Opinion ID: 1936528
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Heading: Reasonableness of Warrantless Entry into the Fenced Backyard.

Text: The no-trespass letter did not give the officers authority to enter the leased property, absent a showing of an exception to the warrant requirements of the Fourth Amendment. Property owners have a right to enter their leased premises under certain circumstances as provided by Iowa Code sections 562A.19 and 562A.29. These Code provisions, however, do not supersede the tenant's constitutional right to be free from unreasonable searches. See State v. Baker, 441 N.W.2d 388, 392 (Iowa Ct.App.1989) (holding that defendant's Fourth Amendment rights were violated when the farmhouse he was renting was searched with the property owner's consent but without his consent). In order for the officers to enter the fenced backyard, the State has the burden to prove by a preponderance of the evidence a recognized exception to the warrant requirement. The State argues the officers' action of entering Lewis's fenced backyard was justified. First, the State asserts Officer Coughlin had a right to approach the two individuals walking quickly towards the porch and stop them for investigatory purposes under Terry v. Ohio, 392 U.S. 1, 88 S.Ct. 1868, 20 L.Ed.2d 889 (1968). In the alternative, the State argues when the officers approached the Lewis's residence, they had a reasonable belief the crime of criminal trespass was being committed as defined under Iowa Code section 716.7(2)( a ). As they arrived on the scene to investigate the trespass, the officers observed two persons located inside the fenced backyard walk quickly towards the enclosed rear porch. The officers wanted to question these individuals in connection with their investigation. When these two individuals failed to comply with the officer's commands to stop, these individuals committed the crime of interference with official acts under Iowa Code section 719.1. Therefore, the State argues the entry on the property was in hot pursuit of these individuals. A. Stop for Investigatory Purposes. In Terry, the United States Supreme Court held that an officer may conduct a brief investigatory stop of an individual when the officer has a reasonable and articulable suspicion that criminal activity is afoot. 392 U.S. at 21, 88 S.Ct. at 1880, 20 L.Ed.2d at 906. The State argues that the two unknown individuals' conduct of walking quickly to the enclosed porch constitutes a reasonable and articulable suspicion that criminal activity is afoot. Without deciding whether the actions of the two individuals walking quickly towards the house constitute reasonable and articulable suspicion, this suspicion in and of itself would not be enough to allow the officers to enter the curtilage. The officers needed probable cause and exigent circumstances to enter the curtilage without a warrant. State v. Pickett, 573 N.W.2d 245, 247 (Iowa 1997). The reasonable and articulable suspicion standard of Terry is less than probable cause. Probable cause exists if the totality of the circumstances as viewed by a reasonable and prudent person would lead that person to believe that a crime has been or is being committed and that the arrestee committed or is committing it. State v. Bumpus, 459 N.W.2d 619, 624 (Iowa 1990). When the officers arrived at Lewis's residence, they did not have probable cause to believe a crime had been committed. The no-trespass letter did not give the officers probable cause to believe that the individuals in the fenced backyard or on the enclosed rear porch were trespassers. The no-trespass letter does not afford the police more authority to define trespass than the Iowa Code. Iowa Code section 716.7 defines the criminal offense of trespass as, generally, being upon the property of another without his or her permission. The trespass statute acknowledges the lessee's right to grant permission to third parties to be on the leased premises. Iowa Code § 716.7(2)( a ). Although the police received numerous reports of criminal activity in the area, they did not receive any complaints regarding Lewis's property. Tenants have a right to use their property for any legal purpose. No person will quarrel with the proposition that having a party at a private home and using the backyard to accommodate guests is commonplace. Having a party at 9:30 p.m. on a summer evening should not raise any suspicion. Citizens living in high crime areas have the right to enjoy the use of their property just as much as citizens living in other parts of the city do. The only factor that drew police attention to Lewis's party was that it was taking place in a high crime area. The police never observed any illegal conduct on Lewis's property. When the police pulled in the driveway, the only thing they noticed were two individuals in the fenced backyard walking quickly towards the enclosed rear porch. There was no probable cause to believe the crime of trespass was being committed or that these two individuals walking quickly to the enclosed rear porch were trespassers. Reasonable and articulable suspicion did not give the officers the authority to enter Lewis's fenced yard. Probable cause is the appropriate standard for searches of the curtilage. Rogers v. Pendleton, 249 F.3d 279, 287 (4th Cir. 2001). B. Hot Pursuit. The State claims when the officers entered the fenced backyard, they were simply in hot pursuit of individuals committing the crime of interference with official acts. The State contends our decisions in Legg, 633 N.W.2d 763, and State v. Pink, 648 N.W.2d 107 (Iowa 2002), grant the police officers the authority to enter Lewis's enclosed backyard. In Legg and Pink, police officers attempted to stop the defendants because they were both observed committing traffic violations on public roadways. Legg, 633 N.W.2d at 765; Pink, 648 N.W.2d at 108. In both cases, the officers activated the top lights of their vehicles. Neither defendant stopped. Legg continued driving, weaving from curb to curb, and ran a second stop sign. Legg, 633 N.W.2d at 765. Pink sped up. Pink, 648 N.W.2d at 108. Legg and Pink drove a considerable distance trying to elude the officers. These actions gave the officers probable cause that each defendant also committed the crime of interfering with official acts. Legg, 633 N.W.2d at 771; Pink, 648 N.W.2d at 109. Both defendants drove to their homes. Legg went into her garage, while Pink entered his house. Legg, 633 N.W.2d at 765; Pink, 648 N.W.2d at 108. The police entered Legg's garage to arrest her. Legg, 633 N.W.2d at 765. They entered Pink's house to arrest him. Pink, 648 N.W.2d at 108. In Legg and Pink, we held that although the defendants were in an area legally protected by the Fourth Amendment, the officer's entrance did not violate the defendants' Fourth Amendment rights. Legg, 633 N.W.2d at 773; Pink, 648 N.W.2d at 109. In weighing the competing interests of the State and the defendants as applied to the facts in each particular case, we concluded that the officers' conduct was reasonable in both cases. Legg, 633 N.W.2d at 773; Pink, 648 N.W.2d at 109. The officer in each case had probable cause to arrest the defendants for a serious misdemeanor while they were in a public place. Id. Although Legg and Pink certainly had a legitimate expectation of privacy, probable cause coupled with exigent circumstances justified the officers' minimal invasion of this privacy interest. Id. There are distinguishing circumstances between the present case and the Legg and Pink decisions. In Legg and Pink, the officers observed activities taking place on public roadways, which gave them probable cause to believe a crime had been committed. As previously discussed, there was no probable cause to believe a crime was being committed on Lewis's property. The mere act of quickly walking away from the officer and ignoring his directions to stop under these circumstances is not interference with official acts. These individuals were free to go about their business on Lewis's property without police interference. See People v. Lupinacci, 191 A.D.2d 589, 595 N.Y.S.2d 76, 77 (N.Y.App.Div. 1993) (holding if police were not authorized to detain defendant, defendant was free to walk away from the arresting officer and could not be charged with obstructing government administration or interfering with an officer in performance of an official function); B.H. v. State, 505 So.2d 14, 15 (Fla.Dist.Ct.App.1987) (holding walking away from police officers, refusing to answer their questions, and ignoring their directions to return cannot constitute obstruction of justice if the officers did not have lawful authority to detain the defendant). The officers' entrance into Lewis's fenced backyard violated his Fourth Amendment rights and his rights under article I, section 8 of the Iowa Constitution against unreasonable searches and seizures. The alleged probable cause and exigent circumstances for the subsequent search of the enclosed rear porch flowed from the warrantless, illegal entry into the fenced backyard. Therefore, the evidence seized from the enclosed rear porch must be suppressed. Wong Sun v. United States, 371 U.S. 471, 484-85, 83 S.Ct. 407, 415-16, 9 L.Ed.2d 441, 453-54 (1963). We are not saying police should not investigate situations they find suspicious. But here, the officers did not have to enter Lewis's backyard to investigate the crime of trespass. The officers could have first approached the front door and either rang the doorbell or knocked, in an attempt to contact Lewis to ask him if the individuals were on his premises with his permission. If the officer had attempted to contact Lewis at his front door and received no response, the invasion of the curtilage may not have violated Lewis's Fourth Amendment rights. See Breuer, 577 N.W.2d at 50 (stating if an officer does not receive a response after ringing the front doorbell of a residence, the officers' entry into the stairway without a warrant was a minimal intrusion upon the tenant's legitimate expectation of privacy and did not violate the Fourth Amendment).