Source: http://openjurist.org/373/f3d/509/united-states-v-dequasie
Timestamp: 2013-12-06 11:54:44
Document Index: 106082211

Matched Legal Cases: ['§ 922', '§ 3731', '§ 3731', '§ 3731', '§ 3731', '§ 3731', '§ 3731', '§ 3731', '§ 3731', '§ 3731', '§ 3731']

373 F3d 509 United States v. Dequasie | OpenJurist
373 F. 3d 509 - United States v. Dequasie	Home373 f3d 509 united states v. dequasie
373 F3d 509 United States v. Dequasie 373 F.3d 509
UNITED STATES of America, Plaintiff-Appellant,v.Timothy DEQUASIE, Defendant-Appellee.
ARGUED: Joshua Clarke Hanks, Assistant United States Attorney, Charleston, West Virginia, for Appellant. Silas Mason Preston, Preston & Weese, L.C., Lewisburg, West Virginia, for Appellee. ON BRIEF: Kasey Warner, United States Attorney, Charleston, West Virginia, for Appellant.
Reversed and remanded by published opinion. Judge SHEDD wrote the majority opinion, in which Judge WILLIAMS Joined. Judge DIANA GRIBBON MOTZ wrote a dissenting opinion.
During the late evening and early morning hours of March 18-19, 2002, law enforcement officers executed two search warrants at the Summerlee, West Virginia, residence of Timothy DeQuasie. The purpose of the first search was to attempt to locate two women, one of whom was reportedly missing and being held against her will by DeQuasie in the residence. While law enforcement officers were executing the first search warrant, they observed evidence of apparent drug activity at DeQuasie's residence, and they therefore obtained a second warrant to search the residence for drugs and drug-related materials. During the second search the officers seized (among other things) a firearm and ammunition.
A federal grand jury subsequently indicted DeQuasie under 18 U.S.C. §§ 922(g)(3) and (g)(9) for illegal firearm possession by an unlawful user of a controlled substance and by a person who has been convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence. Before trial, DeQuasie moved to suppress the firearm and ammunition on the ground that those items were seized from his residence in violation of the Fourth Amendment. The district court agreed and granted the suppression motion, United States v. Dequasie, 244 F.Supp.2d 651 (S.D.W.Va.2003), and the United States now appeals. Because we find that the good-faith exception to the exclusionary rule set forth in United States v. Leon, 468 U.S. 897, 104 S.Ct. 3405, 82 L.Ed.2d 677 (1984), makes the evidence admissible, we reverse the suppression order and remand for further proceedings.
* At approximately 5:30 p.m. on March 18, 2002, Shawn Bandy ("Shawn") telephoned Detective-Corporal J.L. Brown of the Fayette County, West Virginia, Sheriff's Office and reported that his wife, Lora Bandy ("Lora"), had been missing for several days.1 Shawn further reported that he had been told by his sister-in-law, Tiffany Mason ("Tiffany"), that Lora was being held against her will at DeQuasie's residence, that when Lora would attempt to leave the residence DeQuasie would give her crack cocaine, and that the effect of the crack cocaine was to "induce a stupor from which [Lora] was unable to stay in her right mind." (J.A. 16).
Detective-Corporal Brown relayed this information to his supervisor, Detective-Corporal J.K. Sizemore. Deputy M.A. Webb was then sent to meet with Shawn and complete a missing person report. Deputy Webb met with, and obtained statements from, Shawn and Shawn's mother-in-law, Cynthia Mason ("Cynthia"), and he completed a missing person report. Shawn and Cynthia told Deputy Webb that Lora and Tiffany had willingly gone to DeQuasie's residence, but DeQuasie was then holding Lora there against her will by using drugs to keep her in a stupor, the effect of which was to prevent her from leaving the residence. Shawn and Cynthia also told Deputy Webb that DeQuasie had threatened to kill any family members who attempted to get Lora from the residence and that Tiffany had seen a large quantity of drugs and weapons, as well as several scanners, inside the residence.
Other than the fact that Lora was missing, it appears that all of the information that Shawn and Cynthia reported was based on what Tiffany had told them. Although it is not apparent from the record, the district court assumed that Tiffany told them this information over the telephone, see 244 F.Supp.2d at 652, and the parties do not contend otherwise. The officers did not speak with Tiffany.2
Sometime during the evening Detective-Corporal Brown drove to DeQuasie's residence to obtain a description of the residence for purposes of a search warrant. While there, Detective-Corporal Brown observed several unidentified people inside the residence, but he did not approach the residence.
Based on this information, Detective-Corporal Sizemore applied to a magistrate for a warrant to search DeQuasie's residence for Lora and Tiffany.3 In his sworn affidavit and application for the warrant, Detective-Corporal Sizemore detailed (among other things) his experience and training in law enforcement, the information reported to Detective-Corporal Brown and Deputy Webb by Shawn and Cynthia, and Detective-Corporal Brown's observation of DeQuasie's residence. Detective-Corporal Sizemore stated that he believed that Lora and Tiffany were present at DeQuasie's residence, that Lora (but not Tiffany) was being held there against her will, and that "[g]iven the severity of this situation it appears likely that [Lora's] life may be in jeopardy if she continues to stay at this residence." (J.A. 16-17). Although Detective-Corporal Sizemore had information about drugs being present and used in DeQuasie's residence, he did not seek a warrant to search for drug-related evidence.4
The magistrate issued a warrant for the purpose of searching DeQuasie's residence for Lora and Tiffany. At 10:30 p.m., Detective-Corporal Sizemore and a team of law enforcement officers executed the search warrant and found Lora and Tiffany, who were unharmed, at DeQuasie's residence.5 During this search, Detective-Corporal Sizemore smelled the "strong odor of marijuana coming from inside" the residence, and he observed "at the door" of the residence "a small quantity of green vegetation which appeared to be marijuana." (J.A. 22). In addition, other officers who had patted down DeQuasie discovered two cell phones on him. Based on his observations and the discovery of the two cell phones (which he associated with possible drug activity), Detective-Corporal Sizemore left officers at DeQuasie's residence and returned to the magistrate's office and applied for a second warrant to search the residence for evidence of illegal drug activity.
In his sworn affidavit and application for this warrant, Detective-Corporal Sizemore detailed (among other things) his law enforcement experience and training (including his training and knowledge of illegal drug activities) and his observations of apparent illegal drug activity during the execution of the first search warrant. Detective-Corporal Sizemore also referred to statements made by Shawn and Cynthia to Deputy Webb that Tiffany had told them that "DeQuasie had approximately $20,000.00 in cash at his residence as well as a large quantity of drugs including crack cocaine earlier in the day." (J.A. 22). Detective-Corporal Sizemore noted that while this information could not be "judged as to reliability," it, combined with his observations at DeQuasie's residence, tended to confirm that DeQuasie probably had in his possession a controlled substance. (J.A. 22).
The magistrate issued the second warrant for the purpose of searching DeQuasie's residence for controlled substances, materials used to facilitate the use and sale of controlled substances, records pertaining to the sale of controlled substances, cash and financial information, and weapons. At 12:05 a.m., Detective-Corporal Sizemore executed the second warrant. At the beginning of this search, DeQuasie was advised of his Miranda rights, and he agreed to answer questions. DeQuasie stated that although he did smoke marijuana, he did not use cocaine and he did not have any controlled substances in his residence at that time. DeQuasie also stated that he had previously been convicted of domestic battery and that he kept a revolver concealed under his living room couch. DeQuasie denied having any knowledge of, or participation in, sales of controlled substances.
The search of DeQuasie's residence yielded a loaded Smith and Wesson .32 Long revolver, which was found under the cushion of the living room couch; ammunition for this revolver; a battery-operated Pointscale; a stem for a crack pipe; a roach-clip; a plastic bag containing white powder residue; a section of copper scrub pad (commonly used to make screens for crack pipes); a package of E-Z Wider rolling papers; a cell phone bill in DeQuasie's name; two cell phones; and $699 cash, which was concealed under a dresser drawer in DeQuasie's bedroom. After completing the search, Detective-Corporal Sizemore arrested DeQuasie and charged him with being a prohibited person in possession of a firearm and with possession of a controlled substance. A federal grand jury subsequently indicted DeQuasie for illegal possession of the revolver.
Before trial, DeQuasie moved to suppress the revolver and the accompanying ammunition. DeQuasie argued that the magistrate issued the first search warrant without sufficient probable cause because the officers did not speak with Tiffany or independently verify statements that Shawn and Cynthia attributed to her; and because the first search warrant was invalid, the evidence seized during the second search is "fruit of the poisonous tree" and must be suppressed. DeQuasie also argued that the evidence is not admissible under the good-faith exception to the exclusionary rule set forth in United States v. Leon, 468 U.S. 897, 104 S.Ct. 3405, 82 L.Ed.2d 677 (1984), which provides that suppression of evidence seized pursuant to an invalid search warrant is not appropriate if the law enforcement officer executing the warrant acted in objectively reasonable good-faith reliance that the warrant as issued by the judicial officer was valid. The United States argued in response that the first warrant was supported by probable cause, the second warrant was therefore properly issued, and consequently, all evidence was properly seized and admissible. Following oral argument on the motion, the parties (at the district court's direction) briefed the potential applicability of the Leon good-faith exception.
The district court granted the suppression motion and ordered that all evidence seized during the first and second searches must be excluded. Considering first the Leon good-faith exception, the district court concluded that the affidavit for the first warrant is a "bare bones" affidavit and that a "number of inconsistencies" indicate the absence of objectively reasonable law enforcement activity; consequently, the district court held that under our decision in United States v. Wilhelm, 80 F.3d 116 (4th Cir.1996), the Leon exception does not apply. 244 F.Supp.2d at 655-58. The district court then concluded that because of the "bare bones" nature of the affidavit for the first warrant, that warrant was issued without probable cause; after noting that the United States did not argue an independent source for the second warrant, the district court further concluded that the invalidity of the first warrant compelled exclusion of the fruits of the second warrant. Id. at 658-59.
Pursuant to 18 U.S.C. § 3731, the United States has appealed the district court's order. The United States argues that the district court erred with respect to both its probable cause and Leon rulings.
Before addressing the merits of the appeal, we must address a procedural problem created by the United States: that is, its failure to certify to the district court in a timely manner "that the appeal is not taken for purpose of delay and that the evidence is a substantial proof of a fact material in the proceeding." 18 U.S.C. § 3731.6 Section 3731 permits the United States to file an interlocutory appeal from an adverse suppression ruling (before a defendant has been put in jeopardy and before the verdict or finding on an indictment or information) only if it makes that certification to the district court. The certification requirement of § 3731 operates to ensure that before the United States interrupts a criminal proceeding (and thereby delays a defendant from obtaining resolution of the charges against him) by taking an interlocutory appeal, it has evaluated whether the appeal is warranted, see United States v. Smith, 263 F.3d 571, 577 (6th Cir.2001) ("The certification is intended to ensure a `conscientious pre-appeal analysis by the responsible prosecuting official'" (citation omitted)); United States v. Herman, 544 F.2d 791, 794 (5th Cir.1977) ("The requirement is not a mere formality; its purpose is to protect the accused from undue delay"); the certificate itself operates as proof of the evaluation. See United States v. Juvenile Male No. 1, 86 F.3d 1314, 1326 (4th Cir.1996) (Wilkinson, J., concurring) (§ 3731 certification is an "executive determination" that has been "deemed outside the scope of judicial review").
This is an issue that was not raised by DeQuasie, and it only became apparent to us after oral argument. At that time, the United States had not filed the § 3731 certificate. Because we were aware that another panel of the Court was in the process of addressing the same issue in United States v. Hatfield, No. 03-4403 (4th Cir.), a case which involves the same United States Attorney's Office that is pursuing this appeal, we held this case in abeyance until an opinion was issued by that panel. Following entry of the Hatfield opinion, see 365 F.3d 332 (4th Cir.2004), we directed the parties to file supplemental briefs addressing this issue. In response, the parties have filed their supplemental briefs, and the United States has filed a § 3731 certificate in the district court.
In Hatfield, the United States filed a timely appeal from an adverse suppression ruling, but it did not file the § 3731 certificate until one week before oral argument, and several months after the appellee had moved to dismiss the appeal. The United States explained during oral argument that its failure to file the certificate initially was a "regretful oversight." 365 F.3d at 337. The appellee contended that the United States' failure to file the certificate had prejudiced him because he was under pretrial release restrictions and because he had to live with the burden of the impending trial. Id.
The Hatfield panel reaffirmed the settled principle that the certification requirement of § 3731 is not jurisdictional, and it noted that "[i]n the case of a delayed filing, the appellate court may, within its discretion, hear the case despite the irregularity in the perfection of the appeal." 365 F.3d at 337.7 The panel then noted that in "weighing the equities" appellate courts have utilized several factors to determine whether an appeal should be permitted to proceed despite the § 3731 irregularity: (1) the date the certificate was filed, (2) the reason for the lateness in filing the certificate, (3) whether the United States engaged in a conscientious pre-appeal analysis, (4) whether the United States acknowledges the importance of the certification requirement, (5) any prejudice to the defendant, (6) whether the appeal concerns issues that require appellate clarification, and (7) whether the appeal should be heard in the interests of justice. 365 F.3d at 337-38.
The panel then applied these factors to the facts of the case:
Analyzing these factors, although all do not favor the government, we believe the equities of the case favor the United States. It is not disputed that the government did undertake the required process to obtain permission from the Solicitor General to pursue this appeal. The attorney for the government also candidly admitted the oversight which led to the delay in filing the certification. More importantly, the issue raised on appeal is a novel legal issue and one which will further delineate the boundaries imposed by the Fourth Amendment on searches and seizures. Also weighing heavily in favor of entertaining the government's appeal is the fact that, unlike other circuits, before today we had not yet fully explicated the importance of the certification requirement, and the grave consequences resulting from the government's failure to timely file. And finally, whatever prejudice the defendant suffered from pre-trial release, it was not substantial enough to outweigh these other factors.
Id. at 338. In light of the foregoing, the panel denied the motion to dismiss the appeal, but it also took the opportunity "to emphasize the importance of the certification requirement and to serve notice on the government that future failures to timely file will not be taken lightly." Id.
We have carefully considered the parties' supplemental briefs and have weighed the equities of the case, and we now conclude that it is "appropriate" under Fed. R.App. 3(a)(2) to allow this appeal to continue despite the procedural irregularity. We note particularly that DeQuasie does not claim any prejudice resulting directly from the United States' failure to certify. See In re Grand Jury Subpoena, 175 F.3d at 337 ("in weighing the equities in this case, we find it dispositive that appellee suffered no prejudice from any delay by appellant in obtaining a timely certification"); see also Smith, 263 F.3d at 578 ("Courts are not likely to dismiss an appeal unless the defendant is able to show `actual substantial prejudice'" (citation omitted)). Moreover, we find that the United States did, in fact, undertake a considered evaluation of whether it should appeal the district court's order before filing this appeal.8 Additionally, (as in Hatfield) this United States Attorney's Office has acknowledged its error and, more importantly, appears now to appreciate the importance of the certification requirement.9 Finally, because of the importance of the issues addressed by the district court and the fact that the district court published its order, the interests of justice and the need for appellate clarification weigh in favor of us deciding this appeal.10
To be sure, we do not condone the United States' tardiness in complying with § 3731, and we are particularly troubled by the United States' failure to file the certificate promptly after the issue was raised in Hatfield. We are also mindful of the Hatfield panel's admonition that "future failures to timely file will not be taken lightly." 365 F.3d at 338. However, because this case and Hatfield overlapped time-wise (the Hatfield notice of appeal was actually filed eight weeks after the notice of appeal was filed in this case), we do not believe that our decision to allow this appeal to proceed is inconsistent with Hatfield.11
Having thus decided this preliminary matter, we now proceed to address the merits of this appeal.
The Fourth Amendment guarantees "[t]he right of the people to be secure in their ... houses ... against unreasonable searches and seizures." Under the Fourth Amendment, "except in certain carefully defined classes of cases, a search of private property without proper consent is `unreasonable' unless it has been authorized by a valid search warrant," and "[i]n cases in which the Fourth Amendment requires that a warrant to search be obtained, `probable cause' is the standard by which a particular decision to search is tested against the constitutional mandate o