FILED U.S. COURT OF AP P EALS E LEV EN T HC IRC U IT NOV 02, 2007 THOMAS K. KAH

N CLERK [ DO NO T P UB L I S H] I N THE UN I TE D STATE S C OU RT OF APPE ALS F O R T H E E L E V E N T H C IR C U IT

________________________ N o. 07- 11974 N on -A rgum entC al endar

________________________ D . C. D o c k e tN o . 0 6 - 0 0 1 4 5 - CR- CB U N I T E D S T A T E S O F A M E R I C A , P la in tif f - A p p e lle e , v ersu s B R A N D O N T O D D H E N D O N , D e f e n d a n t- A p p e lla n t.

________________________ A pp ea l fr om the U ni t ed S t at es D i stri ctC ou rt f o rth e So u th e rn D i s tr i c to f A l ab a ma

_________________________ ( N ove m be r2, 2007) B efo re B IR C H , D U B IN A an d F A Y , C i rcu i tJu d g es. P E R C U R I A M:2

B r a n d o n T o d d H e n d o n ap p e a ls h is c o n v ic tio n f o rc o n s p ir a c y to p o s s e s s w ith i nt e ntt o di s tr i but e c r a c k c oc a i ne , i n vi ol a t i on of 21 U . S . C . §§ 846, 841( a ) ( 1) a nd ( b ) ( 1 ) ( A ) . H e n d o n a r g u e s th a t th e d is tr ic t c o u r t e rr e d in f in d in g th a t th e g o o d f

a ith ex cep t i o n t o th e ex cl u si o n ary ru l e ap p l i ed b ecau se th e w arran taffi d av i t“ w as so l a c ki ng i n pr obabl e c a us e ” tha tthe l a w e nf or c e m e ntof

f i c e r ’ s r e l i a nc e upon the s e a r c h w a rr a ntw a s unr e a s onabl e . H e ndon a l s o a r gue s tha tthe s t a t e j udge w ho i s s ue d the w a rr a nt“ aba ndone d hi s j udi c i a l r ol e ” w he n he s i gne d the w a rr a nt w ith o u t a n y in q u iry a s to th e f a c tu a l b a s is . F o rth e r e a s o n s s e t f o r th m o r e f

u lly b e l o w , w e a f

f i rm. B e f o r e tr ia l, H e n d o n f

ile d a m o tio n to s u p p r e s s e v id e n c e s e iz e d a s th e r e s u lt o f a n a lle g e d ly d e f

ic ie n t a f f id a v it u s e d to p r o c u r e a s e a r c h w a rr a n t f o rh is apa r tm e nta nd hi s c a r . T he gove rnm e ntr e s ponde d tha t , w hi l e the a f f i da vi tw a s not pr e pa r e d “ pe r f

e c t l y , ” the e vi de nc e obt a i ne d dur i ng the e xe c ut i on of the w a rr a nt w a s notdue t o be s uppr e s s e d be c a us e the of f i c e rr e l i e d upon the w a rr a nti n good f a i th. T he di s tr i c tc our tde t e rm i ne d tha tthe s e a r c h w a rr a ntw a s nots uppor t e d by pr obabl e c a us e , f

i ndi ng tha tthe onl y thi ng tha tc oul d be de t e rm i ne d f r om the a f f i da vi tw a s tha t , a ts om e poi nti n t i m e , a n unknow n bl a c k m a l e m a y ha ve pos s e s s e d a l a r ge qua nt i ty of c oc a i ne a tthe apa r tm e ntt o be s e a r c he d a nd tha tthe s a m e bl a c k m a l e m a y ha ve s t or e d c oc a i ne a nd m a r i j ua na i ns i de the c a rt o be3

s e a r c h e d . T he c our ts c he dul e d a n e vi de nt i a ry he a r i ng t o de t e rm i ne w he the rthe good f a i th e xc e pt i on appl i e d. T he c our the a r d t e s t i m ony f r om the l a w e nf

or c e m e nt of f i c e ra nd s ubs e que nt l y de ni e d H e ndon’ s m ot i on t o s uppr e s s , f i ndi ng tha tthe go od fa i th except i on appl i ed t o p erm i ti ntrodu ct i on of the evi dence. T he court a c k n o w le d g e d th a t it h a d p r e v io u s ly d e te rm in e d th a t th e a f f id a v it la c k e d p r o b ab le cause, bu tdet erm i ned that , base d o n the t ot al i ty of the ci rc um st ance s, the offi ce r a c te d in g o o d f

a ith in r e ly in g u p o n th e s e a r c h w a rr a n t. H e ndon s ubs e que nt l y pl e d gui l ty t o the c ha r ge d of f e ns e , r e s e rvi ng hi s r i ght to ap p e a l th e m o tio n to s u p p r e s s a n d w ith d r a w h is p le a if h e p r e v a ile d o n ap p e a l. T h ereafter, th e co u rtsen t en ced H en d o n t o 1 2 1 m o n th s’ i m p ri so n m en tan d 5 years’ s u p e rv is e d r e le a s e . I.

“ A di s tr i c tc our t ’ s rul i ng on a m ot i on t o s uppr e s s pr e s e nt s a m i xe d que s t i on o f la w a n d f

a c t.” U n ite d S ta te s v . Z ap a ta , 1 8 0 F .3 d 1 2 3 7 , 1 2 4 0 ( 1 1 th C ir . 1 9 9 9 ) . W e a c c e p t th e d is tr ic t c o u r t’s f in d in g s o f

f a c t to b e tru e , u n le s s s h o w n to b e c le a r ly e rr o n e o u s , a n d r e v ie w th e d is tr ic t c o u r t’s ap p lic a tio n o f th e la w to th o s e f

a c ts de novo. I d. “ [ A ] l l f

a c t s a r e c ons true d i n the l i ghtm os tf a vor abl e t o the pr e va i l i ng p a r ty b e lo w .” U n ite d S ta te s v . B e rv a ld i, 2 2 6 F .3 d 1 2 5 6 , 1 2 6 2 ( 1 1 th C ir . 2 0 0 0 ) .4

“ T he i nd i vi du al chal l engi ng the se ar ch bears the bu rdens of proof and p er suas i on . ” U ni t ed S t at es v. C oo per, 13 3 F . 3d 13 94 , 13 98 (11th C i r. 19 98 ). T h e F o u r th A m e n d m e n t p r o v id e s f o rth e r ig h t to b e f

r e e o f u n r e a s o n ab le s e a r c he s a nd s e i z ur e s , a nd m a nda t e s tha t“ no W a rr a nt s s ha l l i s s ue , butupon prob abl e c ause , supp ort ed by O ath o r a ff i rm at i on . ” U . S . C on st . am end. IV . In o r d e rto e s tab lis h p r o b ab le c a u s e , th e s e a r c h w a rr a n t a f f id a v it m u s t “s ta te f

a c ts s uf f i c i e ntt o j us t i f

y a c onc l us i on tha te vi de nc e orc ontr aba nd w i l l pr obabl y be f ound a tthe pr e m i s e s t o be s e a r c he d. ” U ni t e d S t a t e s v. M a r t i n, 297 F . 3d 1308, 1 3 1 4 (1 1 th C ir. 2 0 0 2 ). M o re sp ec ifically, th e a ff id av itsh o u ldes tab li sh “a c onne c t i on be tw e e n the de f e nda nta nd the r e s i de nc e t o be s e a r c he d a nd a l i nk be tw e e n the r e s i de nc e a nd a ny c r i m i na l a c t i vi ty . ” I d. “ T he i nf orm a t i on i n the a f f i da vi tm us ta l s o be f

r e s h. ” I d. I n de t e rm i ni ng w he the rthe a f f i da vi tunde r l y i ng the se ar ch w arra ntw as “ so l ac ki ng i n i nd i ci a of probabl e c ause as t o render offi ci al bel i ef i n i t s e xi st ence ent i re l y unrea sonabl e, ” w e l oo k t o the fa ce of the part i cul ar a f f i da vi t . I d. a t1313. H e r e , th e f

a c ts a lle g e d w ith in th e f o u rc o rn e r s o f

th e w a rr a n t a f

f id a v it i ndi c a t e onl y tha t( 1) i nf orm a t i on w a s r e c e i ve d f r om a c onf

i de nt i a l i nf

or m a nt (“ C I” ) w i thi n the past72 ho urs thatdrug s w er e l ocat ed at40 8 C N orth B ra zi er Dr i v e a n d i n a 2 0 0 0 B u i c k p a rk e d n e x tt o th e ap a r tm e n tb u i l d i n g ; ( 2 ) a n u n k n o wn5

b l a c k ma l e w a s i n p o s s e s s i o n o f th e d ru g s i n s i d e th e ap a r tme n ta n d th e s a me un kn ow n b l ac k m al e s t ored addi t i on al drug s i nsi de the B ui ck; (3) the C I had obs e rve d c oc a i ne be f

or e a nd be l i e ve d tha tthe drugs i ns i de the apa r tm e nta nd i ns i de the B ui ck w er e c ocai ne; and (4) the C I w as re l i abl e, previ ou sl y havi ng prov i ded i nf orm a t i on tha tl e d t o c onvi c t i ons i n othe rc a s e s . A l though the i nf orm a t i on c ont a i ne d i n the a f

f i da vi tw a s a r guabl y “ f

r e s h, ” ha vi ng be e n obt a i ne d w i thi n 72 h o u r s o f th e o f f ic e r ’s ap p lic a tio n f

o rth e w a rr a n t, it d o e s n o t p r o v id e a n y d e ta ils to s how tha tH e ndon w a s the “ unknow n bl a c k m a l e , ” s uc h a s a phy s i c a l de s c r i pt i on, o rin d ic a te th a t th e C I ’s in f o rm a tio n w a s in a n y w a y c o rr o b o r a te d . T h u s , o n its f a c e , the a f

f i da vi ta r guabl y doe s note s t abl i s h a s uf f i c i e ntba s i s t o c onne c tH e ndon w i th e i the rthe drugs orthe pl a c e s t o be s e a r c he d a nd, the r e f or e , c oul d be f

ound l ack i n g t o est ab l i sh a su ffi ci en tb asi s fo r a fi n d i n g o f p ro b ab l e cau se. N ev erth el ess, w e ne e d nota ddr e s s w he the rthe r e w a s s uf f i c i e ntpr obabl e c a us e t o j us t i f y the s e a r c h o f th e ap a r tm e n t a t 4 0 8 N o r th B r a z ie rD r iv e b e c a u s e th e d is tr ic t c o u r t d id note rri n f

i ndi ng tha tthe e vi de nc e s e i z e d w a s nots ubj e c tt o e xc l us i on be c a us e of th e g o o d f

a i th e x c e p t i o n t o th e wa rr a n tr e q u i r e m e n t , a s e x p l a i n e d b e l o w. II . W e r e vi e w “ de novo w he the rthe . . . good f a i th e xc e pt i on t o the excl usi on ary rul e app l i es t o a se ar ch, bu t‘ the un derl yi ng fa ct s upo n w hi ch that6

det erm i nat i on i s bas ed ar e bi nd i ng on appeal un l es s c l ea rl y e rr on eous. ’ ” U ni t ed S t a t e s v. R obi ns on, 336 F . 3d 1293, 1295 ( 11th C i r . 2003) . A s w e ha ve he l d,

“ [ e ] vi de nc e s e i z e d a s the r e s ul tof a n i l l e ga l s e a r c h m a y notbe us e d by the g o v e rn m e n t in a s u b s e q u e n t c r im in a l p r o s e c u tio n .” M a r tin , 2 9 7 F .3 d a t 1 3 1 2 . “T h e e x c lu s io n a ry ru le , a s it is k n o w n , is ‘a ju d ic ia lly c r e a te d r e m e d y d e s ig n e d to s a f e gua r d F our th A m e ndm e ntr i ght s ge ne r a l l y thr ough i t s de t e rr e nte f f e c t . ’ ” I d. T he go od fa i th except i on , as art i cul at ed by the S up re m e C ou rti n U ni t ed S t at es v. L eon, 46 8 U . S . 89 7, 92 2, 10 4 S . C t . 34 05 , 34 20 , 82 L . E d. 2d 67 7 (19 84 ), “s ta n d s f o rth e p r in c ip le th a t c o u r ts g e n e r a lly s h o u ld n o t r e n d e rin a d m is s ib le evi dence obt ai ned b y pol i ce offi ce rs ac t i ng i n rea sonabl e r el i ance up on a s ea rc h w a rr a nttha ti s ul t i m a t e l y f ound t o be uns upport e d by pr obabl e c a us e . ” M a r t i n, 297 F . 3d at13 13 . T he except i on appl i es i n al l bu tfour ci rc um st ance s, tw o o f w hi ch H e n d o n r e lie s u p o n in th e in s ta n t c a s e : ( 1 ) w h e r e th e is s u in g m a g is tr a te w h o lly ab an d o n ed h i s j u d i ci al ro l e; an d (2 ) w h ere th e w arran ti s b ased o n an affi d av i tso l ac ki ng i n i nd i ci a of probabl e c ause as t o render offi ci al bel i ef i n i t s e xi st ence ent i re l y unrea sonabl e. Id. H ow ever , “ [t ] he L eon g oo d fai th except i on re qu i re s s u p p r e s s io n ‘o n ly if

th e o f f ic e r s w e r e d is h o n e s t o rr e c k le s s in p r e p a r in g th e ir a f f i da vi torc oul d notha ve ha rbor e d a n obj e c t i ve l y r e a s onabl e be l i e f i n the e x is te n c e o f

p r o b ab le c a u s e .’” I d . “T h e p u rp o s e o f th e e x c lu s io n a ry ru le is to7

d e te ru n la w f

u l p o lic e m is c o n d u c t; th e r e f o r e , w h e n o f

f ic e r s e n g a g e in ‘o b

je c tiv e ly r e a s onabl e l a w e nf

or c e m e nta c t i vi ty ’ a nd ha ve a c t e d i n good f a i th w he n obt a i ni ng a s e a r c h w a rr a ntf

r om a j udge orm a gi s tr a t e , the L e on good f a i th e xc e pt i on appl i e s . ” I d. M or e ove r , w e ha ve he l d tha ta di s tr i c tc our t“ c a n l ook be y ond the four corners of the af

fi davi tand sea rc h w arra ntt o d et erm i ne w hether [ the offi ce r] r e a s o n ab ly r e lie d u p o n th e w a rr a n t.” I d . a t 1 3 1 8 . A s a n i ni t i a l m a tt e r , t o the e xt e ntH e ndon a r gue s tha tthe s t a t e j udge w ho i s s ue d the w a rr a ntaba ndone d hi s j udi c i a l r ol e , he f a i l e d t o r a i s e thi s c l a i m be l ow ei th er i n h i s m o t i o n t o su p p ress o r d u ri n g th e ev i d en t i ary h eari n g . A cco rd i n g l y, thi s i ss ue i s notpres erved for appeal and i s s ubj ec tt o p l ai n err or re vi ew . U ni t ed S t a t e s v. J e rni ga n, 341 F . 3d 1273, 1280 ( 11th C i r . 2003) . N e ve r the l e s s , w e de c l i ne to r e v ie w H e n d o n ’s a r g u m e n t f o rp la in e rr o rb e c a u s e , a s d is c u s s e d b e lo w , it f a ils e v e n u n d e rth e p r e s e rv e d e rr o rs ta n d a r d o f r e v ie w . A s t o H endo n’ s f

i rs tcl ai m thatthe st at e j ud ge abando ned h i s j ud i ci al rol e, he ha s pr e s e nt e d no e vi de nc e t o s how tha tthe s t a t e j udge m e r e l y“ rubbe r - s t a m pe d” the s e a r c h w a rr a nt . T o the c ontr a ry , the of f i c e r ’ s t e s t i m ony a tthe s uppr e s s i on he a r i ng i ndi c a t e s tha t , i n r e vi e w i ng othe ra f f i da vi t s w he r e the s t a t e j udge thought pr obabl e c a us e w a s l a c ki ng, the s t a t e j udge a s ke d hi m f ora ddi t i ona l i nf

or m a t i on a nd r e qui r e d hi m t o s ubm i ta n a m e nde d a f f i da vi t . A l though the of f i c e r ’ s t e s t i m ony8

i ndi c a t e s tha the w a s a w a r e of a ddi t i ona l i nf

orm a t i on tha tw oul d s uppor ta f i ndi ng of pr obabl e c a us e , he di d noti nc l ude thi s i nf orm a t i on i n the a f

f i da vi tbe c a us e the s t a t e j udge di d notr e que s ti t . M or e ove r , a l though the di s tr i c tc our tf ound tha tthe w a rr a nta f

f i da vi tw a s l a c ki ng i n pr obabl e c a us e , s uc h a f i ndi ng doe s not a ut om a t i c a l l y i ndi c a t e tha tthe s t a t e j udge aba ndone d hi s j udi c i a l r ol e . S e e M a r t i n, 297 F . 3d a t1318 ( i ndi c a t i ng tha t“ [ j ] us tbe c aus e the a f

f i da vi ti s l a t e rf

ound t o be l ac ki ng i n p robabl e c ause do es no tm ea n the m agi stra t e s erved as am er e rub ber st am p”). A s t o H e ndon’ s s e c ond c l a i m , the w a rr a nti t s e l f w a s ba s e d on i nf

orm a t i on th a t th e o f

f ic e rb e lie v e d to b e r e liab le b a s e d o n h is p r io rd e a lin g s w ith th e C I . B a s e d on the C I ’ s f

i r s t - ha nd obs e rva t i on of the drugs a t408 C N or th B r a z i e rD r i ve and i nsi de a 200 0 B ui ck parked nearby, w i thi n 7 2 h ou rs of the w arra nt ’ s i ss uance, i tca nn otbe sa i d thati tw as obj ec t i vel y unrea sonabl e f or the offi ce r t o b el i eve that there w as a “ fa i r probabi l i ty” of fi nd i ng contraband i n ei ther l ocat i on . U ni t ed S t a t e s v. B rundi dge , 170 F . 3d 1350, 1352 ( 11th C i r . 1999) ; s e e a l s o I l l i noi s v. G a t e s , 462 U . S . 213, 235, 103 S . C t . 2317, 2330- 31, 767 L . E d. 2d 527 ( 1983) ( r e c ogni z i ng tha ta f

f i da vi t s “ a r e norm a l l y dr a f t e d by nonl a w y e r s i n the m i ds ta nd h a s te o f a c r im in a l in v e s tig a tio n . T e c h n ic a l r e q u ir e m e n ts o f e lab o r a te s p e c if

ic ity on ce exac t ed un der c om m on l aw pl ea di ng s have no p roper pl ac e i n thi s a re a. ”) .9

M or e ove r , goi ng be y ond the f ourc orne r s of

the a f f i da vi t , the of

f i c e rw a s not d is h o n e s t o rr e c k le s s in h is a f f id a v it f o rp r o c u r in g a s e a r c h w a rr a n t, a n d h is re l i ance w as re as on abl e gi ven the addi t i on al i nform at i on he re ce i ved from the C I, butf a i l e d t o i nc l ude i n the t e xtof the a f f i da vi t . S e e M a r t i n, 297 F . 3d a t1318 ( hol di ng the c our tc oul d go out s i de the f ourc orne r s of

the a f f i da vi ta nd w a rr a nt w he n de t e rm i ni ng i f

the of f i c e rr e a s onabl yr e l i e d on the w a rr a nt ) . A c c or di ng t o the o f f ic e r ’s te s tim o n y , th e C I c o n ta c te d h im th e d a y b e f o r e h e ap p lie d f

o rth e w a rr a n t. T h e C I in d ic a te d a t th a t tim e th a t h e h a d p e r s o n a lly o b s e rv e d a b la c k m a le in pos s e s s i on of

c oc a i ne a tthe apa r tm e nta nd ha d a l s o obs e rve d the s a m e pe r s on i nsi de the B ui ck, w hi ch cont ai ned cocai ne and m ar i j uana. T he C I t ol d the offi ce r thathe had seen the bl ac k m al e w i th the drug s thatsa m e day , on l y m om ent s bef ore th e irc o n v e r s a tio n . T h e C I g a v e th e o f f ic e ra p h y s ic a l d e s c r ip tio n o f th e p e r s o n . T he of f i c e rdi d notr e l y s ol e l y on thi s i nf or m a t i on. I ns t e a d, he dr ove by the ap a r tm e n t to c o n f

irm th e lo c a tio n s to b e s e a r c h e d a n d , in d o in g s o , p e r s o n a lly ob se rved H endo n, w ho m at ched the ph ys i ca l desc ri pt i on he re ce i ved from the C I, o u ts id e th e ap a r tm e n t b u ild in g . T h e o f f ic e ra ls o s a w th e B u ic kp a rk e d n e a rb y . O nl y a f t e ri nde pe nde nt l y c orr obor a t i ng the C I ’ s i nf orm a t i on di d the of

f i c e ra tt e m pt to g e t as e a r c h w a rr a n t f o rth e ap a r tm e n t a n d th e c a r . T hus , w hi l e the a f

f i da vi ti n thi s c a s e m a y ha ve l a c ke d s uf f i c i e nti ndi c i a of10

p ro b ab l e cau se o n i t s face, th e t o t al i ty o f th e ev i d en ce, v i ew ed i n a l i g h tm o st f a vor abl e t o the gove rnm e nt , s uppor t s the c onc l us i on tha tthe s t a t e j udge di d not

“ w ho l l y aband on ” hi s r ol e and the offi ce r’ s bel i ef thatprob abl e c ause exi st ed w as n o t s o o b je c tiv e ly u n r e a s o n ab le a s to w a rr a n t e x c lu s io n o f th e s e iz e d e v id e n c e in lig h t o f L e o n ’s g o o d f

a ith e x c e p tio n . A c c o r d in g ly , th e d is tr ic t c o u r t d id n o t e rrin d en yi n g th e m o t i o n t o su p p ress. In l i g h to f th e fo reg o i n g , H en d o n ’ s co n v i ct i o n i s AF F I RME D.