United States Tenth Circuit

Denial of a motion to suppress and one defendant's sentence for drug-related offenses are affirmed where: 1) an initial traffic stop was lawful; 2) the resulting discovery of drugs was inevitable since neither defendant had a valid driver's license and the police would have conducted an inventory search after impounding the car; and 3) the district court did not commit clear error in denying one defendant minor participant status.

Appellate Information

• Decided 01/15/2008
• Published 01/16/2008

Judges

• TYMKOVICH, Circuit Judge., Before KELLY, ANDERSON, and TYMKOVICH, Circuit Judges.

Court

• United States Tenth Circuit

Counsel

• For Appellant:
  
• Mary C. Corporon, Corporon & Williams, P.C., Salt Lake City, UT, for Appellant Martinez., Ronald J. Yengich, Yengich, Rich & Xaiz, Salt Lake City, UT, filed a brief for Appellant Aguilar-Banuelos.


• For Appellees:
  
• Stephen J. Sorenson, Assistant United States Attorney (Brett L. Tolman, United States Attorney, with him on the brief), Office of the United States Attorney, Salt Lake City, UT, for Appellee.