Florida v. Thomas

• Decision Date: 04 June 2001
• Docket Number: 00-391
• Citation: 150 L.Ed.2d 1,121 S.Ct. 1905,532 U.S. 774
• Parties: FLORIDA, PETITIONER v. ROBERT A. THOMASSUPREME COURT OF THE UNITED STATES
• Court: U.S. Supreme Court

532 U.S. 774

121 S.Ct. 1905

150 L.Ed.2d 1

NOTICE: This opinion is subject to formal revision before publication in the preliminary print of the United States Reports. Readers are requested to notify the Reporter of Decisions, Supreme Court of the United States, Washington, D. C. 20543, of any typographical or other formal errors, in order that corrections may be made before the preliminary print goes to press

FLORIDA, PETITIONER v ROBERT A. THOMAS

No. 00-391

SUPREME COURT OF THE UNITED STATES

Argued April 25, 2001

Decided June 4, 2001

Syllabus

While officers were investigating marijuana sales and making arrests at a Florida home, respondent Thomas drove up, parked in the home's driveway, and walked toward the back of his car. An officer met him there and asked his name and whether he had a driver's license. After a check of Thomas' license revealed an outstanding warrant, the officer arrested him, handcuffed him, and took him inside the home. The officer then went back outside, alone, and searched Thomas' car, finding several bags containing methamphetamine. Thomas was charged with possession of that drug and related offenses. The trial court granted his motion to suppress the evidence of narcotics and narcotic paraphernalia. The Second District Court of Appeal reversed, finding the search valid under New York v. Belton, 453 U.S. 454, in which this Court established a "bright-line" rule permitting an officer who has made a lawful custodial arrest of a car's occupant to search the car's passenger compartment as a contemporaneous incident of the arrest. Holding that Belton did not apply, the Florida Supreme Court reversed, but remanded for the trial court to determine whether the vehicle search was justified under Chimel v. California, 395 U.S. 752. This Court granted certiorari to consider whether, as the State Supreme Court had held, Belton's bright-line rule is limited to situations where the officer initiates contact with a vehicle's occupant while that person remains in the vehicle.

Held: The Court lacks jurisdiction to decide the question on which certiorari was granted. Although the parties did not raise the issue in their briefs on the merits, this Court must first consider whether it has jurisdiction to decide this case. See Duquesne Light Co. v. Barasch, 488 U.S. 299, 306. Title 28 U.S.C. 1257(a) authorizes this Court to review "[f]inal judgments ... by the highest court of a State ... where any ... right ... is specially set up or claimed under the Constitution." In a criminal prosecution, finality generally is defined by a judgment of conviction and the imposition of a sentence. Fort Wayne Books, Inc. v. Indiana, 489 U.S. 46, 54. However, in certain circumstances, the Court has treated state-court judgments as final for jurisdictional purposes even though further proceedings were to take place in the state court. Flynt v. Ohio, 451 U.S. 619, 620-621. In Cox Broadcasting Corp. v. Cohn, 420 U.S. 469, 479-483, the Court divided cases of this kind into four categories: (1) cases in which there are further proceedings, even entire trials, yet to occur in the state courts, but where the federal issue is conclusive or the outcome of further proceedings preordained; (2) cases in which the federal issue, finally decided by a State's highest court, will survive and require decision regardless of the outcome of future state-court proceedings; (3) cases in which the federal claim has been finally decided, with further proceedings on the merits in the state courts to come, but in which later review of the federal issue cannot be had, whatever the ultimate outcome of the case; and (4) cases in which the state courts have finally decided the federal issue with further proceedings pending in which the party seeking review in this Court might prevail on the merits on nonfederal grounds, thus rendering unnecessary review of the federal issue by this Court, and where reversal of the state court on the federal issue would be preclusive of any further litigation on the relevant cause of action rather than merely controlling the nature and character of, or determining the admissibility of evidence in, the state proceedings still to come. Because none of those categories fits the Florida Supreme Court's judgment in this case, the judgment is not final. Pp. 2-6.

Certiorari dismissed for want of jurisdiction. Reported below: 761 So. 2d 1010.

ON WRIT OF CERTIORARI TO THE SUPREME COURT OF FLORIDA

Rehnquist, C. J., delivered the opinion for a unanimous Court.

Opinion of the Court

Chief Justice Rehnquist delivered the opinion of the Court.

In New York v. Belton, 453 U.S. 454 (1981), we established a "bright-line" rule permitting a law enforcement officer who has made a lawful custodial arrest of the occupant of a car to search the passenger compartment of that car as a contemporaneous incident of the arrest. We granted certiorari to consider whether that rule is limited to situations in which the officer initiates contact with the occupant of a vehicle while that person remains inside the vehicle. 531 U.S. 1069 (2000). We find, however, that we lack jurisdiction to decide the question.

On the evening at issue, officers were present at a home in Polk County, Florida, investigating the sale of marijuana and making arrests. Respondent Robert Thomas drove up to the residence, parked in the driveway, and walked toward the back of his vehicle. Officer J. D. Maney met Thomas at the rear of Thomas' vehicle, and asked him his name and whether he had a driver's license. After a check of Thomas' license revealed an outstanding warrant for his arrest, Officer Maney arrested him, handcuffed him, and took him inside the residence. The officer then went back outside, alone, and searched Thomas' car. The search revealed several small bags containing a white substance that tested positive for methamphetamine.

Respondent was charged with possession of methamphetamine and related narcotics offenses. The trial court granted his motion to suppress the evidence of narcotics and narcotic paraphernalia. The Second District Court of Appeal reversed, 711 So. 2d 1241 (1998), finding the search valid under New York v. Belton, supra. The Supreme Court of Florida in turn reversed, holding that Belton did not apply.

The court held that "Belton's bright-line rule is limited to situations where the law enforcement officer initiates contact with the defendant" while the defendant remains in the car. 761 So. 2d 1010, 1014 (2000). The court concluded that Belton was inapplicable, and directed that the trial court determine "whether the factors in Chimel [v. California, 395 U.S. 752 (1969),] justify the search of Thomas' vehicle." 761 So. 2d, at 1014. The court explained that "[b]ased on the record ... we are unable to ascertain whether [the officer's] safety was endangered or whether the preservation of the evidence was in jeopardy," as necessary to justify the search under Chimel v. California, 395 U.S. 752 (1969), and remanded for further proceedings.

Although the parties did not raise the issue in their briefs on the merits, we must first consider whether we have jurisdiction to decide this case. See Duquesne Light Co. v. Barasch, 488 U.S. 299, 306 (1989). Title 28 U.S.C. 1257(a) authorizes this Court to review "[f]inal judgments or decrees rendered by the highest court of a State in which a decision could be had ... where any title, right, privilege, or immunity is specially set up or claimed under the Constitution." In a criminal prosecution, finality generally "is defined by a judgment of conviction and the imposition of a sentence." Fort Wayne Books, Inc. v. Indiana, 489 U.S. 46, 54 (1989). But we have not, in practice, interpreted the finality rule so strictly. In certain circumstances, we have "treated state-court judgments as final for jurisdictional purposes although there were further proceedings to take place in the state court." Flynt v. Ohio, 451 U.S. 619, 620-621 (1981) (per curiam). In Cox Broadcasting Corp. v. Cohn, 420 U.S. 469 (1975), we divided cases of this kind into four categories. None fits the judgment of the Florida Supreme Court, however, and we therefore conclude that its judgment is not final.

The first Cox category includes those cases in which "there are further proceedings-even entire trials-yet to occur in the state courts but where for one reason or another the federal issue is conclusive or the outcome of...