# U n i t e d S t a t e s C o u r t o f A pp e a l s
For the Eig hth Circu it

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No . 1 8 -2 9 48

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Un i t ed St at es o f Am eri ca

l ll l l l l l l l l l l l ll l l l l l Pl a i n t i

f f - Ap pel l ee

v

.

Serg i o Di az-Ort i z

l ll l l l l l l l l l l l ll l l l l l Def

en da n t - Ap pel l an t

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Ap p eal fro m

Un i t ed St at es Di s t ri ct Co u rt fo r t h e W es t ern Di s t ri ct o f M i s so u ri - J op l i n

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Su b m it t ed : Ap ri l 1 8, 2 0 1 9
Fi led : J u n e 2 0, 2 0 19

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Befo re SHEPHERD, M ELLOY, an d GRASZ, Ci rcu i t J u d g es

.

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M ELLOY, Ci rcu i t J u d g e.

Ap p el l an t Serg i o Di az-Ort i z s eek s , fo r t h e fi rs t t i m e o n ap p eal

, s up p res s i o n o f

ev i d en ce o b t ai n ed aft er an al l eg ed v i o l at io n o f t h e k n ock -an d-an n o u n ce ru l e u n d er

t h e Fo u rt h Am en dm en t an d 1 8 U.S.C. § 31 0 9

. Ap pl yi n g p l ai n-erro r rev i ew, we

affi rm th e ju dg m en t o f t h e d i s tri ct co u rt

. 1

1 Th e Ho n o rab le M

. Do u g l as Harp o ol

, U n i t ed St at es D i s t r i c t J u dg e fo r t h e W es t ern Di s t ri ct o f M is s o u ri

.I. Back g ro u n d

On J u n e 16

, 20 1 6

, o ffi cers wi t h th e Ozark D ru g En fo rcem en t T eam an d t h e

Bu reau o f Al co h ol

, To b acco , Fi r e a r m s an d Ex pl os i v es t o o k J u s t i n Th u rs t o n , a

m et h am p h et am i ne deal er, i n t o cu s t o d y

. Pri o r to b ei ng t ak en i n t o cu s t o d y , Th u rs t o n

t o l d t h e o ffi cers t h at hi s s u p p l i er, wh om h e k n ew as “ Ped ro ,” h ad a ro o m at t h e

M i cro t el Ho tel

, l o cat ed i n J o p l i n , M i s s o u ri

. Th u rs t o n al s o i n d i cat ed t h at h e h ad s een

a l arg e am o u n t o f m et h am p het am in e i n t h e ro o m earl i er t h at d ay . Th e o ffi cers t h en
d ro v e t o t h e M i cro t el Ho te l an d co n t act ed h o t el m an ag em en t

. Th ey ev en t u al l y

l earn ed t h at t h e m an Th urs t o n id en t i fi ed as “ Ped ro ” was act u al ly D i az-Ort i z an d t h at

Di az-Ort i z was ren t i n g ro o m 2 3 9

. Bas ed u po n t h e i n fo rm at i o n p ro v i d ed b y Th u rs t o n,

t h e o ffi cers ap p l i ed fo r a s earch warran t

.

W h i l e wai t in g fo r t he s earch warran t

, th e o ff i c e r s l e arn ed t h at Th u rs t o n h ad

b een rel eas ed fro m cu s to d y

. Th e o ffi cers b ecam e w o rri ed t h at Th u rs t o n wo u l d al ert

D i az-Ort i z t o t h ei r p res en ce an d t h at Di az-Ort i z wo u l d b eg i n d es tro y in g ev i d en ce.

Th ey t h erefo re d eci ded t o en ter t h e ro o m an d s ecu re D i a z -Ort i z to p rev en t t h e

p o t en t i al d es t ru ct i o n o f ev i d en ce. Th e o ffi cers wen t t o ro o m 23 9 an d k no ck ed o n t h e
d o o r. Heari n g D i az-Ort i z ap p ro ach t h e d oo r, t h ey u s ed a k ey card ob t ai n ed fro m

h o t el m an ag em en t an d en t ered

. Up o n en t eri ng , t h e o ffi cers det ai n ed Di az-Ort i z an d

ad v is ed h i m o f h i s M i ran d a ri g h t s

. Th ey d i d n o t s earch t h e ro o m

. A cco rd i n g t o t h e
d i s t ri ct co u rt

, Di az-Ort i z i m p l i ed t o t h e o ffi cers t hat h e d i d n o t w i s h t o s p eak wi th

t h em u n t i l h e h ad a l awy er p res en t

. Offi cers en g ag ed in co n ve r s at i o n wi t h Di azOrt i z wh i l e t h ey were w ai t i n g fo r t h e s earch w arran t, h o wev er, an d Di az-Ort i z t o ld

t h em t h at t h ere were t h ree p o u n d s o f m et h am p h et am in e i n t h e ro o m

.

A few h o urs aft er en teri ng t h e ro o m an d d et ai n in g Di az-Ort i z, m o r e o f f i c ers

arri v ed wi t h a s i g n ed s earch warran t

. O n l y t h e n d i d th e o ffi cers s earch t he ro o m

. Th ei r s earch u n co vered : ap p ro x i m at el y th ree p o u n d s o f m et h am p h et am i n e, $ 1 0 ,3 3 1

i n cas h

, a l o ad ed h an dg u n , an d s am p l e am o u n t s o f h ero i n an d co cai n e. Di az-Ort i z

was arres t ed an d t ran s p o rt ed t o t h e Newt o n Co u n t y J ai l

.

-2

-At a s u pp res s i o n h eari n g , Di az-Ort iz arg u ed th at t h e o f f i cers co nd u ct ed an

u n l awfu l

, w arran tl e s s e n t ry i n t o ro o m 2 3 9 an d t h at an y ev i d en ce o r st at em en t s

o b t ai n ed as a res u l t o f t h at en t ry s h o u l d b e su p pres s ed

. Th e d i s t ri ct co u rt co n cl u d ed

t h a t t h e o ffi cers ’ en t ry was u n l awfu l an d s u p p res sed D i az-Ort i z’ s u np ro m p t e d

s t at em en t reg ard i n g t he am o u n t o f m et h am p h et am in e i n t h e ro o m

. T h e d is tri ct co u rt

, h o wev e r , d i d n o t s u pp res s t h e ev i d en ce d i s co v ered d u ri n g t h e s earch o f t he ro o m

. Th e co u rt h el d t h at t h e s earch w arran t

, wh i ch was is s u ed b as ed s o l el y o n ev i d en ce

o b t ai n ed p ri o r t o t he o ffi c e r s ’ u n l a w fu l en t ry , was an i n d ep en d en t s o u rce o f t h e

ev i d en ce o b tai ned d u ri n g t he s earch , an d t h us s u pp res s i o n was n o t warran t ed

.

On ap peal

, Di az-Ort i z arg u es fo r t h e fi rs t t i m e t h at th e s earch ev id en ce s h o u ld

h av e b een su p p res s ed b ecau s e i t was o b t ai n ed aft er an al l eg ed v i o lat i o n o f t he k n o ck

an d -an no u n ce ru l e u n d er t h e Fo u rt h Am en d m en t an d 1 8 U.S.C. § 3 10 9

.

II. St an d ard o f Rev i ew

Becau s e Di az-Ort i z d i d n o t t i m el y rai s e t h e k no ck -an d-an n o u n ce i s s u e b efo re

t h e d i s t ri ct co u rt

, we rev i ew h i s ap p eal fo r p lai n erro r. Un i t ed St at es v . J am es , 3 5 3

F.3 d 6 0 6, 61 2 (8 t h Ci r. 2 0 0 3 ). “ To o b t ai n rel i ef u n d er a p l ai n -erro r s t an d ard o f

rev i ew, [Di az-Ort i z] m

u s t s ho w t h at th ere was an erro r, t h e erro r i s cl ear o r o b v i ou s

u n d er cu rren t l aw, th e erro r aff e c t e d [h i s] s ub s tan t ial ri g h ts

, an d t he erro r s eri o u s l y
affect s t h e fai rn es s , i n teg ri t y , o r p u b l i c rep u t at i o n o f ju d i ci al p ro ceed i n g s .” Un i t ed

St at es v . Po i tra, 6 4 8 F.3 d 8 8 4

, 8 8 7 (8 t h Ci r. 2 0 1 1 ).

III. Di s cu ss i o n

Th e d i st ri ct co u rt d i d n o t co m m i t p lai n erro r. Th e Su p rem e Co u rt ’ s ru l i n g i n

H u d s o n v

. M i ch i g an , 54 7 U.S. 5 8 6 (2 0 0 6) d i sp o s es of t h i s cas e. In Hu d s o n , t h e

Su p rem e Co urt co n s i d ered wh et h er a gu n an d d ru g s s ei zed by o ffi cers p u rs u an t t o a

s earch warran t s h o u ld b e s u pp res s ed b ecau s e t h e o ffi cers h ad v i o l at ed th e k n o ck -an d

-

-3

-an n ou n ce ru l e i n t h e co u rs e o f ex ecu t i n g t h e warran t

. Id

. at 5 9 2

. Bas ed o n t h e fact s

o f t h at cas e, th e Co u rt fo u n d t h at “ wh et h er t hat p rel i m i n ary m i s s t ep h ad o ccu rred o r

n o t

, t h e p o li ce wo u l d h av e ex ecu t ed t h e warran t t h ey h ad o b t ai ned

, an d wo u l d h av e
d i s co v ered t h e g un an d d ru g s i n s i d e t h e ho u s e.” Id

. T he Co u rt t hen h el d t h at b ecau s e

t h e k n o ck -an d -an n o u n ce v i o l at i o n h ad “ n o t h i n g t o d o wi t h t he s ei zu re o f t h e

ev i d en ce, t h e ex cl u si o n ary ru le [was ] i n ap p l i cab l e.” Id

. at 5 9 4; s ee al so Un i ted St at es

v

. G av er, 4 5 2 F. 3 d 1 0 0 7

, 1 0 0 8 (8 t h Ci r. 20 0 6) (“ [Defen d an t ’ s ] m o t i o n t o s u p p res s

was p rem i s ed en t i rel y o n h i s co n t en t i o n t hat o ffi cers v i o l at ed t h e Fo urt h Am en d m en t

b y fai l in g t o k n o ck an d an n o u n ce t h ei r p res en ce, an d Hu d so n d i s p o s es o f h i s cl ai m .”).

Si m i l arl y , in t h i s cas e, t h e offi cers ’ al l eg ed v io l at i o n of t h e k n o ck -an d

an n ou n ce ru l e h ad no t h i n g t o d o w i t h t h ei r s ei zu re o f th e g u n , d ru g s , an d cas h in

Di az-Ort i z’ s h o t el ro o m pu rs u an t t o t h ei r s earch warran t

. A s t h e d i s t ri ct co u rt fo u n d,

t h e s earch w arran t was b as ed s o l el y o n ev i den ce ob t ai n ed p ri o r t o t h e o ffi cers ’ en t ry

. Th erefo re, reg ard l es s o f wh et h er t h e o ffi cers v i o lat ed t h e k n o ck -an d -an n ou n ce ru l e,

t h ey st i l l w o u l d h av e o b t ai n e d an d ex ecu t ed t h e warran t an d d i s co v ered t h e

afo rem en t i o n ed ev i d en ce. Acco rd i n g l y , Di az-Ort iz’ s cl ai m i s fo recl o s ed

.

To t h e ex t en t Di az-Ort i z arg u es t hat t h e Su p rem e Co urt ’ s an al y s i s i n Hu d so n
d o es n o t ap p l y t o k n o ck -an d -an n o u n ce v i o l at i on s u n d er 1 8 U.S.C. § 3 1 0 9

, 2 a n u m b er

o f ci rcu i t s h av e fo u n d ot herwi s e. See Un i t ed St at es v

. Bru n o , 4 87 F.3 d 3 0 4

, 3 0 5

– 0 6
(5 t h Ci r. 2 0 0 7 ) (co ll ect i n g cas es an d h ol d i n g t h at “ Hu ds o n co m p el s t h e co n cl u s i o n

t h at s u p pres s i o n i s no t th e rem ed y fo r a v io l at i o n o f § 3 1 0 9 ”); s ee al s o Un i t ed St at es

v

. A co s t a, 5 0 2 F.3 d 5 4

, 59 (2 d Ci r. 2 0 0 7 ) (“ [T] h e reas o n i ng i n Hu d s o n ap pl i es wi th

eq u al fo rce t o § 3 1 0 9 .”). Th i s Co u rt has n o t y et ad d res sed t h e i ss u e, b u t ev en

2 Sect i o n 31 09 read s : “ [An ] o ffi cer m ay b reak o p en an y o u t er o r i n n er d o o r o r wi n do w o f a h o us e, o r an y p art o f a h o us e, o r an y t h i n g th erei n , t o ex ecu t e a s earch

warran t

, if, aft er n ot i ce o f h i s au t h o ri t y an d p u rp o s e, h e i s refu s ed ad m i tt an ce o r wh en

n eces s ary t o l i b erat e hi m s el f or a p ers o n ai d i n g h i m in t he ex ecu ti on o f t h e warran t .”

-4

-a s s u m in g i t m i g h t b e erro r t o ap p l y Hu d s o n to v i o l at i o n s o f 1 8 U.S.C. § 3 1 0 9

, t h a t

erro r i s cert ai n l y

n o t “ cl ear o r o b v i o u s u nd er cu rren t l aw.” Po i t ra, 6 48 F.3 d at 8 8 7.

IV. Co n cl us i o n

W e affi rm

t h e ju d gm en t o f t h e d i s t ri ct co u rt

.

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