People v. Bihl CA4/1

I.

BACKGROUND

San Diego police officer Michael Sherbondy stopped a car driven by Bihl for a

broken taillight. There were also two men in the car, one seated in the front passenger

seat and the other in the seat behind him.

Sherbondy searched Bihl's purse and found marijuana and two small diamonds

within a small container. He also found "at least 20 gift cards," three cell phones, and

$666 in various denominations of bills inside Bihl's purse. Sherbondy took a pocket

knife from Bihl's waistband, and she handed him $1,100 in various denominations of bills

from her pockets and a small plastic bag of methamphetamine from her brassière.

San Diego police officer Gene Loucks searched the trunk of Bihl's car. In the

trunk, he found a clutch purse that contained a small electronic scale, several small plastic

bags, and "a purple woman's style coin purse." Inside the coin purse, Loucks found a

small plastic bag of methamphetamine.

2 Detective Richard Aguilar of the San Diego Police Department testified at trial as

an expert witness on drug sales. Based on his training, experience, review of the police

reports, and consideration of the evidence found…