Littleton v. State

Full title: LANCE WOODLEY LITTLETON, Appellant v. THE STATE OF TEXAS, Appellee

Court: Court of Appeals of Texas, Thirteenth District, Corpus Christi

Date published: Aug 11, 2005

No. 13-04-005-CR (Tex. App. Aug. 11, 2005)

Opinion

No. 13-04-005-CR

Memorandum Opinion Delivered and Filed August 11, 2005. DO NOT PUBLISH. Tex.R.App.P. 47.2(b).

On Appeal from the County Court at Law No. 1 of Nueces County, Texas.

Before Chief Justice VALDEZ and Justices HINOJOSA and YAZEZ.

MEMORANDUM OPINION

Memorandum Opinion by Justice YAZEZ.

A jury found appellant, Lance Woodley Littleton, guilty of the misdemeanor offense of driving while intoxicated.¹ The trial court assessed punishment at a $500.00 fine and ninety days in jail, suspended for twelve months. By three issues, appellant contends the trial court erred in (1) denying his motion to suppress because the arresting officer was not justified in stopping his vehicle, (2) denying his challenge for cause against a prospective juror, and (3) admitting a videotape which had allegedly been edited to exclude potentially exculpatory evidence. We affirm. As this is a memorandum opinion not designated for publication and the parties are familiar with the facts, we will not recite them here except as necessary to advise the parties of the Court's decision and the basic reasons for it.² The record contains the trial court's certification that this is not a plea-bargain case and that the defendant has the right to appeal.³

1 See TEX. PEN. CODE ANN. § 49.04 (Vernon 2003).

2 See TEX. R. APP. P. 47.4.

3 See TEX. R. APP. P. 25.2.

Motion to Suppress

In his first issue, appellant contends the trial court erred in denying his motion to suppress because the arresting officer lacked reasonable suspicion or probable cause to stop his vehicle. A trial court's ruling on a motion to suppress is generally reviewed for abuse of discretion.⁴ In a suppression hearing, the trial judge is the sole trier of fact and judge of the credibility of the witnesses and the weight to be given to their testimony.⁵ In reviewing a trial court's ruling on a motion to suppress, we afford almost total deference to the trial court's determination of the historical facts that the record supports, especially when the trial court's findings turn on evaluating a witness's credibility and demeanor.⁶ We afford the same amount of deference to the trial court's ruling on "application of law to fact questions," also known as "mixed questions of law and fact," if resolving those ultimate questions turns on evaluating credibility and demeanor.⁷ However, we review de novo questions of law and "mixed questions of law and fact" that do not turn on an evaluation of credibility and demeanor.⁸ Where, as here, no findings of fact are filed by the trial court, "we view the evidence in the light most favorable to the trial court's ruling and assume that the trial court made implicit findings of fact that support its ruling as long as those findings are supported by the record."⁹ Because the issue in this case does not involve a disagreement about the facts or credibility of the witness, but rather whether the officer had either probable cause or a reasonable suspicion to stop appellant, we review the trial court's ruling de novo. ¹⁰ If the judge's decision is correct on any theory of law applicable to the case, the decision will be sustained.¹¹ In the context of driving-while-intoxicated investigatory detentions, the totality of the circumstances test is the current reasonableness standard applied when reviewing warrantless arrests.¹² A police officer may stop and briefly detain a person for investigative purposes if the officer has a reasonable suspicion supported by articulable facts that criminal activity may be afoot, even if the officer lacks evidence rising to the level of probable cause.¹³ This "reasonable suspicion" requires "that there is something out of the ordinary occurring and some indication that the unusual activity is related to crime."¹⁴ The reasonableness of a stop turns on the totality of the circumstances present in each case.¹⁵ However, if an actual violation of law is observed, there is probable cause for the traffic stop, and law enforcement officials are free to enforce the laws and detain a person for that violation.¹⁶ Nonetheless, in determining whether a traffic violation has been committed, the principles of Terry apply, just as they would for other crimes.¹⁷ The standard is an objective one: there need only be an objective basis for the stop; the subjective intent of the officer conducting the stop is irrelevant.¹⁸ An objectively valid stop may be upheld even if made for an improper reason.¹⁹ The court's review is not limited to the violations an officer lists in making the stop; the test is whether the articulated facts about which the officer testified would, in light of the officer's experience and personal knowledge, together with inferences from those facts, warrant a reasonable person to believe that a violation had occurred.²⁰ When an officer stops a defendant without a warrant and without the defendant's consent, the State has the burden at a suppression hearing of proving the reasonableness of the stop.²¹ Appellant argues that there was no probable cause or reasonable suspicion to stop his vehicle because there was no evidence that he failed to drive in a single marked traffic lane when it was unsafe to do so.²² Appellant argues that because there was no evidence or testimony that his actions were unsafe, the evidence does not support a finding that the arresting officer had a reasonable belief that he violated section 546.060(a) of the transportation code.²³ Section 546.060(a) of the transportation code provides:

(a) An operator on a roadway divided into two or more clearly marked lanes for traffic:

(1) shall drive as nearly as practical entirely within a single lane; and

(2) may not move from the lane unless that movement can be made safely.²⁴

The State responds that regardless of whether a violation of section 545.060 occurred, the arresting officer testified at the suppression hearing²⁵ that appellant's vehicle crossed the yellow center line of the roadway, which constitutes a separate traffic violation.²⁶ The arresting officer testified that he stopped appellant because he was "[d]riving on the improved shoulder when prohibited and being on the wrong side of the roadway while not passing." The officer further testified that he had made over 500 arrests for driving while intoxicated and that appellant's driving was consistent with that of an intoxicated person. We conclude that the officer's testimony that appellant's vehicle crossed the yellow center line into oncoming traffic was sufficient to establish that appellant was stopped pursuant to a traffic violation.²⁷ Accordingly, we hold that the officer lawfully stopped appellant's vehicle and the trial court did not err in denying his motion to suppress.²⁸ We overrule appellant's first issue.

Challenge for Cause

In his second issue, appellant contends the trial court erred in denying his challenge for cause against a prospective juror, James Weatherill. Appellant contends that an objectionable juror was seated because he was required to use all his peremptory strikes, including one on Weatherill.²⁹ Appellant argues the trial court erred in denying his motion to strike because Weatherill was sufficiently biased that his ability to carry out his oath and instructions under the law was substantially impaired. During voir dire of Weatherill, he testified that he is an airline pilot and is therefore subject to stricter standards concerning drinking than the standards applicable to drivers of motor vehicles. Weatherill said he thought drivers of motor vehicles should be held to the same standards that are applicable to pilots. He also said that his personal standards "would have some effect on [his] judgment," but "would not sway [him] one way or another against someone." He also testified, however, that he believed he could be fair and impartial in a driving-while-intoxicated case and that he would not, in this case, hold the defendant to the standard that applied to himself as an airline pilot. When reviewing a trial court's decision to grant or deny a challenge for cause, we look at the entire record to determine if there is sufficient evidence to support the court's ruling.³⁰ We give great deference to the trial court's decision because the trial judge is present to observe the demeanor of the venireperson and to listen to his tone of voice.³¹ Particular deference is given when the potential juror's answers are vacillating, unclear or contradictory.³² An appellant may properly challenge any prospective juror who has a bias or prejudice against any phase of the law upon which he is entitled to rely.³³ The test is whether the bias or prejudice would substantially impair the prospective juror's ability to carry out his oath and instructions in accordance with law.³⁴ Before a prospective juror can be excused for cause on this basis, however, the law must be explained to him and he must be asked whether he can follow that law regardless of his personal views.³⁵ Here, as noted, Weatherill specifically denied that he would hold appellant to the airline industry standard applicable to him. He also testified that he was "not biased because of the constraints of [his] occupation" and that he would base his conclusion on the facts and evidence presented at trial. After reviewing the entire record, we conclude there is sufficient evidence to support the trial court's ruling in denying appellant's challenge for cause.³⁶ We overrule appellant's second issue.

Admission of Videotape

In his third issue, appellant contends the trial court erred in admitting a videotape that had allegedly been altered to exclude potentially exculpatory evidence. Specifically, appellant complains that at trial, the State offered into evidence an "edited" copy of the videotape of his arrest, which did not include "the whole story" because it excluded that portion of the tape recording appellant's transport to the Nueces County jail. At trial, the arresting officer testified that police procedures require the officer to make a copy of the original videotape up to the point of arrest, which was the procedure followed in this case. The officer also testified that in the edited-out portion of the videotape, during which appellant was transported to jail, appellant was "rather quiet" and made very few statements. The State contends that by failing to include the challenged videotape in the appellate record, appellant has waived any right to challenge the trial court's ruling admitting the videotape. We agree. It is the appealing party's burden to ensure that the record on appeal is sufficient to resolve the issue he presents.³⁷ The challenged videotape is not included in the record before us. Thus, even if we were to determine that the trial court erred by admitting the videotape, without the exhibit, we are unable to determine whether the alleged error was harmful. By failing to include the videotape in the appellate record, appellant waived any right to challenge the trial court's ruling admitting the evidence.³⁸ Moreover, even if appellant had included the videotape in the appellate record, we conclude that his challenge to the trial court's ruling lacks merit. The duty to preserve evidence is limited to evidence that possesses an exculpatory value that was apparent before the evidence was destroyed.³⁹ Therefore, a defendant must demonstrate the lost evidence was both favorable and material to his case.⁴⁰ A showing that the lost evidence might have been favorable does not satisfy the materiality requirement.⁴¹ Further, to establish that the failure to preserve the videotape constitutes a violation of due process or due course of law, an appellant must demonstrate the police erased the videotape in bad faith.⁴² Here, appellant complains that the videotape was improperly admitted because it had been edited "to delete potentially exculpatory evidence." He contends "there is a due process violation implicit in the editing of the video tape and the admission of that version of the facts before the jury." Appellant cites no authority for this assertion, and we reject it. We overrule appellant's third issue. The judgment of the trial court is AFFIRMED.