDING NO
FACTUAL DISPUTE AT THE MOTION TO
SUPPRESS.
POINT II
THE SEARCH AND SEIZURE IN THIS CASE DID
NOT FALL WITHIN THE PLAIN-VIEW
EXCEPTION TO THE WARRANT REQUIREMENT
AND THEREFORE THE POLICE SEIZURE OF THE
EVIDENCE WITHOUT FIRST OBTAINING A
WARRANT WAS UNCONSTITUTIONAL.
POINT III
THE TRIAL JUDGE ERRED IN FAILING TO FIND
MITIGATING FACTORS.
The State concedes that because defendant "raise[d] a dispute of material
fact regarding the search and seizure of the car . . . at the motion hearing[,]" the
1
The remaining six counts consisted of third-degree possession of a controlled
dangerous substance (CDS), N.J.S.A. 2C:35-10(a); third-degree possession of
CDS with intent to distribute, N.J.S.A. 2C:35-5(a)(1) and -5(b)(3); third-degree
possession of CDS with intent to distribute within 1000 feet of school property,
N.J.S.A. 2C:35-7(a); second-degree possession of CDS with intent to distribute
within 500 feet of certain public property, N.J.S.A. 2C:35-7.1(a); fourth-degree
unlawful possession of a weapon, N.J.S.A. 2C:39-5(d); and possession of a
weapon for an unlawful purpose, N.J.S.A. 2C:39-4(d). The passenger was also
charged in the drug related counts of the indictment.
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motion judge erred when he failed to conduct an evidentiary hearing. See R.
3:5-7 (providing that when a defendant files a motion "claiming to be aggrieved
by an unlawful search and seizure[,]" R. 3:5-7(a), if "material facts are disputed,
testimony thereon shall be taken in open court[,]" R. 3:5-7(c)). The State
acknowledged defendant disputed fleeing the vehicle "after the collision," to
"rebut the State's contention that he abandoned the evidence seized[,]" and "cited
to the absence of any mention of CDS on the dispatch recording" to dispute "that
the heroin was . . . in plain view in the center console." Thus, we remand for an
evidentiary hearing in accordance with Rule 3:5-7(c).
With regard to defendant's claim that the sentencing judge did not consider
appropriate mitigating factors, we point out that "[a]ppellate review of the length
of a sentence is limited[,]" State v. Miller, 205 N.J. 109, 127 (2011), and "[a]
sentence imposed pursuant to a plea agreement is presumed to be reasonable."
State v. Fuentes, 217 N.J. 57, 70 (2014). Thus, we review a sentence for abuse
of discretion, State v. Pierce, 188 N.J. 155, 166 (2006), and we will affirm a
sentence so long as the sentencing judge "properly identifies and balances
aggravating and mitigating factors that are supported by competent credible
evidence in the record." State v. Natale, 184 N.J. 458, 489 (2005) (quoting State
v. O'Donnell, 117 N.J. 210, 215 (1989)).
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Here, the judge noted defendant's extensive juvenile and adult criminal
history, consisting of "ten juvenile delinquency adjudications[,]" and "[eleven]
prior indictable convictions," many of them for "drug related offenses" dating
"all the way back to 1993[.]" The judge also pointed out that defendant had
served "several probation terms and four prison terms[,]" and admitted that he
abused CDS. As a result, the judge found aggravating factors three, six, and
nine. N.J.S.A. 2C:44-1(a)(3) ("[t]he risk that the defendant will commit another
offense"); N.J.S.A. 2C:44-1(a)(6) ("[t]he extent of the defendant's prior criminal
record and the seriousness of the offenses of which he has been convicted");
N.J.S.A. 2C:44-1(a)(9) ("[t]he need for deterring the defendant and others from
violating the law").
The judge found no mitigating factors, rejecting defendant's claims that
his apology and remorse as well as the birth of his child supported finding the
applicable mitigating factors. As to the latter, the judge pointed out that
defendant's claim that he now had a three-year-old child conflicted with his
statement during the "[p]re-[s]entence investigation" interview that he had no
children. The judge concluded the aggravating factors outweighed the non-
existent mitigating factors, and sentenced defendant accordingly.
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Because there is substantial credible evidence in the record supporting the
judge's specific findings and balancing of the aggravating and mitigating factors,
we reject defendant's argument on appeal that the judge failed to "adequately
consider[] and weigh[]" mitigating factors 2, 8, 9, and 11. N.J.S.A. 2C:44-
1(b)(2) ("defendant did not contemplate that his conduct would cause or threaten
serious harm"); N.J.S.A. 2C:44-1(b)(8) ("[t]he defendant's conduct was the
result of circumstances unlikely to recur"); N.J.S.A. 2C:44-1(b)(9) ("[t]he
character and attitude of the defendant indicate that he is unlikely to commit
another offense"); and N.J.S.A. 2C:44-1(b)(11) ("[t]he imprisonment of the
defendant would entail excessive hardship to himself or his dependents").
Thus, in the event defendant does not prevail on his suppression motion,
we affirm the sentence. We are satisfied the sentence imposed is neither
inconsistent with sentencing provisions of the Code of Criminal Justice ,
unsupported by the record, nor so "'unreasonable . . . as to shock the judicial
conscience.'" Fuentes, 217 N.J. at 70 (quoting State v. Roth, 95 N.J. 334, 364-
65 (1984)).
Reversed and remanded for further proceedings consistent with this
opinion. We do not retain jurisdiction.
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