Burris v. State

• Decision Date: 02 October 1997
• Docket Number: No. CR,CR
• Parties: Richard BURRIS, Appellant, v. STATE of Arkansas, Appellee. 97-494.
• Court: Arkansas Supreme Court

Page 209

954 S.W.2d 209

330 Ark. 66

Richard BURRIS, Appellant, v. STATE of Arkansas, Appellee.

No. CR 97-494.

Supreme Court of Arkansas.

Oct. 2, 1997.

John W. Settle, Fort Smith, for Appellant.

Winston Bryant, Attorney General, Vada Berger, Assistant Attorney General, Little Rock, for Appellee.

IMBER, Justice.

The appellant, Richard Burris, was convicted of possession of methamphetamine with intent to deliver, possession of amphetamine with intent to deliver, and carrying a weapon. For these crimes, Burris was sentenced to a concurrent term of forty years' imprisonment. On appeal, Burris challenges the sufficiency of the evidence to sustain his convictions, and the court's denial of his motion to suppress evidence seized from his vehicle. We affirm.

On July 10, 1996, Captain Dale Best of the Arkansas State Highway Patrol noticed a 1988 Dodge pulling a trailer traveling along Interstate 40. The Florida license plate was fastened to the trailer in such a fashion that the wind caused the plate to flip upwards making it difficult to read. The last letters of the license plate were also obscured by the corner of the trailer. Captain Best testified that he had to follow the vehicle for "some distance" before he was able to read the entire license plate. In addition, the lens covering the left brake light on the trailer was partially broken causing the light to shine white instead of red.

Captain Best stopped the vehicle for the improperly displayed license plate and for the broken brake light. After telling the driver, Richard Burris, why he had been stopped, Captain Best asked Burris for his license, proof of insurance, and registration. While verifying this information, Captain Best learned that Burris had previously been arrested for weapons and drug charges, and convicted of a misdemeanor drug offense. Captain Best then asked Burris to come to the back of the trailer where he explained to him that his license plate was improperly attached and that his brake light was broken. According to Captain Best, Burris appeared to be unusually nervous and would not make eye contact.

On three occasions, Captain Best asked Burris if he had ever been arrested for criminal charges, including drugs, and Burris answered that he had never been arrested for a crime other than speeding. Because Burris appeared nervous and had previously been arrested on weapon charges, Captain Best became concerned for his safety and asked Burris if he had any weapons. Twice, Burris answered in the negative. Captain Best asked Burris for a third time if he had any weapons in the car, and Burris answered that he had a .22 caliber derringer "in the passenger's compartment, next to the driver's seat, toward the floorboard, on a console type arrangement." Burris refused to give consent to search the vehicle but offered to retrieve the gun for Captain Best. Captain Best refused the offer, and asked Burris to show him where the gun was. Burris did so, and Captain Best retrieved the loaded gun from the front seat of the car.

Captain Best placed Burris under arrest, and began an inventory search of the vehicle. Captain Best estimated that Burris was arrested fifteen to twenty minutes after the initial stop. During the inventory of Burris's vehicle, the officers found in the trunk several plastic bags containing amphetamine and methamphetamine, and a loaded .44 revolver. Burris was subsequently charged with possession of methamphetamine with intent to deliver, possession of amphetamine with intent to deliver, and carrying a weapon

The trial court denied Burris's motion to suppress the evidence seized from his trunk, found him guilty of all three crimes, and sentenced him to a concurrent term of forty years' imprisonment. Burris filed a timely notice of appeal from his judgment and commitment order.

I. Sufficiency of the Evidence

For his first argument on appeal, Burris challenges the sufficiency of the evidence to support all three of his convictions. When an appellant challenges the sufficiency of the evidence, we address the issue prior to all others in order to preserve the defendant's right to freedom from double jeopardy. Rankin v. State, 329 Ark. 379, 948 S.W.2d 397 (1997); Williams v. State, 329 Ark. 8, 946 S.W.2d 678 (1997). The test for determining the sufficiency of the evidence is whether there is substantial evidence to support a verdict. Williams, supra; Ladwig v. State, 328 Ark. 241, 943 S.W.2d 571 (1997). Substantial evidence is direct or circumstantial evidence that is forceful enough to compel a conclusion one way or another and which goes beyond mere speculation or conjecture. Williams, supra; Ladwig, supra. In making this determination, we review the evidence in the light most favorable to the State, and consider only the evidence that supports the verdict. Williams, supra; Ladwig, supra.

Burris's sole challenge to the sufficiency of the evidence is his argument that his conviction must be reversed if we find that the court erred in denying his motion to suppress the evidence seized from his car. We find no merit to this argument because we have continuously held that when reviewing the sufficiency of the evidence upon appeal we must consider both properly and improperly admitted evidence. Martin v. State, 328 Ark. 420, 944 S.W.2d 512 (1997); Hicks v. State, 327 Ark. 652, 941 S.W.2d 387 (1997). Because the police found the drugs and guns in Burris's vehicle, we find that there was substantial evidence to support his convictions.

II. Motion to Suppress

Burris's second argument is that the trial court erred when it denied his motion to suppress the evidence that the police seized from his car. Burris contends that the drugs and guns should have been suppressed because the initial stop, detainment, and subsequent search of his vehicle were unlawful under the Fourth Amendment.

In reviewing the trial court's denial of a suppression motion, we make an independent examination based on the totality of the circumstances, and reverse only if the trial court's ruling was clearly against the preponderance of the evidence. Norman v. State, 326 Ark. 210, 931 S.W.2d 96 (1996); Bohanan v. State, 324 Ark. 158, 919 S.W.2d 198 (1996). In making this determination, we view the evidence in the light most favorable to the State. Norman, supra; Beshears v. State, 320 Ark. 573, 898 S.W.2d 49 (1995).

A. Initial Stop

First, Burris claims that the initial traffic stop was unlawful, and thus, evidence seized thereafter is inadmissible pursuant to the Fruit of the Poisonous Tree doctrine as discussed in Wong Sun v. United States, 371 U.S. 471, 83 S.Ct. 407, 9 L.Ed.2d 441 (1963). We disagree with this assertion.

In Whren v. United States, 517 U.S. 806, 116 S.Ct. 1769, 135 L.Ed.2d 89 (1996), the United States Supreme Court recently explained that a police officer may stop and detain a motorist where the officer has probable cause to believe that a traffic violation has occurred. For example, in Wilburn v. State, 317 Ark. 73, 876 S.W.2d 555 (1994), we held that an officer had probable cause to stop a motorist when he discovered that the vehicle bore a license plate which was issued to a different car in violation of Ark.Code Ann. § 27-14-306 (Repl.1994). Thus, the relevant inquiry is whether Captain Best had probable cause to believe that Burris was committing a traffic offense at the time of the initial stop.

We have previously explained that probable cause exists when the facts and circumstances within an officer's knowledge are sufficient to permit a person of reasonable caution to believe that an offense has been committed by the person suspected. Hudson v. State, 316 Ark. 360, 872 S.W.2d 68 (1994); Johnson v. State, 299 Ark. 223, 772 S.W.2d 322 (1989). In assessing the existence of probable cause, our review is liberal rather than strict. Brunson v. State, 327 Ark. 567, 940 S.W.2d 440 (1997).

During the suppression hearing, Captain Best testified that he had difficulty reading Burris's license plate because it was fastened to the trailer in such a fashion that the license plate flipped upwards in the wind, and because the last digits of the plate were obscured by the corner of the trailer. Based on these facts, we find that Captain Best had probable cause to believe that Burris was violating Ark.Code Ann. § 27-14-716(b) (Repl.1994), which provides that:

Every license plate shall, at all times, be securely fastened in a horizontal position to the vehicle for which it is issued so as to prevent the plate from swinging and at a height of not less than twelve inches (12") from the ground, measuring from the bottom of such plate, in a place and position to be clearly visible and shall be maintained free from foreign materials and in a condition to be clearly legible.

Although a further justification for the initial stop is unnecessary, Captain Best also testified during the suppression hearing that he stopped Burris because the lens of the trailer's left tail light was partially broken causing it to shine white instead of red. According to Ark.Code Ann. § 27-36-215(a)(1) (Repl.1994):

Every motor vehicle, trailer, semitrailer, and pole trailer, and any other vehicle which is being drawn at the end of a train of vehicles, shall be equipped with at least one (1) tail lamp mounted on the rear, which, when lighted as required, shall emit a red light plainly visible from a distance of five hundred feet (500') to the rear.

Because we find that Captain Best had probable cause to believe that Burris...