Opinion ID: 560367
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: Weapons Charge.

Text: 35 Hamilton next claims that the district court should have suppressed a Winchester .22 caliber semi-automatic rifle that was seized when he was arrested for firing several shots over the head of Clifford Scales in March 1988. Hamilton argues that the district court could not have determined whether the government met its burden of showing that the arrest warrant was supported by probable cause because neither the warrant nor the affidavit on which it was based were ever introduced into evidence. 36 The district court denied Hamilton's motion to suppress the rifle because he failed to raise this objection in a pretrial motion. See Record on Appeal, Vol. 2, at 152-54 (citing Fed.R.Crim.P. 12(b)(3)). Hamilton contends that he met the requirements of Rule 12(b) by filing a motion in December 1989 to suppress all physical evidence to be introduced by the government. See Record on Appeal, Vol. 1, at 17. It is not clear from a reading of the motion, however, that Hamilton sought to suppress the rifle that was seized during the 1988 arrest. In relevant part, the Motion to Suppress states as follows: 37 Defendant, James Hamilton, respectfully moves the Court to supress [sic] the following evidence: 38

39
40 This search was conducted without probable cause, without a warrant specifying the particular place to be searched and in violation of United States Constitution Amendment Four. 41 Record on Appeal, Vol. 1, at 17 (emphasis added). The motion requested that the district court suppress the marijuana and $18,000.00 obtained from [t]his search. The only searches involving marijuana and $18,000.00 were the searches conducted in September of 1989. 4 Hamilton states that if his motion was not specific enough to include the 1988 search, it was because the government made it impossible for him to be more specific by failing to inform him that the gun was going to be used as evidence against him. This excuse is untenable. Count One of the indictment against Hamilton clearly states that he illegally possessed the rifle and goes on to list its make and serial number. See Record on Appeal, Vol. 1, at 1. Even if the district court had considered Hamilton's motion to suppress to include the rifle, we find that such a motion would have failed. 42 The district court heard testimony from Clifford Scales about the shooting which led to Hamilton's arrest and seizure of the rifle, see Record on Appeal, Vol. 2, at 32-38, and it also heard testimony from the sheriff who obtained a warrant for Hamilton's arrest and found him in possession of the semi-automatic rifle, see id. at 134-36. This testimony served as part of the basis for the district court's conviction of Hamilton. See Record on Appeal, Vol. 2, at 154, 189. Such testimony was more than sufficient to establish probable cause for the March 1988 arrest of Hamilton and seizure of the semi-automatic rifle. The district court did not err in refusing to suppress the evidence.