United States v. Anayell Rojas

MEMORANDUM

Nieto-Rojas (“Appellant”) appeals the district court’s decision denying her motion to suppress evidence.

Appellant and her two passengers were being monitored by Idaho officers for possible involvement in a drug transaction. After she drove into Utah, an Idaho officer requested Utah officers to stop Appellant’s car if they could do so. Idaho police requested both trying to obtain identity of the occupants of the vehicle and seeing if money from the drug buy could be recovered.

Utah Trooper Rindlisbacher pulled the vehicle over on a busy highway for excessive window tinting. He issued Appellant citations for excessive tint on her windows, for illegally transporting beer into Utah, and for not having a driver’s license. He told Appellant that he would have to impound the car because neither she nor her passengers had a valid driver’s license. Trooper Rindlisbacher told Appellant that she could call someone to get picked up and was free to leave when her ride arrived. The district court found that the “officers[’] demeanor toward [Appellant] was, for most of the encounter, deferential and protective rather than commanding.” Trooper Rindlisbacher directed Appellant where…