Dora v. State

957 N.E.2d 1049

John V. DORA, Appellant–Defendant,

v.STATE of Indiana, Appellee–Plaintiff.

No. 07A01–1102–CR–51.

Court of Appeals of Indiana.

Dec. 6, 2011.Rehearing Denied Feb. 14, 2012.

David C. Grupenhoff, Thomas M. Barr & Associates, Nashville, IN, Attorney for Appellant.

Gregory F. Zoeller, Attorney General of Indiana, Ellen H. Meilaender, Deputy Attorney General, Indianapolis, IN, Attorneys for Appellee.

OPINION

RILEY, Judge.

STATEMENT OF THE CASE

Appellant–Defendant, John Dora (Dora), appeals the trial court's denial of his motion to suppress evidence.

We affirm.

ISSUE

Dora raises two issues for our review, which we consolidate and restate as the following single issue: Whether the trial court abused its discretion when it denied his motion to suppress evidence.

FACTS AND PROCEDURAL HISTORY

On May 26, 2009, a party celebrating Michael Shearer's (Shearer) birthday was held on Dora's property in Brown County. Dora's property is essentially an isolated clearing in the woods. Access to the property consists of a long, steep driveway off of Valley Branch Road that leads up a hill and spills out onto a concrete pad, with a house and a large barn at one end and gravel at the other end of the concrete pad. A large, white recreational vehicle (RV) was parked on the concrete pad next to the barn. A small, black mobile trailer was parked some distance away from the RV, but partially on the concrete pad and partially on the gravel. Off the driver's side of the RV, separated by a pathway of about three feet, were terraced flower beds. Shearer lived in the house, and Dora, when he was in town, lived in the RV, but also maintained an office in the barn. The party was attended by Dora, Shearer, and a few friends. Later in the evening, Holly Parker (Parker) arrived with two other guests.

Parker arrived at the party intoxicated. Dora did not wish to be around an intoxicated Parker and hid from her in the barn. Parker began searching for Dora around the property. Parker began beating and kicking the RV and the trailer while yelling for Dora to come out of hiding. Not finding Dora, Parker returned to the RV and went inside, using the door located on the passenger side. Parker began throwing out Dora's goods, and continued until she was restrained by Shearer. During the scuffle with Shearer, Parker's cell phone somehow dialed her daughter, Kristina Agrue's (Agrue), cell phone. Parker then left the party and headed down the driveway onto Valley Branch Road, yelling expletives along the way.

Although Agrue did not speak with Parker, when she heard Parker yelling in the background she believed that Parker was being held against her will and might have been a victim of a battery. Agrue drove to Dora's property to find Parker. There, Agrue was told Parker had left, then got into a dispute with Shearer, and later departed. Agrue contacted the Brown County Sheriff's Office to report the incident. Brown County Sheriff's Deputy Ron Followell (Deputy Followell) was dispatched to meet Agrue. Agrue told Deputy Followell that she believed Parker was at Dora's property and in trouble. Agrue explained that she went to Dora's to find Parker, but ended up in an altercation and left. Agrue filled out a voluntary statement describing that she believed Parker was in trouble and describing her visit to Dora's property to look for Parker. Agrue also indicated that there “definitely” was marijuana present at Dora's property. Agrue later found Parker and drove back to Dora's property a couple of times and then departed.

Meanwhile, Deputy Followell enlisted the support of two other officers, Brown County Sheriff's Deputy Bill Southerland (Deputy Southerland) and Indiana Conservation Officer Jason Lee (Officer Lee), and traveled to Dora's to investigate Agrue's complaint. Deputy Followell and the other Officers parked at the bottom of the driveway and walked up the driveway to speak to Dora. Dora and Shearer were sitting in front of a portable fire pit when the Officers arrived. After telling the Officers that Parker left earlier, they excitedly explained that Parker was upset that Dora was hiding from her and that she looked around Dora's property for Dora. Dora explained that Parker had beaten and kicked the RV and the trailer looking for Dora, and that Parker later entered the RV and threw items outside the RV out onto the clearing.

It was dark outside and all Officers had flashlights. Deputy Followell testified that Dora and Shearer explained that Parker went all around the RV. Deputy Followell “asked if he could come up and look at the damage,” and Dora “said yes.” (Transcript p. 269). Dora “took [Deputy] Followell over to show him the damage.” (Tr. p. 271). Shearer showed the Officers “a footprint on the back of the trailer and where [Parker] kicked the RV.” (Tr. p. 215). Deputy Followell testified that there were creases and black markings on the RV, specifically on the rear, passenger side, and front of the RV. The passenger side of the RV contained the main entrance to the RV.

At some point, the tour concluded. While Dora, Shearer, and Deputy Followell walked back to the fire pit, Deputy Southerland and Officer Lee stayed at the front of the RV. Officer Lee examined three sides of the trailer and found footprints on the back end of the trailer. Officer Lee then went to examine the RV for damage to the front and the driver's side. As Officer Lee shined his flashlight to the immediate right of the RV, he saw plants in the flower bed. Officer Lee recognized the plants as marijuana. While Dora and Shearer engaged in small talk with Deputy Followell, Deputy Southerland walked over to Deputy Followell and told him that Deputy Followell needed to come back to the RV and take a look. Deputy Followell returned to the RV with Dora and Shearer in tow and saw several plants, which he immediately recognized as marijuana plants.

Dora and Shearer were placed under arrest and read their Miranda rights. Dora gave his consent to a search of his trailer and RV.¹ Two additional marijuana plants were found in a pot located nearby the fire pit and fifty-nine marijuana plants were found in the flower bed adjacent to the RV.

On May 27, 2009, the State filed an Information charging Dora with Count I, possession of marijuana, a Class A misdemeanor, Ind.Code § 35–48–4–11(2); Count II, possession of marijuana, a Class A misdemeanor, I.C. § 35–48–4–11(1); Count III, possession of paraphernalia, a Class A misdemeanor, I.C. §§ 35–48–4–8.3(a)(1); 35–48–4–8.3(b).

On November 16, 2009, Dora filed a motion to suppress evidence, alleging violations of both the Fourth Amendment of the United States Constitution and Article 1, Section 11 of the Indiana Constitution. On June 7 and October 25, 2010, hearings were held. On November 18, 2010, the trial court granted Dora's motion to suppress in part suppressing evidence of the marijuana and paraphernalia found in the RV, but denying suppression of the marijuana found in the flower beds. On January 14, 2011, the trial court certified the November 18th Order for interlocutory appeal. On April 1, 2011, this court accepted the interlocutory appeal.

Additional facts will be provided as necessary.

DISCUSSION AND DECISION

Dora argues that the trial court abused its discretion by denying his motion to suppress. He asserts that the warrantless search of his property violated his rights under the Fourth Amendment of the United States Constitution and Article 1, Section 11 of the Indiana Constitution.

I. Standard of Review

We review a denial of a motion to suppress similar to other sufficiency matters. Smith v. State, 953 N.E.2d 651, 655 (Ind.Ct.App.2011). We do not reweigh the evidence, but consider conflicting evidence in the light most favorable to the trial court's ruling. Id. Uncontested evidence, however, is viewed in favor of the defendant. Id.

II. Fourth Amendment

The Fourth Amendment to the United States Constitution protects against unreasonable searches and seizures; its protections extend to the states through the Fourteenth Amendment. Lindsey v. State, 916 N.E.2d 230, 238 (Ind.Ct.App.2009), trans. denied. “[A] search arises out of an intrusion by a governmental actor upon an area in which a person maintains a ‘reasonable expectation of privacy.’ ” Holder v. State, 847 N.E.2d 930, 935 (Ind.2006) (quoting Katz v. U.S., 389 U.S. 347, 361, 88 S.Ct. 507, 19 L.Ed.2d 576 (1967) (Harlan, J., concurring)). A constitutionally protected reasonable expectation of privacy exists where there is both a subjective expectation of privacy and societal recognition that such expectation of privacy is reasonable. Id. at 936.

“The land immediately surrounding and associated with the home, the curtilage, also merits Fourth Amendment protections that attach to the home.” Id. (citing Oliver v. U.S., 466 U.S. 170, 180, 104 S.Ct. 1735, 80 L.Ed.2d 214 (1984)). The Fourth Amendment does not protect “activities or items that, even if within the curtilage, are knowingly exposed to the public.” Trimble v. State, 842 N.E.2d 798, 802 (Ind.2006). Further, “police entry onto private property and their observations do not violate the Fourth Amendment when the police have a legitimate investigatory purpose for being on the property and limit their entry to places that other visitors would be expected to go, such as walkways, driveway, or porches.” Id.

In determining that the Officers did not conduct a search, the trial court concluded the following:

The [O]fficers' initial entry onto [Dora's] property was for a legitimate reason, to conduct an investigation. While there, they continued their investigation by looking at the RV. The question is whether in walking and looking behind the RV, the [O]fficers limited their investigation to “normal and recognized means of access reasonable under the circumstances,” or whether they exceeded the permissible scope of their investigation and “failed to limit their visit to areas that could reasonably have been...