Opinion ID: 733387
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Joint Claim: Search of Glover and Kozak's Home

Text: 56 Glover and Kozak assert that the district court erred when it refused to suppress drug paraphernalia found during a search of their home. Although they acknowledge that they signed written consent forms allowing officers to search the home, both Glover and Kozak contend that the consent was not freely and voluntarily given. 57 A warrantless search of a suspect's premises is unreasonable per se under the Fourth Amendment unless the government shows that the search falls within one of a carefully defined set of exceptions, such as a valid consent. United States v. Butler, 966 F.2d 559, 562 (10th Cir.1992). Whether a consent to search was in fact voluntary or was the product of duress or coercion, express or implied, is a question of fact to be determined by the totality-of-the-circumstances. Schneckloth v. Bustamonte, 412 U.S. 218, 227, 93 S.Ct. 2041, 2047-48, 36 L.Ed.2d 854 (1973). In determining whether a consent to search is voluntary, a court should consider the following: physical mistreatment, use of violence or threats of violence, promises or inducements, deception or trickery, and the physical and mental condition and capacity of the defendant. United States v. McCurdy, 40 F.3d 1111, 1119 (10th Cir.1994). Evidence obtained by a consent-based search is admissible only if the government (1) produces clear and positive testimony that the consent was unequivocal, specific, and freely given, and (2) proves that the consent was given without duress or coercion, express or implied. Butler, 966 F.2d at 562. Here there is no question that Glover and Kozak consented to the search and that the consent was specific. Thus, the issue is whether the consent was the result of duress or coercion. 58 Glover and Kozak assert that their consent was not voluntary because it was based on a promise on the part of postal inspectors to process them outside of Box Elder County if they agreed to a search of their house. The district court found, however, that the consent to search was voluntarily given, even assuming that officers had discussed where Glover and Kozak would be processed. Examining the totality-of-the-circumstances, the district court noted that both Kozak and Glover were experienced police officers and that both had testified that they understood their rights under Miranda. Furthermore, both were specifically informed that they had the right to decline the request and the officers made no efforts to exert force of any kind on Glover or Kozak. Additionally, Kozak and Glover not only gave their verbal consent to the search, they also both executed written consents to the search. Finally, the government presented evidence that Kozak had given her house keys to Schouten and that both Kozak and Glover told the officers where they could find certain items in the home. Based on the totality of these factors, the district court concluded that Kozak and Glover's consent to search the house was unequivocal and specific and that it was freely, voluntarily and intelligently given. 59 The record supports the district court's findings that Kozak and Glover voluntarily consented to the search of their home; those findings are, therefore, not clearly erroneous. United States v. Iribe, 11 F.3d 1553, 1557 (10th Cir.1993) (clearly erroneous standard applies to trial court's finding of whether consent to search was voluntary). Because Glover and Kozak freely consented to the search and the search pursuant to that consent was proper, the district court did not err in refusing to suppress the evidence found during the search of the home.