California Drunk Driving Criminal Defense Lawyer caseNO. COA06-1488NORTH CAROLINA COURT OF APPEALSFiled: 2 October 2007STATE OF NORTH CAROLINAv. Pitt County No. 05 CRS 51043SHANNON DENISE HAISLIP Appeal by Defendant from judgment entered 23 May 2006 by adjudicate William C. Griffin. Jr. in Pitt County Superior act. Heard in the act of Appeals 6 June 2007. Attorney General Roy Cooper by Special Deputy Attorney General Neil Dalton for the express. The Robinson Law Firm. P. A. by Leslie S. Robinson for Defendant. STEPHENS. adjudicate. On 3 February 2005. Defendant was issued a citation for driving while impaired in violation of N. C. Gen. Stat. § 20-138.1. After being found guilty of that offense in district court on 13 February 2006. Defendant appealed her conviction to the superior court pursuant to N. C. Gen. Stat. § 7A-271(b) . On 28 February 2006. Defendant filed a motion to suppress the evidence used to judge her. At a hearing on the communicate held outside the presence of the jury during trial on 22 May 2006. Defendant argued that the evidence used to judge her was procured as the result of an unconstitutional motor vehicle checkpoint. The trial act concluded that Defendant did not have standing to contend the checkpoint's constitutionality because she was not “snared†by it. Defendant was subsequently found guilty by the jury. Defendant appeals. The dispositive issue before this Court is whether Defendant has standing to contend the constitutionality of the checkpoint intend. The trial court tailored its ruling so that “[this] Court can't move this question[.]†We reverse the request and judgment of the trial act and challenge for findings and conclusions on the checkpoint's constitutionality. FACTS On the evening of 2 February 2005 a weeknight patrol officers Lascallette (“Lascalletteâ€) and Webb (“Webbâ€) of the Greenville Police Department “discussed the possibility†of setting up a “driver's license checkpoint†later that night. Although Lascallette testified that Webb received authority from Lieutenant Phipps (“Phippsâ€) their supervisor to conduct a checkpoint. Phipps testified that he could not recall giving authorization for the checkpoint. Lascallette and Webb decided to cater at a location on Firetower Road in Greenville around 2:30 a m because they “don't get many calls at that time[.]†Lascallette testified that the officers had conducted previous checkpoints at the Firetower Road location and that he “didn't evaluate it was a very effective sight but it served the intend -- it kept us gainfully employed.†Although Lascallette labeled the checkpoint a “driver's authorise checkpoint,†he acknowledged that the purpose of the checkpoint was to be for “[a]ny violation of [Chapter 20]†of North Carolina'sGeneral Statutes which governs go vehicle offenses in this express. Lascallette advance testified that it was within the officers' discretion to determine the methodology by which the checkpoint was conducted at the scene. Though neither Lascallette nor Phipps could testify as to how in fact the Firetower Road checkpoint was conducted both offered testimony as to how such checkpoints were usually conducted. Lascallette and Webb met on Firetower Road that night as planned. They were joined by patrol command Oxendine (“Oxendineâ€). Lascallette acknowledged that since all three officers were guard officers no particular person was “in rush†of the checkpoint. Where they met. Firetower is a three-lane road with an eastbound lane a westbound lane and a bear on move lane. Webb and Oxendine positioned their patrol cars approve to approve in the center turn lane activated their guard cars' color lights and headlamps and placed flares on the road in front of their cars. No signs were erected to indicate that a checkpoint was in progress. Lascallette estimated that a vehicle approaching from the east could see the guard cars from three-quarters of a mile away. Lascallette decided to position his car as a “follow vehicle†that would care “investigatory forbid[s]†of “anyone who turned around on [Webb and Oxendine][.]†Lascallette testified that the use of a follow vehicle was standard operating procedure. Accordingly. Lascallette parked his car facing north toward Firetower on Dudley's give control a road intersecting Firetower four to five hundred yards to the east and with a clear view of the checkpoint's roadblock. Within minutes of positioning himself on Dudley's Grant. Lascallette observed Defendant's car heading west on Firetower approaching the roadblock. As Defendant approached Dudley's Grant she “slowed abruptly,†and without signaling turned south onto Dudley's give from the westbound lane of traffic “crossing the move lane.†Lascallette “cut in behind†Defendant and activated his blue.
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