Opinion ID: 2176486
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: The Warrant Issues.

Text: The parties raise three warrant issues, concerning whether (1) anticipatory search warrants are recognized under Iowa law, (2) the existing facts in the affidavit in support of the warrant application provided probable cause to search the Brushy Church residence, and (3) the federal good-faith exception articulated in United States v. Leon, 468 U.S. 897, 104 S.Ct. 3405, 82 L.Ed.2d 677 (1984), is recognized under Iowa law. Our disposition requires us to reach only the first two issues.
[a] controlled delivery of the cocaine has been arranged for Friday, February 19th 1993, [confidential informant] # N2088 will deliver one half of a kilo-gram (approx. 1 lb. 1 oz.) of real cocaine and two and a half kilo-grams of fake cocaine to Christopher Padavich in exchange for sixty thousand dollars ($60,000). This will occur at the residence described earlier which is next to the Chariton River Baptist Church a.k.a. Brushy Church, in Independence township in Appanoose County, Iowa. The parties do not dispute that this section of the warrantpertaining to a search for cocainewas, indeed, anticipatory. This brings the question down to whether the legislature intended to recognize anticipatory warrants under Iowa Code sections 808.3 and 808.4. We very recently decided it did not in State v. Gillespie, 530 N.W.2d 446, 448 (Iowa 1995). In Gillespie, we concluded that under the plain meaning of sections 808.3 and 808.4, probable cause must exist at the time the warrant is issued and not at some future time when the warrant is executed. Id. In other words, the facts presented to the magistrate in the affidavit in support of the warrant application must exist at the time the warrant is applied for. That was not the case here. Impliedly, that part of the warrant regarding the search for cocaine was issued conditioned upon the future existence of probable cause. Probable cause would exist once Padavich was present at the Brushy Church residence to receive delivery of the contraband. These anticipated facts were nonexistent at the time the warrant issued. Although the law was not settled when the district court made its ruling on Padavich's motion to suppress, it nonetheless erred in overruling Padavich's motion. However, this error is not fatal to the State's case if the evidence seized from the Brushy Church residence is admissible on a different ground appearing in the record. B. Probable cause for issuance of search warrant to search Brushy Church residence. Padavich contends there was no probable cause for the magistrate to issue a search warrant for the Brushy Church residence. Most of the information presented to support the issuance of the warrant for the Brushy Church residence centered around the Walnut Township residence. Padavich insists this information does not establish probable cause to search the Brushy Church residence because the information was stale, too vague, and lacked any nexus to this residence. The application in support of the warrant also contains information that a confidential informant had seen Padavich on February 16, 1993, at the Brushy Church residence with a handful of marijuana and that the two had smoked some of it there. Padavich thinks this information was insufficient to support the issuance of a search warrant for the Brushy Church residence on February 19, 1993. In Padavich's words, this is so because logic tells us that a `handful' of marijuana would likely be consumed in three days time. Probable cause to issue a search warrant exists when the facts presented to the magistrate show that a reasonably prudent person would believe a crime was committed at the place to be searched or that evidence of a crime could be located there. Close questions are generally resolved in favor of the preference for warrants. State v. Todd, 468 N.W.2d 462, 466 (Iowa 1991) (citations omitted). As this court has noted, [t]he task of the issuing magistrate is simply to make a practical, common-sense decision whether, given all the circumstances set forth in the affidavit before him, including the veracity and basis of knowledge of persons supplying hearsay information, there is a fair probability that contraband or evidence of a crime will be found at a particular place. State v. Woodcock, 407 N.W.2d 603, 604 (Iowa 1987) (citation omitted). We recognize that a magistrate oftentimes has difficulty determining whether an affidavit demonstrates the existence of probable cause. But police action taken under a search warrant is preferred over warrantless searches and seizures. State v. Lampson, 260 Iowa 806, 812, 149 N.W.2d 116, 119 (1967). So we resolve close or marginal cases by the preference we give warrants. Additionally, we draw all reasonable inferences to support a magistrate's determination of probable cause. The issuing magistrate must find probable cause at the time the search warrant is issued, and not merely at some earlier time. State v. Bean, 239 N.W.2d 556, 559 (Iowa 1976) (citation omitted). As Bean recognizes, [t]he proof of probable cause which must be made before a search warrant may be issued must be of facts so closely related to the time of the iss[uance] of the warrant as to justify a finding of probable cause at that time, and whether the proof meets this test must be determined by the circumstances of each case. Generally, it may be said that no more than a reasonable time may have elapsed, and that the recital must be of facts so closely related to the time of issuance of the warrant as to justify a finding of probable cause at that time.... In determining whether the lapse of time has been unreasonable, heavy reliance will often be placed upon the nature of the alleged offense, a greater lapse of time being permissible where the activity is of a continuous nature as distinguished from an isolated violation. A claim of staleness of facts precluding issuance of the warrant is not to be determined by a mere computation of the number of elapsed days. Id. (citations omitted). In making a probable cause determination, a magistrate may consider several other factors relevant here. For example, the magistrate may consider a suspect's history of involvement in the drug trade. See United States v. Harris, 403 U.S. 573, 579, 91 S.Ct. 2075, 2079-80, 29 L.Ed.2d 723, 731 (1971) (informant reported having purchased whiskey from respondent within two weeks of the warrant and purchases were part of a history of purchases over a two-year period; on these facts, Court rejected contention that the informant's observations were too stale to establish probable cause at the time the warrant was issued); State v. Cassady, 243 N.W.2d 581, 582 (Iowa 1976) (held that issuance of search warrant not assailable on ground of staleness where affidavit showed facts suggesting defendant's continuing involvement in narcotics). Similarly, the magistrate may consider the defendant's reputation. See Jones v. United States, 362 U.S. 257, 271, 80 S.Ct. 725, 736, 4 L.Ed.2d 697, 708 (1960), overruled on other grounds, 448 U.S. 83, 100 S.Ct. 2547, 65 L.Ed.2d 619 (1980) (that petitioner was a known user of narcotics made the charge against him much less subject to skepticism than would be such a charge against one without such a history). In addition to these factors, the magistrate may also consider information from confidential informants received over a long period of time that corroborates more recent information in the application for the search warrant. Although the corroborating information need not be current, such information must relate to prior conduct sufficiently similar to the acts in question. Commonwealth v. Weidenmoyer, 518 Pa. 2, 10, 539 A.2d 1291, 1295 (1988) (informant stated he had known suspect for about one year and that about six months before the search he had observed methamphetamine in suspect's possession; also, police officer stated suspect had purchased methamphetamine in pound quantities one year before the search). With these principles in mind we turn to officer Seay's affidavit in support of the application for the search warrant. The affidavit provides the following pertinent information: That on or about Friday, February 12, 1993, C.I. # N2088 and Christopher Padavich arrived at a single family, white stucco residence owned by Matthew and Virginia Padavich. [This residence is known as the Brushy Church residence.] [Christopher Padavich] introduced C.I. # N2088 to two white males who Christopher Padavich advised were from New York. At this meeting it was agreed that C.I. # N2088 would sell three kilo-grams (approx 6 lbs 6 oz) of cocaine to the individuals on Friday, February 19th 1993, and that they would meet at this residence on that day. That one of the two men from New York showed C.I. # N2088 a briefcase full of money and said that there was one hundred and twenty-five thousand dollars ($125,000) in the briefcase. That the two men from New York left the residence and left the briefcase full of money with Christopher Padavich, saying that they would be back on Friday, February 19th 1993. .... On or about Tuesday, February 16th 1993, C.I. # N2088 arrived with Christopher Fenton Padavich, at the [Brushy Church] residence. That on or about Tuesday, February 16th 1993, while C.I. # N2088 was inside the aforementioned residence[,] C.I. # N2088 observed Christopher Padavich return from an upstairs room carrying a handful of green plant material ... which C.I. # N2088 knew to be marijuana, and later that same evening smoked some of this marijuana with Christopher Padavich inside this residence. Matthew and Virginia Padavich [owners of this residence] do not reside [there]. [The owners] are currently living in Plano, Iowa and that deputy Anderson has delivered a death message to Matthew at the Plano residence in the past. It is common knowledge that Christopher Padavich has a small herd of cattle at [Brushy Church] that Chris takes care of; that these cattle have been observed by [various law enforcement officers]; that Christopher Padavich has told [Seay and another officer] that he is farming the [Brushy Church] farm and buying cattle; and that currently Christopher Padavich has contracted with a Jimmy Walker who is a carpenter, to have Walker remodel the inside of this residence. .... On 3-7-92 Chris Padavich reported a theft of hay that he indicated he owned at the residence located [on the Brushy Church] property. .... [Seay and another officer] have also observed several vehicles that Chris drives and has been observed driving on several occasions parked at the ... [Brushy Church] residence. On or about May 10th 1988, C.I. # 1 provided the Centerville police department with information about forty-six (46) individuals in the Centerville, Appanoose County area, and their involvement in the manufacturing, sale, distribution and usage of controlled substances. That of the forty-six (46) individuals one is now deceased and eighteen have since been arrested and charged with some type of controlled substance violation. That C.I. # 1 provided information that was directly responsible for the issuance of two (2) search warrants which [led] to the arrests of five individuals. That on or about May 10th 1988, C.I. # 1 stated that Chris Padavich grows a very high grade of marijuana called Hydro-Ponic, that Chris Padavich grows this type of marijuana at his residence in Walnut [Township]. That Padavich is associated with a guy named Vinnie, that Vinnie is from New York. That Chris Padavich has sold alot of Hydro-Ponic marijuana to Vinnie. That Vinnie is known to carry large sums of currency and has been known to purchase large quantities of marijuana ... which he transports back to the New York area to sell. On March 23, 1991 John Abbott informed [Seay and another officer] that he, Abbott, owed Chris Padavich $735 for a marijuana debt. John Abbott also told [Seay and the other officer] that he was at Chris Padavich's residence in Walnut Township during the month of January, 1991 and saw approximately $20,000 in U.S. currency along with approximately five pounds of marijuana. .... John Abbott also stated that Chris Padavich wanted him to go to New York and bring back one kilogram of cocaine for Padavich. Padavich told Abbott he could drive to Des Moines, Iowa and rent a conversion van at which time Abbott would then drive the van to New York while Padavich flew to New York. Once Padavich was in New York he would make contact with his New York connection and get the one kilogram of cocaine and then place the cocaine in the van that Abbott was to drive to New York. Once the cocaine was concealed in the van then Abbott would drive back to Centerville, Iowa and Padavich would fly back to Iowa. Padavich offered to pay Abbott $3,200 in U.S. currency to drive to New York and then return to Iowa with the cocaine. During the month of March 1991 John Abbott was at Padavich's residence in Walnut Township and saw approximately a quarter pound of marijuana [for] which Padavich stated he wanted $1200. Padavich also told Abbott that he grew Hydro-Ponic marijuana. The affidavit shows facts which, if true, suggest several inferences and conclusions. First, Padavich has a history of, and reputation for, drug involvement. Padavich grows, uses, and sells drugs. His involvement with drugs has been and is extensive. This history dates back to 1988 and continues up to the time of the issuance of the search warrant for the Brushy Church residence. Second, although most of this drug activity took place at the Walnut Township residence, there is evidence of recent drug activity at the Brushy Church residence. For example, seven days before the magistrate issued the search warrant for the Brushy Church residence, discussions regarding a large cocaine sale took place there. And three days before the warrant issued, Padavich and one of the confidential informants were smoking marijuana at this residence. The past drug activity at the Walnut Township residence, the recent drug activity at the Brushy Church residence, and Padavich's other activities at this last residence (raising cattle and remodeling) suggest he was probably keeping drugs at both places. Last, as mentioned, Padavich suggests that the handful of marijuana would likely be consumed in three days. From this he reasons that more than likely none would be left on the premises when the search warrant was issued. (The smoking incident allegedly occurred on February 16; the search warrant was issued three days later.) This thinking ignores Padavich's on-going drug activities and assumes the marijuana smoking was an isolated incident. All the past drug activity described in the affidavit corroborates the confidential informant's statement about the marijuana smoking incident on February 16, 1993, at the Brushy Church residence. This past drug activity also suggests that the smoking incident was not an isolated drug activity. Given the facts in the affidavit, what is more likely and reasonable for the magistrate to expect is that (1) there was more than a handful of marijuana on the premises at the time the marijuana smoking incident took place, and (2) marijuana was still on the premises when the magistrate issued the warrant. Whatever doubt there may be on this point we resolve by the preference we accord to warrants. These existing facts in the affidavit established probable cause for the magistrate to issue the warrant. For this reason the district court did not err in refusing to grant Padavich's motion to suppress the evidence seized from the Brushy Church residence.