John M. Smith v. State of Indiana (mem. dec.)

MEMORANDUM DECISION
Pursuant to Ind. Appellate Rule 65(D),
this Memorandum Decision shall not be FILED
regarded as precedent or cited before any Dec 20 2016, 6:14 am
court except for the purpose of establishing CLERK
the defense of res judicata, collateral Indiana Supreme Court
Court of Appeals
and Tax Court
estoppel, or the law of the case.
ATTORNEY FOR APPELLANT ATTORNEYS FOR APPELLEE
Leanna Weissmann Gregory F. Zoeller
Lawrenceburg, Indiana Attorney General of Indiana
James B. Martin
Deputy Attorney General
Indianapolis, Indiana
IN THE
COURT OF APPEALS OF INDIANA
John M. Smith, December 20, 2016
Appellant-Defendant, Court of Appeals Case No.
15A04-1601-CR-148
v. Appeal from the Dearborn
Superior Court
State of Indiana, The Honorable Sally McLaughlin,
Appellee-Plaintiff. Judge
Trial Court Cause No.
15D02-1402-FA-6
Brown, Judge.
Court of Appeals of Indiana | Memorandum Decision 15A04-1601-CR-148 | December 20, 2016 Page 1 of 23
[1] John M. Smith appeals his conviction and sentence for conspiracy to deal
heroin as a class A felony. Smith raises two issues which we revise and restate
as:
I. Whether the court abused its discretion in admitting evidence
of a search; and
II. Whether Smith’s sentence is inappropriate in light of the nature
of the offense and his character.
We affirm.
Facts and Procedural History
[2] On June 22, 2012, Indiana State Police Trooper James Wells was parked on a
median cross-over on I-74 when, just before 11:00 a.m., he observed a car
tailgating a minivan traveling east on I-74. As the car passed, Trooper Wells
observed that the posture of the driver, later identified as Destanee Gaines,
looked “a little unusual” as she was leaning forward off the seat with her mouth
locked open and her eyes wide open “like she was kind of in a state of panic.”
Transcript at 141. Trooper Wells then initiated a stop for the traffic violation.
[3] Trooper Wells approached the passenger side door, greeted Gaines, and asked
for her license. He observed that Gaines was “very, very nervous,” that she was
breathing heavily, and that her hands were shaking uncontrollably when she
handed him her license. Id. at 142. He asked her who owned the car, and she
said that it was a rental. Gaines handed him the rental agreement and had a
“blank look on her face like she was in shock and said it’s right there at the
Court of Appeals of Indiana | Memorandum Decision 15A04-1601-CR-148 | December 20, 2016 Page 2 of 23
bottom.” Id. at 143. Trooper Wells asked what was the name on the
agreement, and Gaines said John Smith.
[4] He then asked Gaines to come back to his vehicle with him while he checked
her license and registration, and Gaines sat in the front seat of his vehicle. He
asked her about her trip, and she said she was coming from Chicago and was
on her way home to Cincinnati. He asked her when she went to Chicago, and
she started to say “we went up there,” but then stopped midsentence and said,
“I went up there last week,” which was unusual. Id. at 144. He noticed that
Gaines was struggling for answers to very simple questions and changing them
midsentence and her nervousness was “just getting worse and worse.” Id. at
145. In addition to her heavy breathing and shaking hands, Trooper Wells,
who had received training on the “adrenalin dump” and the physical changes it
causes, as well as observing nervousness, could see “her heart beating in her
carotid.” Id. at 145, 183.
[5] He asked her why she was so nervous, and she said that she was terrified of the
highway. He did not believe her and asked her if she was traveling with
anything illegal, to which she responded: “No sir.” Defendant’s Exhibit B1 at
6:15-6:20. He asked if she had any drugs with her, and Gaines answered that
she probably had a joint in her purse. Trooper Wells said: “[Y]ou know, this
nervousness seems like more than that, is there anything else in the car[?]”
Transcript at 189. Gaines looked away from him, stared at the car, and just
shook her head. He then placed her in handcuffs and searched the car.
Court of Appeals of Indiana | Memorandum Decision 15A04-1601-CR-148 | December 20, 2016 Page 3 of 23
[6] Trooper Wells first checked the trunk and noticed that there was no luggage or
overnight bags or anything consistent with traveling for a week. He then found
Gaines’s purse and a small bag containing marijuana in the side pocket of a
wallet on the passenger side of the seat. He continued searching the car and
eventually observed that the mounting hardware, the screws, and the bolts in
the door that hold the plastic shell to the metal shell were all missing paint,
indicating they had been “tooled up.” Transcript at 150. He rolled the window
down, but the window stopped about an inch or two before going all the way
down because it hit something. His training indicated that there was something
at the bottom of the door preventing the window from going all the way down.
He then spread the weather stripping open, shined his light into the door, and
observed a package wrapped in green plastic and another package wrapped in a
t-shirt.
[7] Trooper Wells then went to talk to Gaines about the contraband in the door,
and she denied knowledge of it. He eventually took the door apart and
retrieved three packages containing approximately three kilograms of heroin.
[8] Trooper Wells transported Gaines to the police department, and she eventually
agreed to cooperate and call Aldon Webb. Gaines told Webb she was stopped
by the police and arrested for possession of marijuana and her vehicle was
impounded, that the rental company was going to retrieve it later the same
evening, and she requested that Webb come and recover her personal
belongings from the rental car.
Court of Appeals of Indiana | Memorandum Decision 15A04-1601-CR-148 | December 20, 2016 Page 4 of 23
[9] Numerous officers went to the towing business, and Detective Tim Wuestefeld
posed as a tow truck driver. Webb later arrived at the towing business and
spoke with Detective Wuestefeld, who told Webb that he could have access to
the vehicle to retrieve Gaines’s personal belongings. Other officers
apprehended Webb, and Webb admitted that he was there to retrieve the
heroin, that his supplier was Smith, and that Smith advised him to obtain
certain tools to release the screw on the door.
[10] On February 6, 2014, the State charged Smith with conspiracy to commit
dealing in heroin as a class A felony. On October 19, 2015, Smith filed a
motion to dismiss and to suppress evidence. In his memorandum in support of
his motion, he argued that the evidence was obtained improperly under the
United States Constitution.
[11] After some discussion concerning the motion at the beginning of the trial on
October 21, 2015, the court said the State would proceed with calling the first
witness and that, if the court made the decision to suppress the evidence, then
the case would be dismissed.
[12] Trooper Wells testified that he attended the Law Enforcement Academy in
2001, was assigned to the Versailles Post from 2001 to 2012, and received
extensive training in criminal interdiction, human trafficking, and smuggling,
had been doing interdiction enforcement since 2008, was assigned as a DEA
task force officer, and had made 15,000 traffic stops since 2008. He testified
that he received training in concealment methods and in noticing things that are
Court of Appeals of Indiana | Memorandum Decision 15A04-1601-CR-148 | December 20, 2016 Page 5 of 23
inconsistent with the normal innocent motoring public, and that Gaines’s level
of nervousness was much higher than someone who would be pulled over for
speeding. He also testified that rental cars are usually brand new and that it is
rare to see any type of mechanical defect on a rental car. On cross-
examination, Trooper Wells testified that when someone gives up a small
amount of marijuana, it is for a reason, and that they call it a “drop dope,”
which means “give up a small amount, go to jail for a misdemeanor and keep
something bigger hidden.” Id. at 193.
[13] After the presentation of evidence, Smith’s counsel presented argument
regarding the motion to suppress and asked that the stop and resulting evidence
be suppressed. The court found there was probable cause for the stop and noted
Trooper Wells’s training and observations about Gaines, and the car and her
statement about marijuana, and concluded that Trooper Wells had probable
cause to search the car. The court also found that the evidence need not be
suppressed under the Indiana Constitution.
[14] Smith’s counsel then moved for dismissal or acquittal and argued that there was
no evidence of a conspiracy, and the court denied the motion. The jury found
Smith guilty as charged.
[15] At the sentencing hearing, the court admitted the Government’s Sentencing
Memorandum from a federal case in the United States District Court for the
Northern District of Illinois, in which the government alleged that Smith sold
heroin to a confidential source on four occasions for a total of 193 grams of
Court of Appeals of Indiana | Memorandum Decision 15A04-1601-CR-148 | December 20, 2016 Page 6 of 23
heroin in 2010 in exchange for $16,125. The government also referred to the
arrest in the present case and evidence of narcotics trafficking subsequent to the
offenses in the federal case. Smith spoke at the hearing and mentioned his
family and taking youths off the street and signing them as artists to his record
label. Smith also stated that he was not going to say that what he did was right
but that he was not involved in dealing anymore and that “[i]t’s not the drug
that’s killing; it’s the cut that the street cutters put on this drug and here it is a
street dealer he’s seven (7) years but he’s asking the Court to give me fifty
(50).” 1 Id. at 533.
[16] The court observed that Smith was serving a sentence of 216 months on a
conviction in the United States District Court for the Northern District of
Illinois for four counts of distributing heroin for offenses prior to November 23,
2010. It noted that Smith was not without resources to earn an income legally
and that he actively participated in the sale of drugs solely for profit. The court
also stated that Smith’s comments that it is the street dealer who is killing the
individuals using heroin illustrates his character, and that, if not intercepted by
police, he would have distributed three kilograms of pure heroin for profit to be
cut and distributed by street dealers. The court found Smith’s character was
such that long term incarceration was appropriate to protect community safety.
The court found the excessive amount of heroin, Smith’s criminal history, and
1
Webb testified that he received a sentence of twenty years with five years suspended and that if he had good
time credit he would serve seven and one-half years.
Court of Appeals of Indiana | Memorandum Decision 15A04-1601-CR-148 | December 20, 2016 Page 7 of 23
his inability to respond affirmatively to prior rehabilitative programs, probation,
or incarceration to be aggravating factors, and that these aggravating factors far
outweighed any mitigating circumstances including the effect incarceration
would have on his children. The court found that “although the instant case
may have been utilized as an argument by the Prosecutor in Federal Court to
show significant ongoing escalating drug trafficking and may have impacted
[the] length of sentence in Federal Court; the instant offense occurred after and
was separate from the counts leading to the Federal conviction and were not
charged in Federal Court.” Id. at 544. The court sentenced Smith to fifty years
to be served consecutive to the federal sentence.
Discussion
I.
[17] The first issue is whether the court abused its discretion in admitting evidence of
the search. The admission and exclusion of evidence falls within the sound
discretion of the trial court, and we review the admission of evidence only for
an abuse of discretion. Wilson v. State, 765 N.E.2d 1265, 1272 (Ind. 2002). An
abuse of discretion occurs “where the decision is clearly against the logic and
effect of the facts and circumstances.” Smith v. State, 754 N.E.2d 502, 504 (Ind.
2001). Even if the trial court’s decision was an abuse of discretion, we will not
reverse if the admission constituted harmless error. Fox v. State, 717 N.E.2d
957, 966 (Ind. Ct. App. 1999), reh’g denied, trans. denied. “[T]he ultimate
determination of the constitutionality of a search or seizure is a question of law
that we consider de novo.” Carpenter v. State, 18 N.E.3d 998, 1001 (Ind. 2014).
Court of Appeals of Indiana | Memorandum Decision 15A04-1601-CR-148 | December 20, 2016 Page 8 of 23
[18] Smith raises arguments under: (A) the Fourth Amendment of the United States
Constitution; and (B) Article 1, Section 11 of the Indiana Constitution.
A. Fourth Amendment
[19] Smith argues that Gaines’s admission to having marijuana in her purse gave
Trooper Wells a reasonable belief that he would find contraband in her purse,
not anywhere in the rental vehicle. He argues that the problem with the trial
court’s analysis is that discovery of the marijuana along with Gaines’s
nervousness would not have caused a reasonable person to believe tearing apart
the driver’s door of a rental car would yield bricks of heroin. He also asserts
that Trooper Wells did not focus on the door until the search was well under
way. The State argues that Trooper Wells had probable cause to search the car
based upon Gaines’s admission to possessing marijuana in her purse and that
Trooper Wells’s observations of Gaines’s nervousness added to the probable
cause.
[20] The Fourth Amendment to the United States Constitution provides:
The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses,
papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures,
shall not be violated, and no warrants shall issue, but upon
probable cause, supported by oath or affirmation, and
particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons
or things to be seized.
Thus, the Fourth Amendment to the United States Constitution prohibits
unreasonable searches and seizures by the government. Patterson v. State, 958
Court of Appeals of Indiana | Memorandum Decision 15A04-1601-CR-148 | December 20, 2016 Page 9 of 23
N.E.2d 478, 482 (Ind. Ct. App. 2011). “Searches performed by government
officials without warrants are per se unreasonable under the Fourth
Amendment, subject to a ‘few specifically established and well-delineated
exceptions.’” Holder v. State, 847 N.E.2d 930, 935 (Ind. 2006) (quoting Katz v.
United States, 389 U.S. 347, 357, 88 S. Ct. 507, 514 (1967)). A search without a
warrant requires the State to prove an exception to the warrant requirement
applicable at the time of the search. Id.[21] A search falls within the automobile exception when a vehicle is readily mobile
and there is probable cause to believe it contains contraband or evidence of a
crime. Meister v. State, 933 N.E.2d 875, 878-879 (Ind. 2010) (citing Maryland v.
Dyson, 527 U.S. 465, 467, 119 S. Ct. 2013 (1999)). Where there is probable
cause to search a vehicle, a search is not unreasonable if it is based on facts that
would justify the issuance of a warrant, even though a warrant has not been
obtained. Id. The automobile exception is grounded in two notions: “1) a
vehicle is readily moved and therefore the evidence may disappear while a
warrant is being obtained, and 2) citizens have lower expectations of privacy in
their vehicles than in their homes.” State v. Hobbs, 933 N.E.2d 1281, 1285 (Ind.
2010) (citing California v. Carney, 471 U.S. 386, 391, 105 S. Ct. 2066 (1985)).
The United States Supreme Court has specifically stated that when there is
probable cause that a vehicle contains evidence of a crime, a warrantless search
of the vehicle does not violate the Fourth Amendment. Meister, 933 N.E.2d at
879 (citing California v. Acevedo, 500 U.S. 565, 569, 111 S. Ct. 1982 (1991)); see
also Pennsylvania v. Labron, 518 U.S. 938, 940, 116 S. Ct. 2485, 2487 (1996) (“If
Court of Appeals of Indiana | Memorandum Decision 15A04-1601-CR-148 | December 20, 2016 Page 10 of 23
a car is readily mobile and probable cause exists to believe it contains
contraband, the Fourth Amendment thus permits police to search the vehicle
without more.” (citing Carney, 471 U.S. at 393, 105 S. Ct. 2066)).
[22] The Indiana Supreme Court has held:
In light of the Supreme Court’s recent emphatic statement in
[Maryland v.] Dyson that the automobile exception “does not have
a separate exigency requirement,” 527 U.S. [465,] 467, 119 S. Ct.
[2013,] 2014 [(1999)], we conclude that this exception to the
warrant requirement under the Fourth Amendment does not
require any additional consideration of the likelihood, under the
circumstances, of a vehicle being driven away. Rather, we
understand the “ready mobility” requirement of the automobile
exception to mean that all operational, or potentially operational,
motor vehicles are inherently mobile, and thus a vehicle that is
temporarily in police control or otherwise confined is generally
considered to be readily mobile and subject to the automobile
exception to the warrant requirement if probable cause is present.
This broad understanding of “readily mobile” is also consistent
with the recognition that, for Fourth Amendment purposes, an
individual is deemed to have a reduced expectation of privacy in
an automobile. [Pennsylvania v.] Labron, 518 U.S. [938,] 940, 116
S. Ct. [2485,] 2487 [(1996)]; [California v.] Carney, 471 U.S. [386,]
393, 105 S. Ct. [2066,] 2070 [(1985)].
Myers v. State, 839 N.E.2d 1146, 1152 (Ind. 2005). See also Hobbs, 933 N.E.2d at
1286 (holding that the “automobile exception does not require that there be an
imminent possibility the vehicle may be driven away”).
[23] Further, “[f]acts necessary to demonstrate the existence of probable cause for a
warrantless search are not materially different from those which would
Court of Appeals of Indiana | Memorandum Decision 15A04-1601-CR-148 | December 20, 2016 Page 11 of 23
authorize the issuance of a warrant if presented to a magistrate.” Meister, 933
N.E.2d at 879 (quoting Masterson v. State, 843 N.E.2d 1001, 1004 (Ind. Ct. App.
2006), trans. denied). Probable cause to issue a search warrant exists where the
facts and circumstances would lead a reasonably prudent person to believe that
a search would uncover evidence of a crime. Esquerdo v. State, 640 N.E.2d
1023, 1029 (Ind. 1994).
[24] In United States v. Ross, the United States Supreme Court considered the extent
to which police officers who have legitimately stopped an automobile and who
have probable cause to believe that contraband is concealed somewhere within
it may conduct a probing search of compartments and containers within the
vehicle whose contents are not in plain view. 456 U.S. 798, 800, 102 S. Ct.
2157, 2160 (1982). In that case, an informant told the police that an individual
was selling narcotics kept in the trunk. Id. at 800, 102 S. Ct. at 2160. The
police stopped the vehicle, arrested and handcuffed the driver, Ross, took
Ross’s keys, opened the trunk, found a closed brown paper bag, opened the bag,
and found a number of glassine bags containing a white powder. Id.[25] On appeal, the Court held that the police “may conduct a search of the vehicle
that is as thorough as a magistrate could authorize in a warrant ‘particularly
describing the place to be searched.’” Id. (quoting U.S. CONST. amend. IV).
The Court noted that “[d]uring virtually the entire history of our country –
whether contraband was transported in a horse-drawn carriage, a 1921 roadster,
or a modern automobile – it has been assumed that a lawful search of a vehicle
Court of Appeals of Indiana | Memorandum Decision 15A04-1601-CR-148 | December 20, 2016 Page 12 of 23
would include a search of any container that might conceal the object of the
search.” Id. at 820 n.26, 102 S. Ct. at 2170 n.26. The Court also held:
A lawful search of fixed premises generally extends to the entire
area in which the object of the search may be found and is not
limited by the possibility that separate acts of entry or opening
may be required to complete the search. Thus, a warrant that
authorizes an officer to search a home for illegal weapons also
provides authority to open closets, chests, drawers, and
containers in which the weapon might be found. A warrant to
open a footlocker to search for marihuana would also authorize
the opening of packages found inside. A warrant to search a vehicle
would support a search of every part of the vehicle that might contain the
object of the search. When a legitimate search is under way, and
when its purpose and its limits have been precisely defined, nice
distinctions between closets, drawers, and containers, in the case
of a home, or between glove compartments, upholstered seats, trunks,
and wrapped packages, in the case of a vehicle, must give way to the
interest in the prompt and efficient completion of the task at hand.
Id. at 820-821, 102 S. Ct. at 2170-2171 (emphases added and footnote omitted).
The Court noted:
The practical considerations that justify a warrantless search of
an automobile continue to apply until the entire search of the
automobile and its contents has been completed. Arguably, the
entire vehicle itself (including its upholstery) could be searched
without a warrant, with all wrapped articles and containers found
during that search then taken to a magistrate. But prohibiting
police from opening immediately a container in which the object
of the search is most likely to be found and instead forcing them
first to comb the entire vehicle would actually exacerbate the
intrusion on privacy interests. Moreover, until the container
itself was opened the police could never be certain that the
contraband was not secreted in a yet undiscovered portion of the
Court of Appeals of Indiana | Memorandum Decision 15A04-1601-CR-148 | December 20, 2016 Page 13 of 23
vehicle; thus in every case in which a container was found, the
vehicle would need to be secured while a warrant was obtained.
Such a requirement would be directly inconsistent with the
rationale supporting the decisions in Carroll [v. United States, 267
U.S. 132, 45 S. Ct. 280 (1925)] and Chambers [v. Maroney, 399
U.S. 42, 90 S. Ct. 1975 (1970), reh’g denied].
Id. at 821 n.28, 102 S. Ct. at 2171 n.28. The Court went on to hold:
In the same manner, an individual’s expectation of privacy in a
vehicle and its contents may not survive if probable cause is given
to believe that the vehicle is transporting contraband. Certainly
the privacy interests in a car’s trunk or glove compartment may
be no less than those in a movable container. An individual
undoubtedly has a significant interest that the upholstery of his
automobile will not be ripped or a hidden compartment within it
opened. These interests must yield to the authority of a search,
however, which – in light of Carroll – does not itself require the
prior approval of a magistrate. The scope of a warrantless search
based on probable cause is no narrower – and no broader – than
the scope of a search authorized by a warrant supported by
probable cause. Only the prior approval of the magistrate is
waived; the search otherwise is as the magistrate could authorize.
The scope of a warrantless search of an automobile thus is not
defined by the nature of the container in which the contraband is
secreted. Rather, it is defined by the object of the search and the
places in which there is probable cause to believe that it may be
found. Just as probable cause to believe that a stolen lawnmower
may be found in a garage will not support a warrant to search an
upstairs bedroom, probable cause to believe that undocumented
aliens are being transported in a van will not justify a warrantless
search of a suitcase. Probable cause to believe that a container
placed in the trunk of a taxi contains contraband or evidence
does not justify a search of the entire cab.
Court of Appeals of Indiana | Memorandum Decision 15A04-1601-CR-148 | December 20, 2016 Page 14 of 23
*****
If probable cause justifies the search of a lawfully stopped
vehicle, it justifies the search of every part of the vehicle and its
contents that may conceal the object of the search.
Id. at 823-825, 102 S. Ct. at 2172-2173 (footnote omitted).
[26] With respect to probable cause, the record reveals that Trooper Wells observed
Gaines driving “like she was in a state of panic,” that she was “very, very
nervous” and breathing heavily, her hands were shaking uncontrollably, she
was struggling for answers to very simple questions and changing them
midsentence, her nervousness was “just getting worse and worse,” and that he
saw “her heart beating in her carotid.” Transcript at 141-142, 145. Further,
when Trooper Wells asked her if she was traveling with anything illegal, Gaines
initially responded “No sir.” Defendant’s Exhibit B1 at 6:15-6:20. He asked
her if she had any drugs with her, and Gaines then answered that she probably
had a joint in her purse. Trooper Wells said: “[Y]ou know, this nervousness
seems like more than that, is there anything else in the car[?]” Transcript at
189. Gaines looked away from him, stared at the car, and just shook her head.
We also observe that Trooper Wells testified that when someone gives up a
small amount of marijuana, it is for a reason, and that is to “keep something
bigger hidden.” Id. at 193. Trooper Wells found Gaines’s purse and a small
bag containing marijuana in the side pocket of a wallet on the passenger side of
the seat. Based upon the circumstances including Gaines’s extreme
nervousness, her initial denial of traveling with anything illegal, her admission
Court of Appeals of Indiana | Memorandum Decision 15A04-1601-CR-148 | December 20, 2016 Page 15 of 23
that she had marijuana, and Trooper Wells’s discovery of marijuana in her
purse, we conclude that Trooper Wells had probable cause to search the
vehicle. See Meister, 933 N.E.2d at 877, 879-880 (observing that after an officer
received confirmation that a driver he was following was driving on a
suspended license, defendant exited the truck, the officer patted down the
defendant and found a hollowed-out pen containing “powdery looking residue
inside of it,” and he then conducted a warrantless search of the vehicle; holding
that even if the testimony of the officer’s knowledge of the defendant’s recent
history of possession of illegal drug possession was not considered, the pen and
the powdery residue alone was sufficient to provide the requisite probable cause
to search the vehicle; and concluding that the warrantless search was justified
under the automobile exception). 2
[27] To the extent Smith challenges the scope of the search and the search of the
door, we note that Trooper Wells saw scratch marks in the paint and that the
mounting hardware, screws, and the bolts in the door that hold the plastic shell
to the metal shell were all missing paint indicating they had been “tooled up” as
if someone had tampered with the panel, and that the window would not roll
2
To the extent Smith relies upon Sanders v. State, we observe that case involved officers stopping a driver for failing
to make two right turns without using his turn signal, and officers found marijuana inside an envelope in the car
and found marijuana in the ash tray. Sanders v. State, 576 N.E.2d 1328, 1328 (Ind. Ct. App. 1991). One officer
testified that they had information from a confidential informant that the defendant was possibly in possession of
some narcotics, and another officer testified that they had information that the defendant was operating a specific
vehicle. Id. at 1329. We observed that there was no attempt to establish the trustworthiness of the information
allegedly provided by the informant and held that neither of the general, vague statements gave rise to the notion
that the officers had probable cause to believe the defendant was in possession of drugs. Id. We also observed that
the State did “not really argue the officers had probable cause to search the car.” Id. at 1330. Given Trooper
Wells’s observations as well as Gaines’s admission to the marijuana in the vehicle, we find Sanders distinguishable.
Court of Appeals of Indiana | Memorandum Decision 15A04-1601-CR-148 | December 20, 2016 Page 16 of 23
all the way down. Id. at 150. Under the circumstances, we cannot say that the
search of the door was improper. See Krise v. State, 746 N.E.2d 957, 964 (Ind.
2001) (“[P]robable cause to search a vehicle and a warrant to search a home
authorizes the search of every part of the vehicle or home and closed containers
therein that may conceal the object of the search despite the suspect’s wishes to
place limitations and regardless of the officer’s belief as to the type of the
container to be searched.”) (citing Ross, 456 U.S. at 825, 102 S. Ct. 2157;
Acevedo, 500 U.S. at 572; 111 S. Ct. 1982).
[28] Smith argues that “[r]ather than retrieving [Gaines’s] purse and verifying the
presence of the joint, Trooper Wells began an extensive search of the car during
which he opened the trunk, peered under the hood, looked around inside and
ultimately got out his toolkit and started tearing apart the door.” Appellant’s
Brief at 22 (citing Defendant’s Exhibit B1). However, at trial, Trooper Wells
testified that the first place he checked was the trunk and that he did not find
anything. When asked what happened next, he mentioned Gaines’s purse on
the passenger side of the seat and that he found a small bag containing
marijuana inside. The video of the stop, Defendant’s Exhibit B1, supports
Trooper Wells’s testimony that he initially searched the trunk and then
Court of Appeals of Indiana | Memorandum Decision 15A04-1601-CR-148 | December 20, 2016 Page 17 of 23
proceeded to the front passenger side. Accordingly, the record reveals that
Trooper Wells discovered the marijuana prior to searching the door. 3
B. Indiana Constitution
[29] Smith asserts that to the extent he failed to specifically raise the Indiana
Constitution, he addresses it as fundamental error and that fundamental error
applies because all parties agreed the State had no chance of conviction without
the heroin. He states that the degree of intrusion was great, that Gaines was
going to jail once Trooper Wells discovered the marijuana, and that law
enforcement had no compelling need to disassemble the car door while it sat on
the side of the highway because the car would have been towed. The State
points out that the trial court’s finding that the search was permissible under
Article 1, Section 11 of the Indiana Constitution was not responsive to any
contentions made by Smith, and that regardless, the search complied with
Indiana’s constitutional protections against unreasonable search and seizure.
[30] The Indiana Supreme Court has held even if evidence was obtained in violation
of constitutional protections against unlawful searches and seizures, its
introduction at trial “does not elevate the issue to the status of fundamental
error that may be raised for the first time on appeal.” Swinehart v. State, 268
Ind. 460, 466-467, 376 N.E.2d 486, 491 (1978); see also Covelli v. State, 579
3
Smith does not develop an argument regarding the impact of Trooper Wells searching the trunk prior to
finding the marijuana or argue that any evidence was improperly seized prior to Trooper Wells discovering
the marijuana.
Court of Appeals of Indiana | Memorandum Decision 15A04-1601-CR-148 | December 20, 2016 Page 18 of 23
N.E.2d 466, 471 (Ind. Ct. App. 1991), trans. denied. This is consistent with the
Court’s more recent pronouncement that “the exclusionary rule that prohibits
introduction into evidence of unlawfully seized materials is an example of a rule
that does not go to the fairness of the trial.” Membres v. State, 889 N.E.2d 265,
272 (Ind. 2008), reh’g denied. In other words, the products of unlawful searches
and seizures are not excluded because they are unreliable or immaterial or
unduly prejudicial evidence, but only because it is an effective means of
deterring improper intrusions into the privacy of all citizens. Id.[31] More recently, in Brown v. State, 929 N.E.2d 204, 207 (Ind. 2010), reh’g denied,
the Indiana Supreme Court indicated that there may be some occasions when
an illegal seizure of evidence may amount to fundamental error. In Brown, the
Court held that “an error in ruling on a motion to exclude improperly seized
evidence is not per se fundamental error.” 929 N.E.2d at 207. “Indeed,
because improperly seized evidence is frequently highly relevant, its admission
ordinarily does not cause us to question guilt.” Id. “We do not consider that
admission of unlawfully seized evidence ipso facto requires reversal.” Id. The
Court observed that there was no claim of fabrication of evidence or willful
malfeasance on the part of the investigating officers and no contention that the
evidence was not what it appeared to be and concluded that “[i]n short, the
claimed error does not rise to the level of fundamental error.” Id. There are no
such claims in this case. Thus, we cannot say that the introduction of evidence
seized from the vehicle constituted fundamental error in the context of the
Indiana Constitution. See id.
Court of Appeals of Indiana | Memorandum Decision 15A04-1601-CR-148 | December 20, 2016 Page 19 of 23
II.
[32] The next issue is whether Smith’s sentence is inappropriate in light of the nature
of the offense and his character. Ind. Appellate Rule 7(B) provides that we
“may revise a sentence authorized by statute if, after due consideration of the
trial court’s decision, [we find] that the sentence is inappropriate in light of the
nature of the offense and the character of the offender.” Under this rule, the
burden is on the defendant to persuade the appellate court that his or her
sentence is inappropriate. Childress v. State, 848 N.E.2d 1073, 1080 (Ind. 2006).
“[A]ppellate review should focus on the forest—the aggregate sentence—rather
than the trees—consecutive or concurrent, number of counts, or length of the
sentence on any individual count.” Cardwell v. State, 895 N.E.2d 1219, 1225,
(Ind. 2008).
[33] Smith argues that all of his drug-related activity occurred in a two-year period
between 2010 and 2012 when he was in his early thirties, that his federal
conviction resulted from years of intense scrutiny by the FBI who became
suspicious of him in 2010, and that piling on an additional fifty years for the
same sort of behavior renders the sentence in this case both punitive and
ineffective. He also points out that though he could have received a life
sentence in his federal case, the government did not recommend a life sentence
Court of Appeals of Indiana | Memorandum Decision 15A04-1601-CR-148 | December 20, 2016 Page 20 of 23
in that case, and that sentencing him to an additional fifty years in Indiana is
not warranted. 4
[34] The State argues that the trial court identified multiple valid aggravating
circumstances and any of them would support Smith’s fifty-year sentence as
well as the trial court’s order that it be served consecutive to his federal
sentence. The State contends that there was no evidence in the record that the
federal court actually sentenced Smith based on this case and that, even if it
had, the trial court’s order that his sentence be served consecutively was not an
abuse of discretion. The State asserts that the offense involved over 1,000 times
the amount of heroin to make it punishable as a class A felony and that Smith’s
character is that of an unrepentant chronic dealer of narcotics on a large scale
undaunted by numerous convictions.
[35] Our review of the nature of the offense reveals that Smith conspired to deal
heroin as a class A felony in 2012 and paid Gaines to transport heroin for him.
Our review of the character of the offender reveals that Smith, who was born in
1979, was convicted of manufacture / delivery of a controlled substance in 1998
in Illinois, “felon possess/use weapon/firearm” in 2000 in Illinois, possession
of a controlled substance in 2004 in Illinois, drug trafficking in 2006 in Ohio,
4
To the extent Smith cites Article 1, Section 18, of the Indiana Constitution, which provides that “[t]he penal code
shall be founded on the principles of reformation, and not of vindictive justice,” we observe that the Indiana
Supreme Court has held that “particularized, individual applications are not reviewable under Article 1, Section 18
because Section 18 applies to the penal code as a whole and does not protect fact-specific challenges.” Ratliff v.
Cohn, 693 N.E.2d 530, 542 (Ind. 1998), reh’g denied.
Court of Appeals of Indiana | Memorandum Decision 15A04-1601-CR-148 | December 20, 2016 Page 21 of 23
and possession of a controlled substance and use of a weapon by a felon in 2007
in Illinois. 5 Smith was also found guilty of four counts of distribution of a
schedule I controlled substance in Illinois for events related to the distribution
of heroin in 2010 and ordered to serve 216 months or eighteen years. The
presentence investigation report lists Smith’s criminal history domain level as
moderate. Smith reported that he has five children and has always financially
taken care of them. He reported that he was involved in a gang between ages
fourteen and twenty-two, but that he is no longer in a gang. He reported
receiving his GED and taking business in vocational school and that he finished
real estate classes while incarcerated. His overall risk assessment score puts
him in the moderate risk category to reoffend.
[36] After due consideration and under the circumstances, we conclude that the
imposition of the maximum sentence to be served consecutive to the sentence in
federal court is not inappropriate.
Conclusion
[37] For the foregoing reasons, we affirm Smith’s conviction and sentence for
conspiracy to commit dealing in heroin as a class A felony.
5
The presentence investigation report also reveals that Smith was charged with disorderly conduct in 1995,
burglary and possession of a controlled substance in 1996, battery and damaging property in 1999, possession
of cannabis in 2001, aggravated assault and domestic battery in 2002, and manufacture/delivery of cannabis
in 2003. The report either does not list the disposition for these offenses, indicates that some were “stricken
off with leave to reinstate,” or lists “nolle prosequi.” Appellant’s Appendix Vol. III at 110-111.
Court of Appeals of Indiana | Memorandum Decision 15A04-1601-CR-148 | December 20, 2016 Page 22 of 23
[38] Affirmed.
Robb, J., and Mathias, J., concur.
Court of Appeals of Indiana | Memorandum Decision 15A04-1601-CR-148 | December 20, 2016 Page 23 of 23