FI FTH DI VI SI ON

PHI PPS, P. J.

, DI LLA RD and PETERSON, JJ.

N O T IC E : M otions for r e c ons i de r a tion m us t be

ph y sic a l ly r e ce iv ed i n our c le r k ’s offic e w ithin te n

da y s of the da te of de c is ion to be de e m ed tim e ly file d.

http://w w w .ga a ppe a l s .us /r ule s

A pr i l 20, 2016



# I n th e Co u r t o f

A p p eals o f

G eo r g ia

A1 6 A0 67 8 . J O HNSON v . THE STATE. PE-0 2 5 C

P E T E R S O N , J u d g e.

Ty ro n e J o h n s o n

, co n v i ct ed o f traffi ck i n g i n co cai n e an d p os s es si o n o f co cai n e

wi t h i n t en t t o d i s t ri b u t e

, a p p eal s fro m th e d en i al o f h i s m o t io n fo r n ew t ri al an d

a rg u es t h at t h e t ri al co u rt erred i n d en y i n g h i s m o ti on t o s u p p res s ev i den ce s e i z e d

p u rs u an t t o a s earch warran t

. J o h n s o n arg u es t h at th e m ag i s t rat e l ack ed p ro b ab l e

cau s e t o i s s u e t h e s earch warran t b ecau s e t h e s up p ort i ng affi d av i t di d n o t s ho w t h at

a co n fi d en t i al i n fo rm an t ’ s s t at em en t s were i n d ep en d en t l y co rro b o rat ed

. W e co n cl u d e

t h at t h e i n fo rm at i o n co nt ai n ed i n t h e s earch warran t affi d av i t p ro vi d ed t h e m ag i s t rat e

wi t h p ro b ab l e cau s e t o i s su e th e s earch warran t a n d

, t h e r e f o re, affi rm t h e d en i al o f

J o h n so n ’ s m o t i o n t o s u p p res s

.In rev iewi n g t h e tri al co urt ’ s g ran t o r den i al o f a m o ti o n t o s u p p res s

, we wi l l

n o t d i st u rb i t s fi n d i n g s “ i f t h ere i s an y ev i d en ce t o su p po rt t h em ; al l rel ev an t ev i d en ce

o f reco rd

, i n cl u d i n g ev i d en ce i n t ro d u ced at t ri al

, as wel l as ev i d en ce in t ro d u ced at t h e

m o ti o n t o s u p p res s heari n g

, m ay b e co n s i d ered

. ” P i t t ma n v. S t at e

, 2 8 6 Ga. Ap p

. 4 1 5,

4 1 6 (6 5 0 SE2 d 30 2 ) (2 0 07 ) (ci t at i on an d fo o tn o t e o m i t t ed ). Th e t ri al co urt ’ s

ap p li cat io n o f t h e l aw i s s u b ject t o d e n o vo rev i ew. S t a te v. Pa l mer , 2 8 5 Ga. 7 5 , 7 8

(6 7 3 SE2 d 2 3 7 ) (2 0 0 9 ) (ci tat io n o m i t t ed ).

Th e reco rd s h o ws th at Ag en t J o nes

, a n arco t i cs o ffi cer wi t h t h e Bart o w Co u n t y

Sh eri ff’ s Offi ce, ap p l i ed fo r a warran t t o s earch a res i d en ce b el o n g i n g t o J o h n s o n ’ s

b ro t h er, D o l p h u s

. In s u p p o rt o f h i s ap p l i cat i o n

, Ag en t J o n es s ub m i t t ed an affi d av i t

s weari n g t h at a co nfi den t i al i n fo rm an t (CI) h ad recen t l y co n t act ed h i m an d s t at ed t h at

t h e CI co u l d p urch as e co cai n e fro m a b l ack m al e k n o w n as “ Bi g z” at t h e res i d en ce.

Ag en t Jo n es s t at ed th at h e was fam i l i ar w i t h t h e n a m e “ B i g z” b as ed o n a p ri o r

i n v es t i g a t i o n

, an d h e p res en t ed a p i ct u re o f Do l p h u s t o t h e CI, w h o co n fi rm ed t h at

Do l ph u s was “ Bi g z.” Ag en t J o n es al s o s t at ed th at he d i re c t e d t h e C I t o m ak e a

co n tro l l ed p u rch as e o f $ 2 0 0 o f crack co cai n e at Do lp h u s ’ s res id en ce, an d t h e CI was

k ep t un d er co n s t an t s u rv ei l l an ce ex cep t fo r t h e t h ree m i n ut es h e was i n s id e t h e h o u s e.

Ag en t J o n es av erred t h at

, aft er t h e CI l eft t h e res i d e n c e

, o ffi cers s earch ed h i m an d

2fo u n d an am o u n t o f co cai n e co n s i s t en t wi t h th e am o u n t o f m o n ey p o li ce h ad p ro v i d ed

h i m

. A g en t J o n es fu rt h er s t at ed t hat a m em b er o f th e n arco t i cs team was ab l e to

co n fi rm t h at Do l p h u s was at th e res i d en ce d u ri ng t h e co n t ro l l ed bu y

, an d t h e CI

rep o rt ed t h at h e bo u g h t t h e co cai n e fro m Bi g z. Bas ed o n Ag en t J o n es ’ affi d av i t

, t h e

m ag i s t rat e i s s u ed a warran t t o s earch Do l p h u s ’ res i d en ce.

A few h ou rs aft er t h e c o n t ro l l ed d ru g bu y

, Ag en t J on es an d o t h er n arco ti cs

o ffi cers ret u rn ed t o t he res i d en ce t o ex ecu t e t he warran t

, fi n d in g n o o n e h om e at t h e

t i m e. Du ri n g a s earch o f t h e res i d en ce, t h e o f fi cers fo u n d t wo s et s of d i gi t al s cal es

co n tai n i n g v i si b le res i d u e th at ap p eared t o b e co cai n e, m ai l ad d res s ed to Do lp h u s an d

J o h n so n

, an d o v er $ 1 ,1 0 0 i n cas h , s o m e o f wh i ch was m o ney th at h ad b een u s ed in

t h e co n t ro l l ed dru g b uy

. Th e n arco t i cs o ffi cers s aw a v eh i cl e m at ch i n g o n e t h at was

s een p rev i o u s l y

at t h e res id en ce d ri v e b y t h e h ou s e an d p ark a s h o rt d i st an ce away

.

Ag en t J o n es ap p ro ach ed t h e v eh i cl e, o b s erv ed th at J o hn s on an d D o l p h u s were i n s i de,

an d o rd ered t h e m en o u t of t h e veh i cl e. Du ri n g a s earch o f t h e m en

, n arco t i cs o ffi cers

reco v ered t wo b ag s o f co cai n e, o n e fro m each

, t o g et h er wei g h i ng o ver 8 7 g ram s an d

a s am p l e o f wh i ch h ad a p u ri t y o f 6 3

. 4 p ercen t

.

J o h n s o n m ov ed t o s u p p res s t h e ev i d en ce, arg u i n g, am o n g ot h er t h i n g s

, t h at

Ag en t Jo n es ’ affi d av i t d i d n ot i n cl u d e an y i nfo rm at i o n co n cern i n g t h e CI’ s rel i ab i l i t y

.

3Fo l l o wi ng a h eari n g

, t h e t ri al co u rt d en i ed J o h n so n ’ s m o t i o n t o s up p res s b ecau s e t h e

CI’ s rel i ab i l i t y was c o r r o b o rat ed b y t h e co n t ro ll ed d ru g b u y an d t h i s i n fo rm at i o n

p ro v id ed t h e m ag is t rat e wi t h p ro b ab l e cau se t o i s s u e t h e s earch warran t

.

On ap peal

, J o h n s o n arg u es t h at t h e t ri al co u r t e r r e d i n d en y i n g hi s m o t i o n to

s u p p res s b ecau s e Ag en t J o n es ’ affi d av i t l ack ed an y in fo rm at i on by wh i ch t h e

m ag i s t rat e co u l d ev al u at e t h e CI’ s cred ib i l i ty o r rel iab i l i t y, an d t h e CI’ s st at em en t s

were n o t i n d ep en den t l y co rro b o rat ed . J o h n so n ’ s cl ai m i s wi t h o ut m eri t.

A ju d i ci al o ffi cer m ay is s u e a s earch warran t o n l y i f s u ffi ci en t fact s are s h o wn

t o es t ab l i s h pro b ab l e cau s e t h at a cri m e i s b ei n g or h as b een co m m i t ted

. OCGA §

1 7 -5 -2 1 (a).

Th e m ag i s t rat e’ s t as k i n d et erm i ni n g i f p ro b ab l e cau se ex i s t s t o i s su e a

s ear c h w a r ran t i s s i m

p l y t o m ak e a p ract i cal

, co m m o n -s en s e d eci s i o n

wh et h er, g i v en al l t h e ci rcu m s t an ces s et fo rt h i n th e affi d av i t b efo re h i m

,

i n cl u d i n g t h e “ v eraci t y ” an d “ b as is o f k n o wl ed ge” o f p ers o n s s u pp l y i n g

h e a r s ay i nfo rm at io n

, th ere i s a fai r p ro b ab i l i t y th at co n t rab an d o r

ev i d en ce o f a cri m e wi l l b e fo u n d i n a p art i cu l ar p l ace.

Pa l mer

, 2 8 5 Ga. at 7 7 (ci t at i o n s o m i t t ed ). Li ke t he t ri al co urt

, we m u s t g i v e

s u b s t an t i al d eferen ce t o t h e m ag i s t rat e’ s d eci s i o n t o i ss u e t h e warran t

. Id

. In

rev i ewi n g t h e s earch warran t

, we co n s id er t h e t o tal i t y o f t h e c i r cu m s t an ces to

4d et erm i n e wh et her th e m ag i s t rat e h ad a s u b s t an t i al b as i s fo r co n cl u di ng th at p ro b ab l e

cau s e ex is t ed t o i ss u e t h e s earch warran t

. Id

. at 7 8

.

H e r e

, A g en t J o nes s t at ed in h i s affi d av i t t h at t h e CI h ad co n t act ed h i m

,

i n fo rm ed h im he co u l d b uy co cai n e fro m Bi g z, an d co n fi rm ed th at Bi g z was Do l p hu s

b as ed o n a p h o t o g rap h p res en t ed b y t h e ag en t

. Ag en t J o n es ’ affi d av i t al s o d es cri b ed

t h at t h e CI was k ep t u n d er c o n s t a n t s u r v ei l l an ce d uri n g t h e co n t ro l l ed d ru g b u y at

Do l ph u s ’ res i d en ce, ex cep t fo r t h e t hree m i n u t es h e was in s i d e t h e h o us e. A l t h o u g h

J o h n so n i s co rrect t hat A g en t Jo n es ’ affi d av i t co n t ai n s no in fo rm at i on co n cern i n g t h e

CI’ s rel i ab i l i t y an d cred i b i l i ty

, t h e co n t ro ll ed d ru g b u y co n d u ct ed u n d er Ag en t J o n es ’

o b s erv at i o n

, by i t sel f, w as s u ffi ci en t t o es t ab l i s h p ro b ab l e cau s e. S ee Br o wn v. S t a t e

,

2 4 4 . Ga. Ap p . 4 4 0, 4 41 -4 2 (1 ) (5 3 5 SE2 d 7 8 5 ) (2 0 0 0 ).

J o h n s o n ’ s fo cu s o n t h e fact t h at n arco ti cs offi cers d i d n ot act u al l y s ee o r h ear

t h e CI co m

p l et e th e co n t ro l led dru g b u y is m i s p laced

. Pro b ab l e cau s e to i s s u e a s earch

warran t d o es n o t req u i re c e r t a i n t y t h at an o ffen s e was co m m i t t ed

, b u t m erel y a fai r

p ro b ab i l i t y t hat co n t rab an d or ev i d en ce o f a cri m e wi l l b e fo un d at a p art i cu l ar p l ace.

S ee S t a te v. S t ep h en s

, 25 2 Ga. 18 1

, 1 8 3 (3 1 1 SE2 d 8 2 3 ) (1 9 8 4 ). Th e co n t ro l l ed d ru g

b u y es ta b l i s h ed m o re t h an fai r p ro bab i l i t y t hat ev id en ce o f d ru g o ffen s es wo u l d b e

fo u n d at Do lp h u s ’ res i d en ce, a n d t h u s t he m ag i st rat e was p res en ted wi t h p ro b ab l e

5cau s e to is s u e t h e s earch warran t

. Acco rd i n g l y

, we affi rm t h e t ri al co u rt ’ s d en i a l o f

J o h n so n ’ s m o t i o n t o s u p p res s

.

Ju d g men t a f f i r m ed . Ph i

p p s , P. J., a nd

Di l la r d , J., co n cu r

.

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