Joel Hernandez Figueroa v. State ( 2013 )

Opinion issued January 17, 2013.
In The
Court of Appeals
For The
First District of Texas
————————————
NO. 01-11-01115-CR
———————————
JOEL HERNANDEZ FIGUEROA, Appellant
V.
THE STATE OF TEXAS, Appellee
On Appeal from the 184th District Court
Harris County, Texas
Trial Court Case No. 1192076
MEMORANDUM OPINION
After the trial court denied his motion to suppress evidence, Joel Figueroa
pleaded guilty to the offense of possession with intent to deliver a controlled
substance, namely, cocaine, weighing at least 400 grams without an agreed
recommendation as to punishment.1 The trial court adjudged Figueroa guilty and
assessed punishment at sixteen years’ confinement. Figueroa appeals his
conviction, contending in four issues that: (1) he was denied due process because
the prosecution withheld material and exculpatory evidence from defense counsel
in violation of the duty owed under Brady v. Maryland, 373 U.S. 83, 83 S. Ct. 1194
(1963), and (2) the trial court erred in not suppressing the cocaine found in his
vehicle because the police did not have reasonable suspicion to stop his vehicle,
the police did not have probable cause to arrest him before the cocaine was
discovered, and he did not consent to a search of the vehicle. The State rejects
Figueroa’s contentions but presents a cross-point on appeal, complaining that
Figueroa’s sentence is void because the trial court assessed a term of incarceration
without also assessing a mandatory fine and therefore a new punishment hearing is
required. We affirm in part and reverse and remand in part.
Background
Figueroa was arrested and charged with the felony offense of possession
with intent to deliver a controlled substance weighing at least 400 grams when
Officer C. Kowis, a deputy with the Houston Police Department’s narcotics unit,
discovered a brick of cocaine in Figueroa’s vehicle. Figueroa moved to suppress
the cocaine on the ground that his initial detention, his subsequent arrest, and the
1
See TEX. HEALTH & SAFETY CODE ANN. § 481.112(a) & (f) (West 2010).
2
search of his vehicle were unlawful. Only two witnesses testified at the suppression
hearing: Kowis and Figueroa. The two men gave considerably different accounts
of the events preceding the charge against Figueroa.
Officer Kowis testified that, after receiving an anonymous tip that illicit
drugs were being trafficked through a Houston-area home, members of the HPD
narcotics unit set up surveillance. Kowis was standing-by in a marked patrol car a
few blocks from the home when he was notified by surveillance officers that
Figueroa had departed the home. When Figueroa drove by Kowis, Kowis could see
through the open driver’s side window that Figueroa was not wearing a seatbelt.
Kowis followed Figueroa and observed him make an unsafe lane change without
signaling, nearly striking another vehicle. Kowis then initiated a traffic stop based
on the three traffic offenses he had observed: (1) failure to wear a seat belt, (2)
making an unsafe lane change, and (3) failure to use a signal.
As he approached Figueroa’s vehicle, Officer Kowis observed a rectangular
object on the back passenger-side floorboard through an open rear window. Officer
Kowis could not recall whether the rear window, which was heavily tinted, was
open when he approached Figueroa’s vehicle or whether he ordered Figueroa to
roll it down for officer safety. Kowis described the rectangular object as being
wrapped in plastic and duct tape, which packaging, based on Kowis’s experience
in the narcotics unit, was consistent with a kilogram of cocaine. Kowis instructed
3
Figueroa to exit the vehicle but did not place him under arrest. Immediately upon
exiting the vehicle and without any prompting from Kowis, Figueora stated, “[I]t’s
all I got. You can look. I only have one.” Kowis interpreted Figueroa’s statement
as consent to search of the vehicle. Kowis did not reduce Figueroa’s consent to
writing, and Kowis’s patrol car did not have a camera or any other recording
device that captured the exchange. Kowis instructed Figueroa to sit on the curb
while Kowis retrieved the package from the car. Kowis field-tested the substance
in the package and determined it was cocaine. Kowis testified that Figueroa was
not handcuffed when he stepped out of the car or when he sat on the curb. It was
not until after the package tested positive for cocaine that Figueroa was formally
arrested. No traffic citation was issued.
On cross-examination, Figueroa’s counsel cross-examined Officer Kowis
about statements in his arrest report that were inconsistent with his suppression-
hearing testimony. For instance, despite his testimony that he was parked near the
surveillance location in a marked patrol car at the request of other narcotics
officers, Kowis agreed that in his arrest report, he stated, “I was traveling
northbound on Evergreen, a two-way public roadway. . . . While doing so, I
observed a green 2006 Chrysler 300 [Figueroa’s car] . . . traveling in the same
direction.” The arrest report failed to mention either the anonymous tip or the
surveillance of the home from which Figueroa was seen leaving.
4
Figueroa’s counsel complained that Kowis’s testimony at trial was the first
the defense had heard of the anonymous tip and surveillance; until that point, the
State had informed the defense that a random traffic stop contributed to Figueroa’s
arrest. Kowis explained: “[Figueroa] was stopped for committing traffic offenses.
The traffic offenses that I stopped him for led me to locate the kilogram of cocaine.
The only reason why I started looking at him[,] a pretext stop, if you will, is
because he was at that location [the house under surveillance], that’s correct. But, I
didn’t stop him for leaving the location; I stopped him for a traffic offense.” When
asked whether he told any prosecutor about the anonymous tip, Kowis initially
answered “no.” The following exchange occurred, however, in response to further
questioning:
Q. [Defense Counsel:] If a prosecutor asked you at my request,
what, if any, information did the officer have, who is a narcotics
officer, to stop, before he stopped the automobile, did any
officer - - did any Assistant District Attorney ask you that
question?
A. [Kowis:] Yes.
Q. Okay. And did you tell them you had no information?
A. No, I did not.
Q. You told them you had this information?
A. Yes, sir, I did.
Q. And will you tell me which - - you’re pointing over to the
prosecution?
5
A. Yes.
Q. Well, do you understand that she has only been on this case for
a couple of weeks?
A. You know that she’s the first one that I talked about this case in
depth about?
Q. I did not know that.
A. Yes, sir. And the first day I spoke to her, I believe she asked
me, did you have an informant, and I said, no, ma’am I didn’t.
And she said, did you have any information on the house, and I
said, yes, ma’am, I did.
Figueroa testified to an entirely different series of events. Through the
presentation of his defense, Figueroa implied that Officer Kowis had baited the
traffic stop. Specifically, Figueroa testified that, while driving, he saw lights
flashing behind his vehicle. Believing the lights were an emergency vehicle
needing to pass, Figueroa quickly changed lanes. He could not remember whether
he signaled the lane change. He further testified that he wore his seatbelt at all
times, including on the day he was stopped by Officer Kowis, and that his driver’s
side window was rolled up. Figueroa recalled that Kowis got out of the patrol car
with his gun drawn and instructed Figueroa to show his hands and then to get out
of the vehicle. Figueroa complied, first rolling down the driver’s side window,
extending his arms through the driver’s side window to show his hands, and then
exiting the vehicle. As soon as Figueroa was out of the vehicle, Kowis grabbed
Figueroa by his belt from behind and pressed him against the vehicle. Also
6
according to him, Kowis never instructed Figueroa to roll the rear window down;
rather, another officer, who arrived on the scene after Kowis, got out of his vehicle,
walked straight to Figueroa’s car, and retrieved the package of cocaine. The second
officer told Kowis, “[W]e got it.” Kowis handcuffed Figueroa and asked whether
Figuero had anything else. Figuero stated, “No, that is all I have.”
After the close of evidence and arguments by the parties, the trial court
denied Figueroa’s motion to suppress, specifically finding that (1) Figueroa was
not a credible witness but (2) Officer Kowis was credible; (3) Kowis witnessed
Figueroa commit three traffic violations; (4) Kowis, while approaching Figueroa’s
vehicle, observed “in plain view a rectangular object in a size and packaging that
would have been consistent with a kilo of cocaine”; (5) probable cause existed to
seize the cocaine; (6) Figueroa was not in custody at the time he stated, “[I]t’s all I
got. You can look. I only have one”; and (8) Figueroa freely and voluntarily
consented to the search of his vehicle.
Figueroa filed a timely motion for new trial, alleging the State violated
Brady v. Maryland, 373 U.S. 83, 83 S. Ct. 1194 (1963), by failing to disclose the
existence of the anonymous tip and narcotics surveillance before the suppression
hearing. The motion for new trial was overruled by operation of law, and Figueroa
appealed.
7
Untimely Disclosure of Brady Material
Figueroa did not request a continuance of the suppression hearing once it
was discovered that the police had received an anonymous tip before his arrest.
Instead, after the trial court rendered its judgment finding him guilty, he filed a
motion for new trial on the ground that he was denied due process rights because
the State or its agents withheld material and exculpatory evidence in violation of its
duty under Brady.2 Figueroa contends in his first issue on appeal that the trial court
erred by denying his new trial motion. The State responds that Figueroa waived his
Brady claim by not seeking a continuance of the suppression hearing.
A defendant in a criminal case has no general right to pretrial discovery of
evidence in the State’s possession. See Weatherford v. Bursey, 429 U.S. 545, 559,
97 S. Ct. 837, 846 (1977); Pena v. State, 353 S.W.3d 797, 809 n.10 (Tex. Crim.
App. 2011). Under Brady and its progeny, however, there exists a federal
constitutional right to certain minimum discovery. See United States v. Bagley, 473
2
Figueroa also complains, in connection with his Brady argument, that another
“practical effect” of the State’s untimely disclosure of the tipster’s existence is that
other “potentially useful evidence” has “certainly been destroyed.” To the extent
Figueroa’s complaint states a separate issue regarding the State’s failure to
preserve evidence under Arizona v. Youngblood, 488 U.S. 51, 109 S. Ct. 333
(1988), Figueroa has not met his burden. Unless a defendant can demonstrate bad
faith on the part of the State, the failure to preserve potentially useful evidence
does not constitute a denial of due process. See Youngblood, 488 U.S. at 58, 109 S.
Ct. at 337; Ex parte Brandley, 781 S.W.2d 886, 894 (Tex. Crim. App. 1989); see
also Johnson v. State, No. 14-02-00663-CR, 2003 WL 1988593, at *2 n.2 (Tex.
App.—Houston [14th Dist.] May 1, 2003, no pet.) (not designated for
publication). Figueroa has failed to allege any bad faith on the part of the State.
8
U.S. 667, 675, 105 S. Ct. 3375, 3379−80 (1985) (explaining that Brady rule is
based on requirement of due process); United States v. Agurs, 427 U.S. 97, 107, 96
S. Ct. 2392, 2399 (1976) (explaining that Brady deals with “the defendant’s right
to a fair trial mandated by the Due Process Clause of the Fifth Amendment[.]”);
Pena, 353 S.W.3d at 809. That right is violated only if: (1) the State failed to
disclose evidence, regardless of the prosecution’s good or bad faith; (2) the
withheld evidence is favorable to the accused; and (3) the evidence is material, that
is, there is a reasonable probability that had the evidence been disclosed, the
outcome of the proceeding would have been different. Hampton v. State, 86
S.W.3d 603, 612 (Tex. Crim. App. 2002).
We presume for the sake of argument that the anonymous tip constitutes
Brady material. This case, however, does not present the normal Brady situation, in
which the material or exculpatory evidence comes to light after the defendant has
been tried and convicted. In this case, the existence of the anonymous tip was
discovered at the beginning of a pretrial suppression hearing, before Figueroa’s no
contest plea and conviction. Officer Kowis, who was the first witness to testify at
the suppression hearing, disclosed the anonymous tip in answer to the State’s
fifteenth question. The State’s first through fourteenth questions, and Kowis’s
responses to those questions, addressed mostly introductory matters (name,
9
occupation, experience) and occupied only two pages of the more than 135-page
transcript.
When the State’s failure to disclose Brady material is discovered during
trial, the defendant is entitled to a recess to obtain production of the material. See
Crawford v. State, 892 S.W.2d 1, 4 (Tex. Crim. App. 1994). The opportunity to
request a continuance once Brady material is disclosed at trial adequately protects
due process. See Payne v. State, 516 S.W.2d 675, 677 (Tex. Crim. App. 1974)
(noting that due process is satisfied when defendant is granted postponement or
continuance in wake of late-disclosed evidence). When an accused fails to request
a continuance, however, he waives any error resulting from the State’s failure to
disclose evidence. See Lindley v. State, 635 S.W.2d 541, 544 (Tex. Crim. App.
1982) (“The failure to request a postponement or seek a continuance waives any
error urged in an appeal on the basis of surprise.”); see also State v. Fury, 186
S.W.3d 67, 74 (Tex. App.—Houston [1st Dist.] 2005, pet. ref’d) (noting that
defendant’s “failure to request a continuance waives any complaint regarding th[e]
‘newly discovered evidence’”); State v. DeLeon, 971 S.W.2d 701, 706 (Tex.
App.—Amarillo 1998, pet. ref’d) (“If the State waits until trial before disclosing
10
Brady material and the defendant fails to request a continuance, the defendant
waives any error resulting from the Brady violation.”).3
The record does not reflect that Figueroa requested a continuance of the
suppression hearing or otherwise sought to postpone the proceedings at any point
after Officer Kowis’s disclosure. Even after the presentation of all evidence in the
suppression hearing, Figueroa did not move the trial court for any relief based on
the newly discovered evidence. A continuance would have allowed Figueroa time
to discover whether other evidence related to the narcotics surveillance and traffic
stop existed, to obtain production of any existing evidence, to address the impact of
such evidence, and to develop any necessary response to it. In addition, Figueroa
had “agreed with the trial court to have a dispositive motion to suppress hearing,
whereby [he] would enter a plea of no contest and the court would grant [him] the
right to appeal, should [his] motion be denied.” A continuance also would have
permitted Figueroa time to consider whether he still wanted to plead guilty or put
the case to a jury in light of the newly disclosed evidence. Figueroa’s failure to
3
See also Alcorta v. State, No. 14-10-00827-CR, 2011 WL 3672091, at *6 (Tex.
App.—Houston [14th Dist.] Aug. 23, 2011, pet. ref’d) (mem. op., not designated
for publication) (holding that appellant waived any Brady error related to untimely
production of documents after jury verdict by failing to request a continuance of
the hearing); Balca v. State, No. 01-95-00482-CR, 2000 WL 1593790, at *3 (Tex.
App.—Houston [1st Dist.] Oct. 26, 2000, pet. ref’d) (not designated for
publication) (concluding that appellant waived any error resulting from untimely
disclosure of alleged Brady material by failing to request continuance of
suppression hearing, to object to timing of disclosure as prejudicing defense
preparation and presentation, or to withdraw guilty plea).
11
seek any such relief waived the error, if any, resulting from the State’s failure to
disclose Brady material.4 See Fury, 186 S.W.3d at 74 (holding that, by failing to
request continuance, defendant waived error regarding evidence not disclosed until
cross-examination of complainant at trial); Taylor v. State, 93 S.W.3d 487, 502
(Tex. App.—Texarkana 2002, pet. ref’d) (holding that defendant waived Brady
claim by failing request a continuance of trial); Williams v. State, 995 S.W.2d 754,
762 (Tex. App.—San Antonio 1999, no pet.) (citing defendant’s failure to request
continuance after discovery of alleged Brady material as one reason for overruling
Brady claim on appeal); see also Lindley, 635 S.W.2d at 544.
Even had Figueroa requested and been denied a continuance, his Brady
claim would fail. When there has been an untimely disclosure of evidence, rather
than a complete failure to disclose, the inquiry becomes whether the defendant was
prejudiced by the tardy disclosure. See Palmer v. State, 902 S.W.2d 561, 565 (Tex.
App.—Houston [1st Dist.] 1995, no pet.). The initial purpose of the suppression
hearing was to determine whether Officer Kowis lawfully detained Figueroa and
lawfully searched his vehicle. Figueroa argues that the State’s failure to disclose
the existence of the anonymous tipster and narcotics surveillance is evidence that
4
Figueroa also failed to obtain rulings on certain pretrial discovery motions,
including his motion for disclosure of informer’s identity, which alleged that
Figueroa had “reason to believe the arresting officers relied on one or more
informants in deciding to detain and arrest [him],” and his motion for production
of evidence favorable to the accused.
12
Kowis, the State’s sole witness, was not credible and that the traffic stop performed
by him was pretext for the narcotics investigation. First, as we explain in our
discussion of Figueroa’s second issue below, Kowis’s subjective reason for
conducting a traffic stop was not relevant to Figueroa’s Fourth Amendment claim.
See State v. Elias, 339 S.W.3d 667, 674 (Tex. Crim. App. 2011) (explaining that
reasonable suspicion standard for traffic stop is wholly objective; officer’s
subjective intent is irrelevant). And second, the State’s disclosure came at a time
when Figueroa’s counsel could―and did―put the material to effective use at the
suppression hearing. Figueroa’s counsel thoroughly cross-examined Kowis
regarding his subjective reasons for stopping Figueroa’s vehicle and tested
Kowis’s credibility by inquiring why the narcotics investigation was not mentioned
in his arrest report.
For these reasons, we overrule Figueroa’s first issue.
Reasonableness of Search and Seizure
In his second, third, and fourth issues, Figueroa argues that the trial court
should have suppressed the evidence recovered from his vehicle because he was
denied Fourth Amendment protection from unreasonable searches and seizures
when Officer Kowis initiated a stop of Figueroa’s vehicle without reasonable
suspicion, effectuated an arrest without probable cause, and searched the vehicle
without proper authority.
13
A. Standard of Review
In reviewing the trial court’s ruling on a motion to suppress evidence, we
apply a bifurcated standard of review. See Carmouche v. State, 10 S.W.3d 323, 327
(Tex. Crim. App. 2000). First, we afford “almost total deference” to the trial
court’s determinations of historical facts and rulings on mixed questions of law and
fact that depend on an evaluation of credibility and demeanor. Gonzales v. State,
369 S.W.3d 851, 854 (Tex. Crim. App. 2012); Carmouche, 10 S.W.3d at 327. The
trial court is the sole trier of fact and judge of the credibility of the witnesses and
the weight to be given their testimony. State v. Ross, 32 S.W.3d 853, 855 (Tex.
Crim. App. 2000). She is entitled to believe or disbelieve all or part of the
witness’s testimony because she has the opportunity to observe the witness’s
demeanor and appearance. Id. When, as here, the trial judge makes express
findings of fact, we view the evidence in the most favorable to her ruling and
determine whether the evidence supports those factual findings. State v. Kelly, 204
S.W.3d 808, 818 (Tex. Crim. App. 2006).
Second, we review de novo the trial court’s application of the law of search
and seizure to the facts. Carmouche, 10 S.W.3d at 327. We will sustain the trial
court’s ruling if that ruling is “reasonably supported by the record and is correct on
any theory of law applicable to the case.” State v. Dixon, 206 S.W.3d 587, 590
(Tex. Crim. App. 2006).
14
B. Reasonable Suspicion for Traffic Stop
Figueroa asserts in his second issue that the weight of the credible evidence
does not support the trial court’s finding that Officer Kowis witnessed Figueroa
commit three traffic violations. According to Figueroa, the evidence established
instead that the traffic stop was “pretextual in nature, and that the true and sole
motivation for stopping [him] was to conduct a drug investigation.”
The Fourth Amendment is not a guarantee against all searches and seizures,
but only against unreasonable searches and seizures. United States v. Sharpe, 470
U.S. 675, 682, 105 S. Ct. 1568, 1573 (1985). For Fourth Amendment purposes, a
traffic stop is a seizure and must be reasonable to be lawful. Vasquez v. State, 324
S.W.3d 912, 919 (Tex. App.—Houston [14th Dist.] 2010, pet. ref’d) (citing Davis
v. State, 947 S.W.2d 240, 243−45 (Tex. Crim. App. 1997)). A traffic stop is
reasonable if the law enforcement officer was justified in making the stop and his
actions during the stop were confined in length and scope to that necessary to
fulfill the purpose of the stop. Id. (citing Kothe v. State, 152 S.W.3d 54, 63 (Tex.
Crim. App. 2004)). A traffic stop is justified if the law enforcement officer has a
reasonable basis for suspecting that a person has committed a traffic violation. Id.
(citing Garcia v. State, 827 S.W.2d 937, 944 (Tex. Crim. App. 1992)).
“Reasonable suspicion” exists if a law enforcement officer “has specific,
articulable facts that, combined with rational inferences from those facts, would
15
lead him reasonably to conclude that the person detained is, has been, or soon will
be engaged in criminal activity.” Elias, 339 S.W.3d at 674. The reasonable
suspicion standard is wholly objective; the subjective intent of the officer
conducting the investigation is irrelevant. Id.
Here, as Figueroa acknowledges, there was conflicting testimony regarding
whether Figueroa violated any traffic laws. One the one hand, Officer Kowis
testified that he personally witnessed Figueroa commit three traffic violations: (1)
failure to wear a seatbelt, (2) making an unsafe lane change, and (3) failing to
signal the lane change. Kowis explained more than once that these three violations
prompted him to stop Figueroa. On the other hand, Figueroa testified that he was
wearing a seatbelt and only switched lanes suddenly to yield to what he believed
was an emergency vehicle attempting to pass him. Given the conflicting testimony,
whether Kowis had reasonable suspicion to make the traffic stop depended on the
credibility of the witnesses. The trial judge’s express finding that Kowis’s
testimony was credible and that Figueroa’s testimony was not is dispositive of this
issue. As the sole trier of fact, the trial judge was entitled to believe all of Kowis’s
testimony and none of Figueroa’s testimony because she observed their
appearances and demeanors at the suppression hearing. See Ross, 32 S.W.3d at
855. Viewed in the appropriate light, we hold that the evidence supports the trial
16
court’s finding that Figueroa committed three traffic violations and that Kowis was
therefore justified in conducting the traffic stop.
Whether Kowis’s subjective intent in making the traffic stop was to conduct
a drug investigation is irrelevant. See State v. Gray, 158 S.W.3d 465, 469−70 (Tex.
Crim. App. 2005) (officer entitled to search driver’s person and passenger
compartment of vehicle after making valid arrest for offense of turning without
signaling, despite fact that officer “may have had another subjective motive” for
initiating detention); see also Castro v. State, 227 S.W.3d 737, 738−39 (Tex. Crim.
App. 2007) (failure to signal is valid basis for traffic stop and subsequent search of
narcotics); Garcia, 827 S.W.2d at 944 (finding that “pretext arrest doctrine” is “no
longer viable as a matter of Fourth Amendment jurisprudence. . . . As long as an
actual violation occurs, law enforcement officials are free to enforce the laws and
detain a person for that violation, . . . regardless of the officer’s subjective reasons
for the detention.”). Even if Kowis believed Figueroa was involved in a drug
transaction, it was not unlawful to stop Figueroa for failing to use his seatbelt or a
signal or for making an unsafe lane change.
We overrule Figueroa’s second issue.
C. Timing of Arrest
Figueroa next complains that the “weight of the credible evidence indicates
that, without probable cause, [he] was unlawfully arrested immediately after his
17
vehicle was stopped.” The State responds that Figueroa was subject to only an
investigative detention when he was stopped and was not arrested until after
Officer Kowis’s field tests revealed that Figueroa was in possession of cocaine.
A mere investigative detention occurs when a person is temporarily detained
for a period of time only long enough for the law enforcement officer to confirm or
dispel his reasonable suspicion of criminal activity. See Johnson v. State, 912
S.W.2d 227, 235 (Tex. Crim. App. 1995). An arrest, however, involves a greater
restraint on a person’s freedom of movement. See State v. Sheppard, 271 S.W.3d
281, 290−91 (Tex. Crim. App. 2008). “A person is in custody only if, under the
circumstances, a reasonable person would believe that his freedom of movement
was restrained to the degree associated with a formal arrest.” Clark v. State, No.
01-07-00993-CR, 2009 WL 566448, at *3 (Tex. App.—Houston [1st Dist.] Mar. 5,
2009, no pet.) (citing Dowthitt v. State, 931 S.W.2d 244, 254 (Tex. Crim. App.
1996)).
Whether an officer’s actions reach the restraint necessary to characterize the
occurrence as an arrest does not depend on any bright line test, but must be
determined by examining the totality of the circumstances. See Rhodes v. State,
945 S.W.2d 115, 119−20 (Tex. Crim. App. 1997); see also Dowthitt, 931 S.W.2d
at 255 (outlining four general situations that may constitute custody: (1) suspect is
physically deprived of his freedom of action in significant way, (2) law
18
enforcement officer tells suspect that he cannot leave, (3) law enforcement officers
create situation that would lead reasonable person to believe his freedom of
movement has been significantly restricted, and (4) there is probable cause to arrest
and law enforcement officers do not tell suspect that he is free to leave). “[C]ases
are generally categorized as an ‘arrest’ or ‘detention’ depending upon several
factors, including the amount of force displayed, the duration of a detention, the
efficiency of the investigative process and whether it is conducted at the original
location or the person is transported to another location, the officer's expressed
intent—that is, whether he told the detained person that he was under arrest or was
being detained only for a temporary investigation, and any other relevant factors.”
Sheppard, 271 S.W.3d at 291.
With respect to the course of the interaction between Figueroa and Officer
Kowis, the trial judge did not make any explicit factual findings. That is, the trial
judge did not expressly find that the interaction was the calm and cooperative
exchange described by Kowis. Neither did the trial judge expressly find that, as
testified to by Figueroa, Kowis approached the vehicle with gun drawn and
immediately subjected Figueroa to physical restraint. However, the trial judge’s
finding that Kowis was credible indicates that she believed Kowis’s testimony.
Based on Kowis’s testimony, the trial court could reasonably conclude that
Figueroa was subject to an investigative detention when his vehicle was stopped,
19
not a custodial arrest. Kowis testified that he stopped Figueroa’s vehicle during
daylight hours after observing Figueroa commit three traffic violations. Kowis was
the only officer on the scene initially. While Kowis had observed the package of
cocaine in plain view through an open window, he did not communicate that fact to
Figueroa. When Figueroa volunteered, “[I]t’s all I got. You can look. I only have
one,” Kowis asked Figueroa to sit on the curb next to the vehicle. Kowis stated that
because Figueroa was calm and cooperative, he did not handcuff Figueroa or
otherwise physically restrain him. Kowis testified that he did not physically touch
or handcuff Figueroa until the investigation revealed that the substance found in
Figueroa’s vehicle was cocaine.
Viewed in the light most favorable to the trial court’s ruling, this evidence
supports a conclusion that although Figueroa was not free to leave while Kowis
investigated him, Figueroa was not restrained to the degree associated with an
arrest until the drugs field-tested positive for cocaine at the conclusion of the
investigation. We therefore hold that the trial court did not err in denying
Figueroa’s motion to suppress on the ground that he was unlawfully arrested.
We overrule Figueroa’s third issue.
D. Consent to Search Vehicle
Figueroa complains in his fourth issue that the weight of the credible
evidence does not support the trial court’s finding that he consented to a search of
20
his vehicle. Figueroa argues, first, that he did not consent at all and, alternatively,
that any consent was involuntary because it followed Officer Kowis’s show of
force and therefore was a product of duress and coercion.
Under the Fourth Amendment, a search conducted without a warrant issued
upon probable cause is “‘per se unreasonable . . . subject only to a few specifically
established and well-delineated exceptions.’” Schneckloth v. Bustamonte, 412 U.S.
218, 219, 93 S. Ct. 2041, 2043 (1973) (quoting Katz v. United States, 389 U.S.
347, 357, 88 S. Ct. 507, 514 (1967)). One of the specifically established exceptions
to the requirements of both a warrant and probable cause is a search that is
conducted pursuant to consent, so long as the consent is voluntary. Schneckloth,
412 U.S. at 219–23, 93 S. Ct. at 2043−45. The validity of a consent to search is a
question of fact to be determined from all the circumstances. Ohio v. Robinette,
519 U.S. 33, 40, 117 S. Ct. 417, 421 (1996); Maxwell v. State, 73 S.W.3d 278, 281
(Tex. Crim. App. 2002). The consent must “not be coerced, by explicit or implicit
means, by implied threat or covert force.” Schneckloth, 412 U.S. at 228, 93 S. Ct.
at 2048; see also Allridge v. State, 850 S.W.2d 471, 493 (Tex. Crim. App. 1991)
(“The consent must be shown to be positive and unequivocal, and there must not
be any duress or coercion.”). By the same token, consent is not established by
“showing no more than acquiescence to a claim of lawful authority.” Bumper v.
North Carolina, 391 U.S. 543, 548–49, 88 S. Ct. 1788, 1792 (1968). In
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determining the meaning of a voluntary consent, two competing concerns must be
accommodated—the legitimate need for such searches and the equally important
requirement of assuring the absence of coercion. Schneckloth, 412 U.S. at 227, 93
S. Ct. at 2048. The State is required to prove the voluntariness of consent by clear
and convincing evidence based on the totality of the circumstances. See Reasor v.
State, 12 S.W.3d 813, 818 (Tex. Crim. App. 2000).
We first address Figueroa’s contention that he did not consent to the search
of his vehicle. Again, this issue turns upon an evaluation of credibility and
demeanor. At the suppression hearing, Officer Kowis testified that as Figueroa
exited his vehicle, he volunteered, “[I]t’s all I got. You can look. I only have one.”
Figueroa, however, denied making those statements and testified instead that,
while he was being physically restrained and pressed against the vehicle by Kowis,
a second officer entered the vehicle and retrieved the cocaine without asking
Figueroa’s permission. The trial court, however, found that Figueroa’s testimony
was not credible. As the sole trier of fact, the trial court was free to believe
Kowis’s testimony that Figueroa stated, “You can look.” Because we must defer to
the trial court’s finding of historical fact, the inquiry becomes whether Figueroa’s
statement was the product of duress or coercion.
In making a determination of voluntariness, courts consider various factors,
including whether the consenting person was in custody, whether he or she was
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arrested at gunpoint, whether he or she had the option of refusing consent, the
constitutional advice given to the accused, the length of detention, the
repetitiveness of the questioning, and the use of physical punishment. See Laney v.
State, 76 S.W.3d 524, 532 (Tex. App.―Houston [14th Dist.] 2002), aff’d, 117
S.W.3d 854 (Tex. Crim. App. 2003). Courts also consider the characteristics of the
consenting person, including the person’s youth, education, and intelligence. Id.;
see Reasor, 12 S.W.3d at 818.
Figueroa alternatively argues that the totality of the circumstances show that
he did not give consent voluntarily because he did not consent until after Officer
Kowis (1) had approached the vehicle with gun drawn and exercised physical force
by grabbing Figueroa from behind by his belt, pressing Figueroa against the
vehicle, and handcuffing Figueroa. Again, however, the trial court did not find
Figueroa’s testimony credible. The trial court looked instead to Kowis’s testimony,
which established that when Kowis looked into the backseat of Figueroa’s vehicle
through an open window, he observed the cocaine on the floorboard and asked
Figueroa to exit the vehicle. Figueroa, a man of forty-four years, volunteered his
consent without Kowis having requested it or having said anything to Figueroa
about the cocaine. When Figueroa gave his consent, Kowis was the only officer on
the scene. Figueroa was not handcuffed or otherwise physically restrained. Kowis
did not yell or act in an aggressive manner and did not recall having approached
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Figueroa’s vehicle with gun drawn. Kowis characterized Figueroa’s demeanor at
the scene as calm and cooperative.
The totality of the circumstances testified to by Officer Kowis do not
establish that Figueroa’s consent was the product of duress or coercion. Rather, the
record supports the trial court’s findings that Figueroa freely and voluntarily
consented to the search of his vehicle at a time when he was not subject to
custodial interrogation. We therefore conclude that the trial court did not err by
denying Figueroa’s motion to suppress evidence on the ground that the search of
his vehicle was unlawful.
We overrule Figueroa’s fourth issue.
Failure to Assess Fine
The State contends in a cross-point that a new punishment hearing is
required because the trial court failed to assess a mandatory fine pursuant to
section 481.112(f) of the Health and Safety Code. See TEX. HEALTH & SAFETY
CODE ANN. § 481.112(f) (West 2010).
In cases involving possession with intent to deliver at least 400 grams of a
controlled substance, section 481.112(f) requires the assessment of both a term of
confinement and a fine. See id.; see also Ibarra v. State, 177 S.W.3d 282, 284
(Tex. App.—Houston [1st Dist.] 2005, no pet.) (recognizing that section
481.112(f) requires “both confinement and a fine”). Here, Figuero pleaded guilty
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to possession with intent to deliver cocaine, a controlled substance, weighing at
least 400 grams. The trial court sentenced him to a term of sixteen years’
confinement but did not assess a fine. Because it is outside the minimum range of
punishment, the trial court’s sentence is unauthorized by law and is void. Ibarra,
177 S.W.3d at 284 (holding that trial court erred by “not assessing a fine as
required for a conviction under section 481.112(f)”); see Mizell v. State, 119
S.W.3d 804, 806 (Tex. Crim. App. 2003) (“A sentence that is outside the
maximum or minimum range of punishment is unauthorized by law and therefore
illegal.”); see also Ex parte Sims, 868 S.W.2d 803, 804 (Tex. Crim. App. 1997)
(noting that sentence outside statutory limits is void, and void sentence cannot be
waived), overruled on other grounds by Ex parte McJunkins, 954 S.W.2d 39, 41
(Tex. Crim. App. 1997).
This Court has no authority to reform a void sentence by adding a
punishment of any amount, “even in the interest of judicial economy and fairness
or even if the addition is de minimis.” Ibarra, 177 S.W.3d at 284 (citing Scott v.
State, 988 S.W.2d 947, 948 (Tex. App.—Houston [1st Dist.] 1999, no pet.) and
Reed v. State, 795 S.W.2d 19, 19−21 (Tex. App.—Houston [1st Dist.] 1990, no
pet.)). The only remedy is a new punishment hearing. See TEX. CODE CRIM. PROC.
ANN. art. 44.29(b) (West Supp. 2012); Ibarra, 177 S.W.3d at 284; Scott, 988
S.W.2d at 948.
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We sustain the State’s cross-point.
Conclusion
We affirm that part of the trial court’s judgment finding Figueroa guilty of
possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance weighing at least 400
grams. Because we have determined that the trial court erred by failing to assess a
fine in addition to a period of incarceration, however, we reverse that portion of the
judgment assessing punishment and remand the case for a new punishment hearing
pursuant to Article 44.29(b) of the Code of Criminal Procedure. See TEX. CODE
CRIM. PROC. ANN. art. 44.29(b) (West 2008); Scott, 988 S.W.2d at 948.
Harvey Brown
Justice
Panel consists of Justices Keyes, Massengale, and Brown.
Do Not Publish. TEX. R. APP. P. 47.2(b).
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