Opinion ID: 1853802
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Retroactivity of Payton v. New York

Text: Notwithstanding what we have thus far concluded it is our view that Payton v. New York , which held a statute similar to Section 29-06-14, N.D.C.C., unconstitutional, is not to be applied retroactively. In Brown v. Louisiana, 447 U.S. 323, 100 S.Ct. 2214, 65 L.Ed.2d 159 (1980), the United States Supreme Court said: Accordingly, the test consistently employed by the Court to decide whether a new constitutional doctrine should be applied retroactively contemplates the consideration of three criteria: `(a) the purpose to be served by the new standards, (b) the extent of the reliance by law enforcement authorities on the old standards, and (c) the effect on the administration of justice of a retroactive application of the new standards.' Stovall v. Denno, 388 U.S. 293, 297, 87 S.Ct. 1967, 1970, 18 L.Ed.2d 1199 (1967). 447 U.S. at 327, 328, 100 S.Ct. at 2219, 65 L.Ed.2d at 165. The purpose of the rule is the foremost of these factors. Id. In Payton v. New York , the Court required the suppression of evidence found during an unconsented entry to execute a warrantless routine felony arrest. The Court thereby intended to prevent arbitrary government intrusion into our lives in our most private place, our homes, in the absence of exigent circumstances and without a disinterested magistrate passing upon the question of probable cause to arrest. Payton v. New York, supra . In the case at bar such an intent will not be furthered by a retroactive application of the rule. The officers cannot go back and undo the forceful entry or the intrusion on Monte's and Gary's privacy. Desist v. United States, 394 U.S. 244, 249, 89 S.Ct. 1030, 1034, 22 L.Ed.2d 248 (1969). Such a purpose does not overcome an aspect of the criminal trial that substantially impairs its truthfinding function and so raises serious questions about the accuracy of guilty verdicts in past trials, rather such a purpose, through the application of the suppression doctrine itself inhibits the truth-finding function of the court. Brown v. Louisiana, supra, 447 U.S. at 328, 100 S.Ct. at 2219, 65 L.Ed.2d at 165; Linkletter v. Walker, 381 U.S. 618 at 636-637, 85 S.Ct. 1731 at 1741-1742, 14 L.Ed.2d 601 (1965). Secondly, the officers in the case at bar placed a great deal of reliance upon the old standards allowing a warrantless entry into a home to arrest for a felony. North Dakota and 23 other states permitted such entries, 15 prohibited them and 11 states had taken no position. Payton v. New York, 445 U.S. at 598, 599, 100 S.Ct. at 1386, 63 L.Ed.2d at 658. The United States Supreme Court recognized that allowing warrantless felony arrests in the home was [a] longstanding, wide-spread practice. 445 U.S. at 600, 100 S.Ct. at 1387, 63 L.Ed.2d at 659. Thus, at the time of entry the officers were proceeding under statutory authority and were not required to question the constitutionality of that statute unless such law was so grossly and flagrantly unconstitutional that any person of reasonable prudence would be bound to see its flaws. Michigan v. DeFillippo, 443 U.S. 31, 99 S.Ct. 2627, 2632, 61 L.Ed.2d 343 (1979). Finally, in the case at bar the effect of retroactive application on the administration of justice would be extremely burdensome. In refusing to apply Mapp v. Ohio, 367 U.S. 643, 81 S.Ct. 1684, 6 L.Ed.2d 1081 (1961), retrospectively, the United States Supreme Court said: To make the rule of Mapp retrospective would tax the administration of justice to the utmost. Hearings would have to be held on the excludability of evidence long since destroyed, misplaced or deteriorated. If it is excluded, the witnesses available at the time of the original trial will not be available or if located their memory will be dimmed. To thus legitimate such an extraordinary procedural weapon that has no bearing on guilt would seriously disrupt the administration of justice. Linkletter v. Walker, 381 U.S. at 637, 638, 85 S.Ct. at 1742, 14 L.Ed.2d at 613. The United States Supreme Court in decisions expanding Fourth Amendment rights through use of the exclusionary rule has not applied the rules retrospectively. Linkletter v. Walker, supra ; Desist v. United States, supra ; Williams v. United States, 401 U.S. 646, 91 S.Ct. 1148, 28 L.Ed.2d 388 (1971). The fact that the defendants have not been convicted is inconsequential, the time of application of a new doctrine is on the day after it is decided. Williams v. United States supra, 401 U.S. at 654-60, 91 S.Ct. at 1153-56. In this case, Monte and Gary were searched in November, 1979. Payton v. New York was decided on April 15, 1980. Therefore, as we have determined that Payton should not be applied retrospectively, and the search complained of took place before the decision in Payton, the entry and arrest pursuant to Section 29-06-14 was not illegal at the time it took place and thus the search warrant was not tainted by any unconstitutional conduct.