Page 57 - TPA Journal March April 2022
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the video recording from the agent’s body camera    Government.  And where, as here, “a district court’s
        as an exhibit. After the suppression hearing, Nelson  denial of a suppression motion is based on live oral
        filed a supplemental motion, arguing for the first  testimony, the clearly erroneous standard is
        time that the stop violated his Fourth Amendment    particularly strong because the judge had the
        rights and therefore the evidence derived from the  opportunity to observe the demeanor of the
        stop should be suppressed. The magistrate judge     witnesses.”   A district court’s ruling to deny a
        recommended denying Nelson’s motion. Nelson         suppression motion should be upheld “if there is any
        filed objections to the magistrate judge’s report, but  reasonable view of the evidence to support it.”
        the district court adopted the report in full and
        denied Nelson’s motion to suppress. Nelson          Nelson first argues that the district court erred in
        subsequently pleaded guilty to conspiracy to        denying his motion to suppress evidence obtained
        possess with intent to distribute 50 kilograms or   from the stop of his vehicle, contending the stop was
        more of marijuana. As part of his plea agreement,   unconstitutional because the BPAs lacked
        Nelson reserved the right to appeal the denial of his  reasonable suspicion to make it. A Border Patrol
        suppression motion and was sentenced to three       agent on roving patrol “is justified in stopping a
        years in prison with three years of supervised      vehicle if he reasonably suspects, based on specific
        release.                                            articulable facts together with rational inferences
                                                            from the facts, that the vehicle might be engaged in
        On appeal, Nelson argues that the district court    illegal activity.”  In determining whether reasonable
        erred by denying his suppression motion for three   suspicion exists, we often consider the common
        reasons. First, Nelson argues that the BPAs lacked  sense factors set forth in United States v. Brignoni-
        the reasonable suspicion required to conduct a      Ponce:  (1) proximity to the border; (2)
        roving-patrol stop, rendering all evidence obtained  characteristics of the area; (3) usual traffic patterns
        from the stop inadmissible. Second, Nelson argues   on a particular road; (4) agent’s previous experience
        that he was in custodial interrogation when         in detecting illegal activity; (5) behavior of the
        questioned by  Agent Stauffiger, making his         driver; (6) particular aspects or characteristics of the
        statements inadmissible, because he was not given   vehicle; (7) information about recent illegal
        Miranda warnings. Finally, Nelson argues that       trafficking in aliens or narcotics in the area; and (8)
        Border Patrol agents lack authority to conduct      the number, appearance, and behavior of the
        investigative stops solely related to non-          passengers.  “[E]ach case must be examined based
        immigration offenses—an argument he concedes is     on he totality of the circumstances known to the
        foreclosed under this Court’s precedent.            agents at the time of the stop and their experience in
                                                            evaluating such circumstances.”
        When considering the denial of a motion to
        suppress, this Court reviews factual findings for   The Government argues, and we agree, that the
        clear error and legal conclusions, including whether  totality of the circumstances here support a finding
        an officer had reasonable suspicion to support a    that Agent Stauffiger had reasonable suspicion to
        stop and whether Miranda’s guarantees have been     justify stopping Nelson’s vehicle. First, our Court
        impermissibly denied, de novo.  Evidence is         has recognized that proximity to the border is “a
        viewed in the light most favorable to the party that  paramount factor in determining reasonable
        prevailed in the district court—in this case, the   suspicion.”  While there is no bright line test with




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