Case Title: State v. Kananen

Citation: 399 P.2d 426, 97 Ariz. 233

Docket Number: 

State: arizona

Court: Arizona Supreme Court

Date: 1965-02-25T00:00:00Z

Document:
97 Ariz. 233 (1965) 399 P.2d 426 STATE of Arizona, Appellee, v. Richard Alfred KANANEN and Larry Vernon Hill, Appellants. No. 1310. Supreme Court of Arizona. En Banc. February 25, 1965. *234 Robert W. Pickrell, Atty. Gen., Jerry W. Lawson, Asst. Atty. Gen., for appellee. Lewis, Roca, Scoville, Beauchamp & Linton, Phoenix, by Calvin C. Thur, Scottsdale, for appellants. McFARLAND, Justice. Appellants, Richard Alfred Kananen and Larry Vernon Hill, hereinafter referred to as defendants, were each convicted on four counts of forgery, and sentenced to serve from seven to ten years on each count, to run concurrently. From the judgment and sentence they appeal. Defendants were arrested at Montgomery Ward's Chris-Town store in Phoenix, Arizona, at about 6:30 p.m., December 2, 1961, attempting to cash a forged check drawn on the First National Bank of Arizona, payable to David S. Olson, signed by J.B. Andrews, Treasurer, Lytle Eng. Co., Inc. It was shown the Lytle Eng. Co. was non-existent, and no account existed in the bank for either the company or J.B. Andrews. Defendant Kananen, in attempting to cash the checks, presented identification that he was Olson. He had passed checks to Korrick's, Sears Roebuck and Co., and Montgomery Ward's downtown store. Two more checks identical in nature were found on the person of defendant Kananen. Also found was a wallet on the person of defendant Hill bearing identification of Richard Alfred Kananen. Hill stated that the wallet belonged to Kananen. Defendants were questioned and searched by Officer Don Rodriguez while at the store. Among other articles obtained from them was a key to Room 28 of the Montezuma Motel in Phoeniz, Arizona, which was in the possession of defendant Hill. Defendants were then taken to jail. Officer Rodriguez testified that both defendants stated at the store that the checks were no good, and also that defendant Kananen made a similar statement while in jail. At about 10:30 p.m. that same night the officers Rodriguez and Robert Morris picked up defendant Hill at the jail, Rodriguez stating that he obtained *235 permission from Hill to search the room of the motel. The officers handcuffed Hill and took him to the Montezuma Motel, and, in the presence of the manager of the motel, searched Room 28. Several items were found in the room, including a checkwriter, a typewriter, and several blank checks which were introduced in evidence. The motel manager testified that Hill was registered in Room 28 under the name of Olson. There was testimony that Hill stated to police officers on several occasions that he and Kananen were staying at the motel in Room 28. The officers did not have a search warrant. A handwriting expert testified that defendant Hill had signed the name of J.B. Andrews on the checks, and that all four endorsements on the checks were written by the same person. Defendants contend that the court erred in admission of the evidence obtained by search of the room without a search warrant, including a checkwriter, a typewriter, and blank checks, over the objection of defendants, and erred in denying defendants' motion for a new trial, based upon the admission of such evidence obtained by the search and seizure. The state contends that the claim of unreasonable search and seizure was waived by consent. In determining whether or not there was a consent, it is necessary that such a waiver or consent be proved by clear and positive evidence in unequivocal words or conduct expressing consent, and it must be established that there was no duress or coercion, actual or implied. State v. Tigue, 95 Ariz. 45, 386 P.2d 402; State v. Robinson, 74 N.J. Super. 305, 181 A.2d 208. The question then is whether the state proved consent by clear and positive evidence in unequivocal words or conduct expressing consent. After Officer Rodriguez had testified that defendants had been placed under arrest, in response to questions asked by the deputy county attorney, he gave the following testimony: And, then, in answer to questions on voir dire examination, he testified: And, on cross-examination: The questions and answers in regard to the giving of consent were "And did you ask Mr. Hill's permission to go to this room?" "Yes, I did." And, on voir dire, "Did you have a search warrant?" "No, sir." "Why not?" "We went in with Mr. Hill's permission." Then, on cross-examination, after answering the question as to whether Hill refused to go out to the room, and stating that he did not, this question and answer ensued: "Did he consent without reservation? He agreed to accompany us to the motel." It will be noted that the question was not asked of Hill as to whether he consented to a search of the room. The officer only stated that he asked Mr. Hill's permission to go to this room. He did not testify as to what the answer was. The most that one could say would be that the answer implied that consent was given. The statement that "We went in with Mr. Hill's permission," was merely a conclusion. Neither meets the test of "clear and positive evidence in unequivocal words," nor does accompanying the officers to the room, hours after arrest, and while handcuffed, amount to positive proof of consent. There must not be duress, coercion actual or implied. In Judd v. United States, 89 U.S.App.D.C. 64, 190 F.2d 649 (D.C. Cir.1951), the court held: It will be noted that the court, in the summarization of the statement of defendant, said: In State v. Robinson, supra, in which the Judd case was quoted with approval, it will be noted that the officer testified that one of the defendants, Josephine Robinson, said it was all right to make the search, which was denied by the defendant. However, the court said: Applying the rule as set forth in the Judd and Robinson cases, the state fell short of proving consent. The state, in its brief, also contended that defendants having failed to move to suppress the evidence may not raise the question of unreasonable search and seizure on appeal. The state cited State v. Quintana, 92 Ariz. 267, 376 P.2d 130, in support of its contention that the defendants had waived their right to object to the introduction of evidence obtained by unreasonable search and seizure in that they did not at the time make a motion to suppress the evidence. Some of the courts hold that failure to *239 make a motion to suppress evidence is a waiver; however, the courts are divided on this question. In the Quintana case, supra, in which we quoted with approval a quotation from State v. Robbins, 37 Wash. 2d 431, 224 P.2d 345, we stated: It will be noted that the contention was in regard to the refusal of the court to hear arguments on the objection to admissibility of evidence in the proceedings of the trial. In State v. Robbins, supra, there was an objection made to the introduction of evidence on the ground that it was unlawfully seized, and defendant offered by affidavit or otherwise to prove such unlawful seizure. The court had just stated in the previous paragraph that: *240 The court specifically stated that if the evidence showed that the articles which were offered in evidence have been unlawfully seized it was the duty of the court, if it were shown by direct or proper cross-examination of the state's witness, not to receive them in evidence. We are of the opinion that it is a better practice for defendant to make a motion before trial to suppress evidence which was illegally obtained. However, if he fails to do so, he is not precluded from objecting to the evidence if it appears therefrom, either from direct or cross-examination, that the search and seizure was unreasonable. We therefore hold that the court erred in the admission of the evidence obtained by the search and seizure. Some of the Federal courts hold that failure to make a motion to suppress evidence is a waiver, but they are based upon Rule 41(e) of Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure which provides that a motion "alleged to be the product of an unlawful search and seizure `shall be made before trial or hearing unless opportunity therefor did not exist or the defendant was not aware of the grounds for the motion.'" United States v. Watts, 2 Cir., 319 F.2d 659, 660. We do not have such a rule in Arizona, however. We think the better rule is stated in Brown v. State, 277 Ala. 108, 110, 167 So. 2d 291, 293, in which the court held: This is a federal question, and as we pointed out in State v. Pina, 94 Ariz. 243, 245, 383 P.2d 167, 168: In Mapp v. Ohio, 367 U.S. 643, 81 S. Ct. 1684, 6 L. Ed. 2d 1081, the Supreme Court of the United States specifically overruled the Wolf v. People of State of Colorado, 338 U.S. 25, 69 S. Ct. 1359, 93 L. Ed. 1782 decision, and held that evidence obtained in violation of rights guaranteed by the Fourth Amendment are not admissible in the state court in a prosecution against an *241 individual whose rights had been violated. We accordingly reversed our position. State v. Pina, supra. It has been the position of this court that the decisions of the United States Supreme Court must be followed in regard to admissibility of evidence involving such a federal question. In the latest decision, Henry v. State of Miss., 85 S. Ct. 564, Jan. 18, 1965, which involved evidence obtained by search and seizure, the court held: After discussing the Mississippi rule requiring contemporaneous objection to the introduction of illegal evidence, the court, in remanding the case, stated: In the instant case the objection at the trial by defendants to the admission of evidence obtained by the search and seizure is timely under the ruling of Henry v. State of Miss., supra. Defendants, in their supplemental and reply brief, contend that under the terms of the conditional order of the Superior *242 Court of the State of Arizona in and for the County of Pinal in Cases No. 17260 and No. 17279 under which they were admitted to bond, they should be granted immunity from prosecution in these matters, and that their conviction should be expunged. We have examined the order and the record submitted by defendants in the above cases, and do not agree with this interpretation. Judgment is reversed, and remanded to the lower court for proceedings not inconsistent with this opinion. LOCKWOOD, C.J., STRUCKMEYER, V.C.J., and BERNSTEIN and UDALL, JJ., concurring.