Title: Bonsness v. State
Citation: 1983 WY 125, 672 P.2d 1291
Docket Number: 
State: Wyoming
Issuer: Wyoming Supreme Court
Date: December 8, 1983

Bonsness v. State Annotate this Case Bonsness v. State 1983 WY 125 672 P.2d 1291 Case Number: 83-94 Case Number: 83-94 Decided: 12/08/1983 Supreme Court of Wyoming CHAD BONSNESS, APPELLANT (DEFENDANT), v. THE STATE OF WYOMING, APPELLEE (PLAINTIFF). Appeal from the District Court, Campbell County, Joseph F. Maier, J. Leonard D. Munker, State Public Defender, Wyo. Public Defender Program, Sylvia Lee Hackl, Appellate Counsel, Wyo. Public Defender Program, Richard S. Rideout, Asst. Public Defender, Cheyenne, for appellant. A.G. McClintock, Atty. Gen.; Gerald A. Stack, Deputy Atty. Gen.; John W. Renneisen, Senior Asst. Atty. Gen.; Tom Maurer, Legal Intern, Cheyenne, for appellee. Before ROONEY, C.J., THOMAS, BROWN, and CARDINE, JJ., and KAIL, District Judge. BROWN, Justice. [¶1.] Appellant Chad Bonsness was convicted of possession of a controlled substance after police officers, executing a search warrant, discovered marijuana and other contraband in his apartment. Before and during trial, Bonsness moved to suppress evidence seized during the search due to an allegedly defective affidavit which supported the search warrant. The district court denied the motion to suppress. [¶2.] We affirm. [¶3.] On October 29, 1982, Detective Martin Wozniak of the Gillette Police Department arrested and questioned Richard Bernier about an attempted vehicular break-in. During the questioning, Detective Wozniak learned that Bernier had purchased a "baggie of marijuana" from an individual whom he knew as "Chad," and that the purchase occurred at Chad's apartment. Bernier took the detective to the vicinity of appellant's apartment, identified the car outside the apartment as belonging to appellant, and told the detective that appellant would be acquiring more marijuana that same day. [¶4.] Detective Wozniak checked the registration of the vehicle identified by Bernier as belonging to appellant and found that it belonged to Bonsness' parents. The detective then contacted Detective Tony Shinakonis, who assisted him in obtaining a positive photographic identification of appellant from Bernier. Detective Shinakonis informed Detective Wozniak that he had previously received four reliable and independent reports of appellant selling marijuana to high school students. [¶5.] Detective Wozniak made an affidavit containing the above-mentioned facts and submitted it to the magistrate. The magistrate found probable cause to believe that appellant's apartment would contain illegal contraband and issued a search warrant. Thereafter a search was conducted, and illegal contraband was found in appellant's apartment. The sole issue on appeal is whether the affidavit in support of the search warrant was sufficient upon its face to support the issuance of the search warrant. We hold that it was. [¶6.] In order to issue a proper search warrant, a magistrate must have a "substantial basis" for concluding that probable cause exists. A magistrate's determination of probable cause should be paid great deference. Jones v. United States, 362 U.S. 257 , 80 S. Ct. 725, 4 L. Ed. 2d 697, 78 A.L.R.2d 233 (1960). [¶7.] The Wyoming Constitution requires that a search warrant be issued only upon a showing of probable cause.1 Probable cause must be supported by an affidavit which supplies the issuing officer with sufficient information to make an independent judgment that probable cause exists for the warrant. Ostrowski v. State, Wyo., 665 P.2d 471 (1983). The affidavit in support of the warrant, therefore, must include more than bare conclusions of the affiant. Facts which lead the affiant to believe that a warrant is justified must be presented in the affidavit. The test for determining the existence of probable cause is whether a factual situation is sufficient to warrant a reasonably cautious or prudent man to believe that a crime was being committed or that one had been committed. Smith v. State, Wyo., 557 P.2d 130 (1976). This test requires that the issuing officer weigh and consider all of the circumstances surrounding the issuance of a warrant. [¶8.] The United States Supreme Court has recently adopted this view by holding that the sufficiency of a probable cause determination is to be measured by the "totality of the circumstances." Illinois v. Gates, ___ U.S. ___, 103 S. Ct. 2317, 76 L. Ed. 2d 527, (1983). Although this decision had not been handed down at the time the magistrate made his finding of probable cause, it does not alter our disposition under Wyoming law. We have never specifically adopted the "two-pronged test" established by the United States Supreme Court in Aguilar v. Texas, 378 U.S. 108 , 84 S. Ct. 1509, 12 L. Ed. 2d 723 (1964); and Spinelli v. United States, 393 U.S. 410 , 89 S. Ct. 584, 21 L. Ed. 2d 637 (1969). We reject the technical and rigid requirements set out in Aguilar and Spinelli. The magistrate acted properly under Wyoming law and the decision in Illinois v. Gates, supra, supports this holding. [¶9.] In this case Detective Wozniak investigated and verified several of the assertions made by Richard Bernier before making the affidavit. The detective verified Bernier's identification of the appellant, his car, and his place of residence. Therefore, the affiant's verification of some of Bernier's information increased Bernier's credibility as an informant. As the Supreme Court has said, if "an informant is right about some things, he is more likely right about other things." Illinois v. Gates, supra. [¶10.] Richard Bernier's statement to Detective Wozniak that he had purchased marijuana from "Chad" is a statement against Bernier's penal interest. Such admissions of crime "carry their own indicia of credibility - sufficient at least to support a finding of probable cause to search." United States v. Harris, 403 U.S. 573 , 583, 91 S. Ct. 2075, 2082, 29 L. Ed. 2d 723, 734 (1971). Bernier's statement also shows firsthand knowledge of criminal activity. In Illinois v. Gates, supra, the court pointed out that even if there is some doubt as to the informant's motives, his detailed description of criminal activity along with his statement that the event was observed firsthand, entitles his "tip" to carry greater weight than it might otherwise. Illinois v. Gates, supra. These factors further enhance the credibility of Bernier's statements. [¶11.] The statement in the affidavit that Detective Shinakonis had four "reliable and independent" reports that Chad Bonsness was selling marijuana to high school students is a bare conclusion unsupported by underlying facts. There is no doubt the affiant included this statement to strengthen his allegation that appellant was involved in illegal drug activities. This conclusion does not, however, defeat the probable cause which is supported by the other facts in the affidavit. Croker v. State, Wyo., 477 P.2d 122 (1970). [¶12.] Thus, the investigation and verification of Bernier's statements, coupled with the fact that his statements were against his penal interest, and were derived from his firsthand knowledge of the criminal acts in question, support the magistrate's finding of probable cause. We affirm the magistrate's decision. THOMAS, J., specially concurring. FOOT