Smith v. State

• Decision Date: 20 March 2009
• Docket Number: CR-07-1478.
• Citation: 19 So.3d 912
• Parties: Rodney Labrone SMITH v. STATE of Alabama.
• Court: Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals

19 So.3d 912

Rodney Labrone SMITH v. STATE of Alabama.

CR-07-1478.

Court of Criminal Appeals of Alabama.

March 20, 2009.

Dwight Milburn Gross, Jr., Huntsville, for appellant.

Troy King, atty. gen., and Stephen N. Dodd, asst. atty. gen., for appellee.

WISE, Presiding Judge.

The appellant, Rodney Labrone Smith, pled guilty to unlawful possession of a controlled substance, a violation of § 13A-12-212(a)(1), Ala.Code 1975, and unlawful possession of drug paraphernalia, a violation of § 13A-12-260, Ala.Code 1975. The trial court sentenced him to serve a term of one year and a day in prison on the unlawful possession of a controlled substance conviction, but suspended the sentence and ordered him to serve two years on supervised probation. It also ordered him to pay a $25 fine on the unlawful possession of drug paraphernalia conviction. Finally, the trial court imposed a $1,000 Demand Reduction Assessment Act fine on the unlawful possession of a controlled substance conviction. See § 13A-12-281, Ala.Code 1975. Smith did not file any post-judgment motions. This appeal followed.

Officer Michael Danley of the Huntsville Police Department testified that, a little after 9:00 p.m. on October 23, 2006, he was driving down Calvary Street; that the department had a lot of drug problems on that street, and the department performed "drug details" on that street; that the area was dark; that he saw Smith walking in the middle of the street; that he stopped Smith to see what was going on at that time; and that he talked to people on that street all of the time because of the problems in that area. He also testified that he got out of his vehicle, approached Smith, and patted him down for officer safety; that he probably asked Smith his name; that, normally, he would ask a subject's name and pat him down at the same time; that he checks people as soon as he gets out of his vehicle and approaches them to make sure they do not have a weapon; that he felt something in Smith's pocket; that he asked Smith about what was in his pocket; that Smith said he had a crack pipe in his pocket; that he removed the crack pipe from Smith's pocket; that he arrested Smith for unlawful possession of drug paraphernalia; and that he transported Smith to the metro jail. Danley further testified that, before they entered the booking area, he asked Smith if he had drugs or anything else on him; that Smith told him he had a small crack rock in his left pants pocket; and that he removed the crack rock from Smith's pocket.

Smith argues that the trial court erroneously denied his motion to suppress the evidence Danley seized from his pockets. Specifically, he contends that Danley did not have reasonable suspicion to stop him and conduct a patdown search.¹ We addressed a similar situation in W.D.H. v. State, 16 So.3d 121, 123-128 (Ala.Crim. App.2008), as follows:

"The evidence adduced at the suppression hearing tended to show the following. Detective W.B. Hamil of the Montgomery Police Department narcotics bureau testified that the police had been receiving complaints of a person shooting and selling drugs in a certain block in Tulane Court. He said that the complaints `just accumulated to this day,' when police decided they `need[ed] to go down there and basically find out what's going on and basically walk through the area.' (R. 8.) Det. Hamil acknowledged that he did not have a description of any possible suspects.

"Det. Hamil said the `whole bureau' went to Tulane Court, arriving about 1:30 p.m. on a Saturday. When they arrived in the area, Det. Hamil said, he approached W.D.H. and two other people who, he said, were sitting down. Det. Hamil said when the three saw the police, they got up and started to walk away, but stopped when asked. Other people who were gathered in the area ran. W.D.H. testified that he was already standing up when police arrived in the area and that he did not attempt to leave.

"Det. Hamil said W.D.H. and the other two looked nervous and startled. Det. Hamil said that he did not know specifically what kind of criminal activity may have been taking place, but that `something wasn't right.' (R. 13.) He also said that when he approached W.D.H. and the other two males, he did not see any weapons and no one gave any indication that weapons were present. (R. 10.)

"Det. Hamil stopped W.D.H. because he looked nervous and he had begun walking away. After stopping W.D.H., Hamil said, he conducted a pat-down search for weapons for his own safety. During the pat-down search, Det. Hamil said he felt a soft bulge in W.D.H.'s pocket. W.D.H. told Det. Hamil, `That ain't nothing but just a little weed.' (R. 17.) Det. Hamil removed the packet, which was marijuana. W.D.H. acknowledged that when Det. Hamil patted him down, he admitted to having marijuana in his pocket.

"W.D.H. was arrested for possession of marijuana.

"`"The trial court held the suppression hearing outside the hearing of the jury; therefore, we review the evidentiary findings of the trial court at that hearing under the ore tenus standard." Ex parte Jackson, 886 So.2d 155, 159 (Ala.2004). "When evidence is presented ore tenus to the trial court, the court's findings of fact based on that evidence are presumed to be correct," Ex parte Perkins, 646 So.2d 46, 47 (Ala.1994); "[w]e indulge a presumption that the trial court properly ruled on the weight and probative force of the evidence," Bradley v. State, 494 So.2d 750, 761 (Ala.Crim. App.1985), aff'd, 494 So.2d 772 (Ala. 1986); and we make "`all the reasonable inferences and credibility choices supportive of the decision of the trial court.'" Kennedy v. State, 640 So.2d 22, 26 (Ala.Crim.App.1993), quoting Bradley, 494 So.2d at 761. "`"Where evidence is presented to the trial court ore tenus in a nonjury case, a presumption of correctness exists as to the court's conclusions on issues of fact; its determination will not be disturbed unless clearly erroneous, without supporting evidence, manifestly unjust, or against the great weight of the evidence."`" Ex parte Jackson, 886 So.2d at 159, quoting State v. Hill, 690 So.2d 1201, 1203 (Ala.1996), quoting in turn Ex parte Agee, 669 So.2d 102, 104 (Ala.1995).

"`However, "[t]he ore tenus presumption of correctness applies to findings of fact, not to conclusions of law." City of Russellville Zoning Bd. of Adjustment v. Vernon, 842 So.2d 627, 629 (Ala.2002). "[T]he ore tenus rule does not extend to cloak a trial judge's conclusions of law, or incorrect application of law to the facts, with a presumption of correctness." Eubanks v. Hale, 752 So.2d 1113, 1144-45 (Ala.1999). "`"[W]hen the trial court improperly applies the law to the facts, no presumption of correctness exists as to the court's judgment."'" Ex parte Jackson, 886 So.2d at 159, quoting Hill, 690 So.2d at 1203, quoting in turn, Ex parte Agee, 669 So.2d at 104. Thus, we review the trial court's conclusions of law and its application of law to the facts under the de novo standard of review.'

"Washington v. State, 922 So.2d 145, 157-58 (Ala.Crim.App.2005).

"In B.J.C. v. State, 992 So.2d 90 (Ala. Crim.App.2008), this court cited Florida v. J.L., 529 U.S. 266 (2000), in which the United States Supreme Court reiterated the standard to be applied in a `stop and frisk' situation.

"`"Our `stop and frisk' decisions begin with Terry v. Ohio, 392 U.S. 1 (1968). This Court held in Terry:

"`"`[W]here a police officer observes unusual conduct which leads him reasonably to conclude in light of his experience that criminal activity may be afoot and that the persons with whom he is dealing may be armed and presently dangerous, where in the course of investigating this behavior he identifies himself as a policeman and makes reasonable inquiries, and where nothing in the initial stages of the encounter serves to dispel his reasonable fear for his own or others safety, he is entitled for the protection of himself and others in the area to conduct a carefully limited search of the outer clothing of such persons in an attempt to discover weapons which might be used to assault him.' Id., at 30.'"

"B.J.C., 992 So.2d at 91.

"The circumstances in this case are analogous to those in Ex parte James, 797 So.2d 413 (Ala.2000), in which the Alabama Supreme Court determined that the stop and search of the defendant were unconstitutional. In James, a police officer was patrolling an area known as a high drug-crime area when he noticed a van pulled over on the side of the road. Two or three people outside the van were talking into the van's window, but the officer could not see what, if anything, James, who was driving the van, and the others were doing. Id. at 414.

"When the officer approached the van, the people outside the van ran, and James pulled onto the road and drove away. The officer followed the van and pulled it over at a service station. James got out of the van and approached the officer, who asked whether the driver had any weapons. James said that he did not, and the officer replied that he had to conduct a pat-down search anyway for safety reasons. At that time, James reached toward his pocket. The officer tapped James's hand out of the way and reached into the pocket for which James had been reaching. The officer found marijuana cigarettes in the pocket. Id.

"In finding that the trial court improperly denied James's motion to suppress because the stop was unconstitutional, the Alabama Supreme Court noted that Terry provides:

"`"[A] police officer may conduct a brief investigatory stop of a person if the officer has a reasonable suspicion supported by `specific and articuable [sic] facts' that the individual is, or is about to be, involved in criminal activity. The officer may also conduct a patdown search of the outer clothing of the person if the officer is "justified in believing that the individual whose suspicious behavior he is investigating at close range is armed and presently dangerous to the officer or to others."'

"James, 797...