Opinion ID: 1873385
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Evidence produced as a result of Search of Appellant at the time of his Arrest

Text: Counsel for appellant argue that certain items taken from the person of Tiner at the time of his apprehension were improperly received in evidence in that Tiner's arrest was unlawful. The alleged illegality of the arrest, counsel assert, arises from the fact that the officers did not have a warrant at the time of Tiner's arrest, and no probable cause for believing that Tiner was the person involved in the shooting of Sheriff Woodham. The arrest of Tiner took place in Florida. The laws of arrest are to be determined by the law of the place an arrest is effectuated. There was no showing as to the Florida laws of arrest. We take judicial notice that such states as Louisiana, Florida, and Texas, are not of common origin with those colonies recognizing the common law as the source of their jurisprudence. Castleman v. Jeffries, 60 Ala. 380; Peet & Co. v. Hatcher, 112 Ala. 514, 21 So. 711. We judicially know that Florida was acquired by purchase from Spain in 1819, and will not presume that the common law prevails in Florida in the absence of proof of its adoption. Bank of Cottonwood v. Hood, 227 Ala. 237, 149 So. 676. In such situation it is the doctrine of our cases, in the absence of proof of the law of a sister state not of common origin with Alabama, that the presumption will be indulged that the law of such sister state is the same as the law of Alabama, even our statutory law. Kennebrew v. Automatic Electric Shock Machine Co., 106 Ala. 377, 17 So. 57; Peet & Co. v. Hatcher, supra; C. D. Chapman & Co. v. Cullifer, 23 Ala.App. 31, 120 So. 297; Bank of Cottonwood v. Hood, supra. By the terms of Section 154, Title 15, Code of Alabama 1940, an officer may arrest any person at any time without a warrant when a felony has been committed and the officer has reasonable cause to believe that the person arrested committed the felony. The officers arresting Tiner knew that Sheriff Woodham had been shot, and that a felony had been committed. They were engaged in a general search for the sheriff's assailant or assailants. Just as they stopped at the service station Tiner was seen walking or running towards a wooded area to the rear of the service station. Where officers have reasonable cause to believe a felony has been committed, the observed conduct of a suspect may, under certain circumstances, furnish reasonable cause for believing the suspect to be the perpetrator of the felony. United States v. Heitner, (2 CCA), 149 F. 2d 105. Flight, though not conclusive, is usually evidence of guilt, and if a suspect flees at the approach of officers having knowledge of, or reasonable cause to believe, that a felony has been committed, there can be no doubt but that such conduct furnishes a reasonable cause for believing that the suspect committed the felony. United States v. Kancso, (2 CCA), 252 F.2d 220; Price v. State, 227 Md. 28, 175 A.2d 11. We hold that the arrest of Tiner under the shown facts was a lawful arrest. The arrest being lawful, the officers were legally warranted in searching Tiner's person. The search revealed over $2,500, found partly in his pockets and in both shoes, as well as a cigarette package containing some white tablets as well as cigarettes. The tablets were later shown to be narcotics. All of these items were properly received in evidence.