Opinion ID: 1679561
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Probable Cause to Arrest Defendants

Text: At the outset, defendants argue that the photographs in the possession of the Concordia Parish Sheriff's Department do not, alone, establish probable cause to arrest them on the charge of possession of marijuana with intent to distribute. Defendants further contend that the existence of the grand jury indictment also does not provide the requisite probable cause to arrest and that the only evidence the state had against them and which was presented to the grand jury was the above mentioned photographs. Consequently defendants moved to suppress the statements of John D. Huff and Kenneth Sanford, which the Concordia Parish Sheriff's Department secured from them following their arrests since they contend those statements were the fruits of illegal arrests. Defendants attempted through various motions to prove their contention that the photographs were the only evidence against them presented to the grand jury. However, the trial judge refused defendants' request that he conduct an in camera inspection of the grand jury proceedings to make this determination. He also refused to allow the defendants to compel the testimony of the foreman of the grand jury on the issue of what evidence the prosecution presented to them in this case. Finally, the judge did not allow defendants to call the district attorney to the stand to question him as to whether he felt a duty to advise the grand jury not to indict in cases where he felt there was insufficient evidence to indict. Defendants contended that the House of Delegates of the American Bar Association recognizes such a duty. The trial judge's rulings denying the above motions were apparently in part motivated by a desire to protect the secrecy of the grand jury proceedings, and also by the judge's opinion that an indictment handed down by a grand jury in itself provides probable cause to arrest. At the trial of the motion to suppress, the trial judge indicated that the grand jury indictment of defendants properly served as the basis for the issuance of the arrest warrants in this case. This Court has previously held that a grand jury indictment serves as a determination of probable cause to hold a defendant on a charge and is a reasonable alternative to a preliminary hearing to determine probable cause to hold. See State v. Qualls, 377 So.2d 293 (La.1979). In that case, we emphasized that the grand jury is composed of twelve citizens chosen from a cross-section of the community and is charged with the responsibility and authority delegated by law to grand jurors. Further, the grand jury indictment procedure is well-designed to protect the accused from an overbearing government prosecutor or false accusations. Before an indictment is returned this body must be satisfied that probable cause exists that the accused committed the crime and should be held for trial to defend himself .... The grand jury has a statutory mandate to indict when, in its judgment, the evidence considered by it, if unexplained and uncontroverted, warrants a conviction. C.Cr.P. art. 443. This standard for rendering an indictment is a more stringent one and requires stronger proof than a finding of probable cause to arrest, i. e., probable cause to believe a crime has been committed by the arrestee. Our state constitution recognizes the significance of the grand jury and requires an indictment by a grand jury for a capital crime or crime punishable by life imprisonment before any prosecution for these crimes may proceed. La.Const. art. 1, § 15. Considering the importance ascribed to the grand jury in our judicial system and the high standard of proof required for a grand jury indictment, we hold that such an indictment establishes probable cause to arrest and is sufficient to protect the privacy of citizens of this state and to shield them from unwarranted arrests. The United States Supreme Court has taken this position since 1932. See Ex Parte United States, 287 U.S. 241, 53 S.Ct. 129, 77 L.Ed. 283 (1932); Gerstein v. Pugh, 420 U.S. 103, 95 S.Ct. 854, 43 L.Ed.2d 54, footnote 19; Michigan v. Doran, 439 U.S. 282, 99 S.Ct. 530, 58 L.Ed.2d 521 (1978) footnote 6 in concurring opinion.