Title: People v. Gipson

State: illinois

Issuer: Illinois Supreme Court

Document:

Docket No. 93422-Agenda 4-November 2002.
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, Appellant, v. 
 								CURTIS GIPSON, Appellee.
Opinion filed February 21, 2003.
	JUSTICE THOMAS delivered the opinion of the court:
	At issue are two questions concerning inventory searches: (1)
whether a police officer's unrebutted testimony about police policy
on inventory searches can be sufficient evidence of such a policy
if the State does not introduce a written policy into evidence; and
(2) whether a policy requiring the police to inventory items of
value is sufficient to allow the opening of closed containers if the
policy does not specifically mention closed containers.

BACKGROUND
	The State charged defendant in the circuit court of Cook
County with one count of possession of a controlled substance
(cocaine) with the intent to deliver (720 ILCS 570/401(a)(2)(A)
(West 1996)). Defendant moved to quash his arrest and to
suppress the evidence that was found during a search of his car.
	At the hearing on the motion to suppress, defendant testified
as follows. At 12:25 a.m. on January 8, 1998, defendant was
driving home from work. When defendant reached the intersection
of Jackson and Homan in Chicago, a police car began to follow
him. The police car followed him for several minutes. The police
car's lights went on when defendant crossed Kedzie, and
defendant pulled over. The police officer approached defendant's
car and told defendant that he was driving on a revoked license.
Defendant gave the officer his identification and proof of
insurance, following which the officer put defendant into the back
seat of his squad car and locked it. The officer put some
information into his computer and told defendant that if he did not
have any outstanding warrants, he was free to go.
	According to defendant, the officer never told him that he was
under arrest. The officer then got out of the squad car and looked
under the hood of defendant's car. He searched the passenger
compartment of the car and then came back to the squad car. The
officer started typing on his computer again and then went back to
defendant's car, took the keys out of the ignition, and opened the
trunk. Defendant testified that he had a yellow plastic Ameritech
bag tied closed in the trunk. Inside of the Ameritech bag was a
black plastic bag, containing rocks of cocaine, that was also tied
closed. According to defendant, he never gave the officer
permission to search his car, and the officer never told him that the
car would be towed or that the officer was conducting an inventory
search. The officer never told defendant he was under arrest before
he searched the car.
	The State presented the testimony of Sergeant David Byrd of
the Illinois State Police. Byrd testified that he initially began
following defendant's car because it had a cracked windshield. A
"registration response" on defendant's license plate revealed that
the owner's name was Curtis Gipson and that Gipson's driver's
license had been revoked. Byrd pulled over defendant and
informed him that the reason for the stop was that the car had a
defective windshield and that the car's owner had a revoked
license. When defendant confirmed that he was Curtis Gipson,
Byrd placed defendant in the back of his squad car.
	Once defendant was in the car, Byrd called a tow truck and
conducted an inventory search of defendant's vehicle. Byrd
explained that the State Police policy is to tow the vehicle when
someone is arrested for driving on a revoked license. When a
vehicle is towed following an arrest, the police policy is that a tow
inventory search should be conducted. When asked to explain the
police policy on tow inventory searches, Byrd responded:
			"We are required to check the passenger compartment,
and trunk area for any valuables, or just for our own-we
don't want anything to leave us that might be of value
without checking it first and putting it down on the tow
sheet."
	When Byrd opened the trunk, he found a yellow Ameritech
bag. He opened the bag and noticed two smaller bags inside. He
opened these and observed what appeared to be crack cocaine.
Byrd testified that he never told defendant that he would be free to
go at some point. Rather, defendant was arrested and taken into
custody. Byrd gave defendant a ticket for having a cracked
windshield and driving on a revoked license.
	Following arguments by the attorneys, the trial judge recalled
Sergeant Byrd to the stand. The following colloquy ensued:
			"THE COURT: You are still under oath, sergeant.
			Is there a printed procedure regarding towing by the
Illinois State police?
			THE WITNESS: Yes, there is, your Honor. It's in our
policy manual.
			THE COURT: It's in the policy manual?
			THE WITNESS: Right, and we teach it to all our cadets
when they come out on the road.
			THE COURT: Is it a manual that you might have
handy?
			THE WITNESS: No, it's a-
			THE COURT: Big?
			THE WITNESS: Six hundred pages.
			THE COURT: But it is printed in the police procedure?
			THE WITNESS: It is printed, tow searches and vehicles
being towed and if I may, the reason we do that is because
even if somebody is revoked and if they just said, okay,
okay, you are going to write the ticket-
			MR. DRAPER [defendant's attorney]: Objection,
judge.
			THE COURT: Okay, all right."
	Following further arguments from counsel, the trial court
decided to reserve ruling on the motion until the parties submitted
further case law. Two months later, the court granted defendant's
motion to suppress. The trial judge stated that the police had no
right to tow the car and that State Police policy could not
supercede the law. The State filed a motion to reconsider in which
it pointed out that the court had erroneously relied on cases that
did not involve inventory searches. At the hearing on the motion,
the State argued that a lawful inventory search pursuant to State
Police policy had occurred. The trial judge responded that he was
not sure what the State Police policy was because he had never
seen it and the officer might have just given his own interpretation.
The trial judge then stated that the police could not use a minor
traffic ticket to create a basis for a search and that defendant had
only been stopped for "a little, minor thing like a cracked
windshield." The court questioned why the police had to tow the
car. The State responded that defendant had been arrested for
driving on a revoked license and that a proper tow inventory
search had occurred. The court denied the motion to reconsider.
	The State appealed, and the Appellate Court, First District,
issued an unpublished order reversing the trial court. The appellate
court held that the type of tow and impoundment carried out here
were authorized by statute. The court then held that Officer Byrd's
uncontradicted and unimpeached testimony provided sufficient
evidence of the State Police policy on tow inventory searches and
that the State was not required to admit the written policy into
evidence. Defendant filed a petition for rehearing, which the court
granted. The appellate court issued a second unpublished order,
this time affirming the trial court. No. 1-99-1811 (unpublished
order under Supreme Court Rule 23). The court continued to hold
that the tow and impoundment were lawful. This time, however,
the court agreed with the trial court that Sergeant Byrd's testimony
was insufficient and that the State should have introduced the
actual written State Police policy. Further, the court noted that
Byrd's testimony was also deficient in that he never stated that
there was a specific police policy authorizing him to open closed
containers during inventory searches. We granted the State's
petition for leave to appeal.

ANALYSIS
	On review of a trial court's ruling on a motion to suppress, we
accord great deference to the trial court's factual findings, and we
will reverse those findings only if they are against the manifest
weight of the evidence. People v. Sorenson, 196 Ill. 2d 425, 431
(2001). However, we review de novo the ultimate legal question
of whether suppression is warranted. Sorenson, 196 Ill. 2d  at 431.
	The State first argues that the appellate court erred in holding
that Officer Byrd's testimony was insufficient to establish the
State Police policy on inventory searches and that there is no
constitutional requirement that the State produce the actual written
policy. We agree with the State.
	An inventory search of a lawfully impounded vehicle is a
judicially created exception to the warrant requirement of the
fourth amendment. People v. Hundley, 156 Ill. 2d 135, 138 (1993).
In South Dakota v. Opperman, 428 U.S. 364, 369, 49 L. Ed. 2d 1000, 1005, 96 S. Ct. 3092, 3097 (1976), the Supreme Court
identified three objectives that are served by allowing inventory
searches: (1) protection of the owner's property; (2) protection of
the police against claims of lost or stolen property; and (3)
protection of the police from potential danger.
	In conducting such a search, the police must be acting
pursuant to standard police procedures. Colorado v. Bertine, 479 U.S. 367, 372-74, 93 L. Ed. 2d 739, 746-47, 107 S. Ct. 738, 741-42 (1987). " ' "[A] single familiar standard is essential to guide
police officers, who have only limited time and expertise to reflect
on and balance the social and individual interests involved in the
specific circumstances they confront." ' " Illinois v. Lafayette, 462 U.S. 640, 648, 77 L. Ed. 2d 65, 72, 103 S. Ct. 2605, 2610-11
(1983), quoting New York v. Belton, 453 U.S. 454, 458, 69 L. Ed. 2d 768, 774, 101 S. Ct. 2860, 2863 (1981), quoting Dunaway v.
New York, 442 U.S. 200, 213-14, 60 L. Ed. 2d 824, 836, 99 S. Ct. 2248, 2257 (1979). However, as Professor LaFave has noted, the
courts have generally not read Bertine as requiring that these
procedures be in writing. 3 W. LaFave, Search & Seizure §7.4(a),
at 550 (3d ed. 1996). Rather, a police officer's testimony that he
was following standard procedure is generally deemed to be
sufficient. See, e.g., United States v. Lage, 183 F.3d 374, 380 (5th
Cir. 1999) (officer's unrebutted testimony that he acted in
accordance with standard inventory procedures is sufficient);
United States v. Lozano, 171 F.3d 1129, 1132 (7th Cir. 1999) (lack
of written policy not dispositive; evidence of "well-honed" police
department routine may be sufficient); United States v. Thompson,
29 F.3d 62, 65 (2d Cir. 1994) (existence of standard procedures
may be proved either by reference to written rules and regulations
or testimony regarding standard practices); United States v. Lowe,
9 F.3d 43, 46 (8th Cir. 1993) (testimony of officers is sufficient to
establish department policy; there is no requirement that the
prosecution must produce written policy); United States v. Ford,
986 F.2d 57, 60 (4th Cir. 1993) (evidence was sufficient to
establish customary department policy, even though policy was not
in writing); United States v. Mancera-Londono, 912 F.2d 373, 375
(9th Cir. 1990) (inventory procedures can be standardized without
being written); United States v. Frank, 864 F.2d 992, 1002-04 (3d
Cir. 1988) (officer's unrebutted testimony sufficient to establish
standard procedure; procedures do not need to be written).
	In Illinois, a split has developed in the appellate court over
whether police inventory procedures have to be in writing. In
People v. Evans, 314 Ill. App. 3d 985, 989 (2000), citing 3 W.
LaFave, Search & Seizure §7.4(a), at 548-50 (3d ed. 1996), the
Second District stated that, "[w]hile written policies on inventory
searches are preferred, there is no requirement that such policies
be in writing." The Fourth District, by contrast, does require that
the State produce evidence of "written directives or policies which
outline the procedures to be followed by law enforcement
officers." People v. Williamson, 241 Ill. App. 3d 574, 578 (1993).
The Fourth District has held that this requirement is "binding on
all inventory searches." People v. Krueger, 268 Ill. App. 3d 190,
192 (1994).
	We agree with the Second District that there is no requirement
that the procedures be in writing. The Supreme Court requires only
that, in conducting inventory searches, the police act in accordance
with standardized department procedures. Although it may be
easier for the State to show that it was in acting in accordance with
standard procedures if it can produce a written policy, the Supreme
Court has not required, as a matter of constitutional law, that such
policies be reduced to writing.
	The precise issue we face here is somewhat different. Here,
the issue is whether, if the police do have a written policy on
inventory searches, the policy itself has to be admitted into
evidence, or if an officer's testimony describing the standard
procedure can be sufficient. The State contends that the appellate
court's decision in this case effectively creates a rule that the State
must always produce a written policy on inventory searches if one
exists. Defendant contends that we do not need to decide the issue
as a matter of law. Rather, the question in any case is simply
whether the State introduced sufficient evidence of standardized
procedures. Defendant argues that Officer Byrd's testimony was
insufficient.
	Defendant is correct that the issue is not one of law. Rather,
the issue is simply whether the State introduced sufficient
evidence that it was acting in accordance with standardized
procedures. However, we disagree with defendant's assertion that
the State did not meet its burden in this case. The defendant bears
the burden of proof at a hearing on a motion to suppress. People
v. Williams, 164 Ill. 2d 1, 12 (1994); 725 ILCS 5/114-12(b) (West
2000). A defendant must make a prima facie case that the
evidence was obtained by an illegal search or seizure. People v.
Berg, 67 Ill. 2d 65, 68 (1977). If a defendant makes a prima facie
case, the State has the burden of going forward with evidence to
counter the defendant's prima facie case. See People v. Wingren,
167 Ill. App. 3d 313, 319 (1988). However, the ultimate burden of
proof remains with the defendant. See Wingren, 167 Ill. App. 3d
at 319.
	Here, defendant made his prima facie case by showing that
Sergeant Byrd searched the trunk of defendant's car without a
warrant. The State, however, met its burden of going forward with
the evidence by establishing that Sergeant Byrd searched
defendant's trunk as part of a routine tow inventory search.
Sergeant Byrd gave clear, unrebutted testimony of the standard
procedures for inventory searches that he was following. Sergeant
Byrd testified that it was department policy to tow the vehicle
whenever a person is arrested for driving on a revoked license.
Before the vehicle is towed, the arresting officer is supposed to do
an inventory search of the vehicle and to record anything of value
on the tow inventory sheet. The officer is supposed to check the
passenger compartment and trunk area for valuables.
	Defendant never attempted to challenge this testimony. His
attorney did not ask a single question of Sergeant Byrd about the
policy and presented no rebuttal testimony on the issue. The
attorney did absolutely nothing to cast doubt on Sergeant Byrd's
testimony. In his arguments to the trial court, the defense
attorney's principal contention was that the police had no right to
tow the car. The trial court, not the defense attorney, asked further
questions about the policy. But the trial court seemed satisfied
with Sergeant Byrd's answer. The trial court asked Sergeant Byrd
if the procedure was written down, and Byrd responded that it was
in the policy manual that was taught to all cadets. When the trial
court asked Byrd if he had the manual handy, Byrd began to
answer the question by saying, "No, it's a-," following which the
trial court finished Byrd's sentence for him by saying, "Big?"
When Byrd tried to give more information about the policy, the
court cut him off.
	The court later ruled that it did not know what the police
policy was because it had not seen the policy. This was error.
Sergeant Byrd explained the police policy and defendant did not
cross-examine him on the issue or offer any rebuttal to the
testimony. The State met its burden of going forward with
evidence to rebut the defendant's prima facie case. Sergeant
Byrd's testimony established that defendant's trunk was searched
as part of a routine tow inventory search. The ultimate burden of
proof remained with defendant, and defendant offered nothing to
show that the inventory search was improper.
	The evidence provided by Sergeant Byrd's testimony was at
least as complete as that offered in other cases in which this court
has upheld inventory searches. In People v. Clark, 65 Ill. 2d 169,
172 (1976), this court upheld an inventory search based on the
following evidence:
		"The officer testified that it was the policy of the Decatur
police department to remove and secure any articles of
value contained in any car that was to be towed away, and
to prepare an inventory of them. The inventory search, he
stated, was to protect the owner of the articles as well as
to assist in defense against a future charge of theft."
In Hundley, 156 Ill. 2d 135, the written policy was introduced into
evidence and this court upheld the search. However, the written
policy merely provided as follows:
			" 'An examination and inventory of the contents of all
vehicles/boats towed or held by authority of Division
personnel shall be made by the officer who completes the
Tow-In Recovery Report. This examination and inventory
shall be restricted to those areas where an owner or
operator would ordinarily place or store property or
equipment in the vehicle/boat; and would normally
include front and rear seat areas, glove compartment, map
case, sun visors, and trunk and engine compartments.' "
Hundley,156 Ill. 2d  at 137.
Sergeant Byrd's testimony was virtually identical to the evidence
offered in these cases, but the trial court rejected it for the sole
reason that he could not compare the testimony to the written
policy. But, as we previously noted, there is no rule that the
procedures even be in writing. Inventory searches can be upheld
solely on an officer's unrebutted testimony that he was following
standard procedures. In a case in which the procedures were not in
writing, the trial court would not be able to compare the officer's
testimony to anything else.
	Of course, it would be the better practice for the State to
produce the written policy. If it does not, the State leaves itself
open to the possibility that the defense will be able to cast doubt
on the officer's testimony either through cross-examination or
rebuttal testimony. Here, defense counsel did not attempt to do so.
Defendant had the burden of proof, and he failed to show that he
was subjected to an illegal search.
	The State next contends that the appellate court erred in
holding that Sergeant Byrd was not entitled to open the plastic
bags because the State failed to produce any evidence that the
inventory search policy allowed the opening of closed containers.
In Florida v. Wells, 495 U.S. 1, 109 L. Ed. 2d 1, 110 S. Ct. 1632
(1990), the United States Supreme Court upheld the suppression
of marijuana found in the trunk of a car during an inventory
search. The marijuana was in a locked suitcase in the trunk, and
the police forced open the suitcase as part of the inventory search.
The record contained no evidence of a police policy on the
opening of closed containers during inventory searches. The
Supreme Court held that it would be permissible for the police
policy to mandate the opening of all containers or no containers,
or to allow the police the discretion to decide which containers
should be opened, based on the nature of the search and the
characteristics of the container. However, because there was no
evidence of any policy with respect to closed containers in that
case, the Supreme Court held that the search was not sufficiently
regulated to satisfy the fourth amendment. Wells, 495 U.S.  at 4-5,
109 L. Ed. 2d  at 6-7, 110 S. Ct.  at 1635.
	In Hundley, this court held that the general order of the State
Police was sufficient to allow the opening of closed containers
during an inventory search. The policy introduced into evidence in
Hundley, which was set forth previously in this opinion, did not
use the words "closed containers." Rather, it required the police to
inventory the contents of towed vehicles and to look wherever the
owner or operator would ordinarily place or stow property.
Hundley, 156 Ill. 2d  at 137. The officer testified in Hundley that he
opened a cigarette case because, in his experience, women often
put their drivers' licenses and money in such cases. This court held
that the general order of the State Police was "adequate to the
situation." Hundley, 156 Ill. 2d  at 139.
	The Seventh Circuit agrees with Hundley that it is not
necessary that the policy use the words "closed containers." In
United States v. Richardson, 121 F.3d 1051 (7th Cir. 1997), the
court construed the same Illinois State Police policy that we
construed in Hundley. The court found that the policy was
sufficient to allow the police to open bags in the trunk of the
defendant's car. The purpose of the policy is to inventory
valuables, and searching bags in the trunk "protects against claims
of stolen or damaged personal property." Richardson, 121 F.3d  at
1056. In United States v. Wilson, 938 F.2d 785 (7th Cir. 1991), the
court also construed the Illinois State Police policy and held that
the police were entitled to open closed bags in the trunk of a car
because the policy required the officer to inventory the contents of
the vehicle. The court rejected defendant's argument that the
search was illegal because the policy did not specifically mention
closed containers:
		"While the Illinois policy may not use the buzz words
'closed container' we are convinced that the term
'contents' provides sufficient elucidation to satisfy the
requirements of Wells. Here, Trooper Miller inventoried
the contents of the entire vehicle, as required under the
policy. He continued to follow the established procedure
when searching the contents of the trunk." Wilson, 938 F.2d  at 789.
	Hundley is controlling on this issue. Although defendant is
correct that Sergeant Byrd did not specifically mention a closed
container policy, he did testify that the policy required the police
to check the passenger compartment and the trunk for valuables
and to list any valuables on the tow inventory sheet. Obviously,
such a policy requires the police to open any containers that might
contain valuables. The policy that Sergeant Byrd testified to was
more specific than the one at issue in Hundley. The Hundley
policy merely referred to an inventory of the contents of the
vehicle. Here, Sergeant Byrd specifically testified that he was
supposed to search the trunk and passenger area for "valuables"
and to inventory anything of value on the tow sheet. We believe
this policy was sufficient to allow Sergeant Byrd to open the
plastic bags in the trunk of defendant's car. Defendant argues that
Hundley is distinguishable because the written policy was
introduced in that case and not in this one. That is a distinction
without a difference. The point of Hundley is that a policy
requiring an inventory of all of the contents of a vehicle is
sufficient to allow the opening of closed containers. Here, the
policy of inventorying anything of value found in the passenger
compartment or trunk was sufficient to allow the opening of
containers that may contain valuables.

CONCLUSION
	Defendant failed to meet his burden of showing that he was
subjected to an illegal search. Accordingly, the appellate court
erred in upholding the trial court's suppression order. We reverse
the judgments of the appellate court and the circuit court and
remand to the circuit court for further proceedings consistent with
this opinion.
Appellate court judgment reversed;
circuit court judgment reversed;
cause remanded.