Opinion ID: 1998547
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 10

Heading: appropriateness of suppression

Text: Assuming, arguendo, that the consent was invalid and the inspection was therefore unconstitutional, it does not follow that the prescription records must be suppressed. To the contrary, I find the suppression of the prescription records inappropriate in this case. The exclusionary rule generally prohibits the use of physical or testimonial evidence derived as the direct and proximate result of unconstitutional conduct. See Murray v. United States, ___ U.S. ___, ___, 108 S.Ct. 2529, 2532, 101 L.Ed.2d 472, 480 (1988). However, from its announcement in Boyd v. United States, 116 U.S. 616, 6 S.Ct. 524, 29 L.Ed. 746 (1886), and Weeks v. United States, 232 U.S. 383, 34 S.Ct. 341, 58 L.Ed. 652 (1914), to the present date, the exclusionary rule has remained a lightening rod for heated controversy. Though the United States Supreme Court has declined repeated invitations to abandon the exclusionary rule, it has acknowledged the high societal cost involved in the application of the rule, and has limited its application to cases where its general deterrent effects were perceived to outweigh its negative effects on the truth determining process. See Murray v. United States, supra, ___ U.S. at ___, 108 S.Ct. at 2532-36, 101 S.Ct. at 480-84; California v. Greenwood, supra, 486 U.S. at 35, 108 S.Ct. 1625, 1630-32, 100 L.Ed.2d 30, 39-40 (1988); Illinois v. Krull, 480 U.S. 340, 346-53, 107 S.Ct. 1160, 1165-69, 94 L.Ed.2d 364, 373-77 (1987); Colorado v. Connelly, 479 U.S. 157, 164-70, 107 S.Ct. 515, 520-24, 93 L.Ed.2d 473, 483-86 (1986); United States v. Leon, 468 U.S. 897, 104 S.Ct. 3405, 82 L.Ed.2d 677 (1984) ( passim ), reh. den. 468 U.S. 1250, 105 S.Ct. 52, 82 L.Ed.2d 942 (1984); United States v. Havens, 446 U.S. 620, 624-28, 100 S.Ct. 1912, 1915-17, 64 L.Ed.2d 559, 564-66 (1980); United States v. Ceccolini, 435 U.S. 268, 98 S.Ct. 1054, 55 L.Ed.2d 268 (1978) ( passim ); Stone v. Powell, 428 U.S. 465, 482-96, 96 S.Ct. 3037, 3046-53, 49 L.Ed.2d 1067, 1080-88 (1976); United States v. Janis, 428 U.S. 433, 443-60, 96 S.Ct. 3021, 3010-19, 49 L.Ed.2d 1046, 1054-64 (1976); United States v. Calandra, 414 U.S. 338, 94 S.Ct. 613, 38 L.Ed.2d 561 (1974) ( passim ). Whether and to what extent there may be a state exclusionary rule in Pennsylvania arising from the Pennsylvania Constitution is uncertain in Pennsylvania. See Commonwealth v. Montgomery, 513 Pa. 138, 142-43, 518 A.2d 1197, 1199 (1986); Commonwealth v. Shaeffer, 370 Pa.Super. 179, 265-71, 536 A.2d 354, 398-400 (1988) (Kelly, J., concurring and dissenting). In Commonwealth v. Morgan, supra , our Supreme Court noted: [E]xclusion/suppression of evidence is not an appropriate remedy for every violation of the Pennsylvania Rules of Criminal Procedure concerning searches and seizures. It is only where the violation also implicates fundamental, constitutional concerns, is conducted in bad-faith or has substantially prejudiced the defendant that exclusion may be an appropriate remedy. 534 A.2d at 1056 n. 2, quoting Commonwealth v. Mason, 507 Pa. 396, 406-07, 490 A.2d 421, 426 (1985) (emphasis in original). In light of our Supreme Court's resolute resistance to the federal exclusionary rule prior to Mapp v. Ohio, 367 U.S. 643, 81 S.Ct. 1684, 6 L.Ed.2d 1081 (1961), I find that recognition and application of an independent state exclusionary rule by this Court would be inappropriate absent a clear command by our Supreme Court. See Commonwealth v. Shaeffer, supra, 370 Pa.Superior Ct. at 267-269, 536 A.2d at 399 (Kelly, J., concurring and dissenting) (discussing the prospect of a state constitutional exclusionary rule). I note that our Supreme Court has applied the federal exclusionary rule cautiously. In Commonwealth v. Williams, 454 Pa. 368, 312 A.2d 597 (1973), they explained: a prophylactic exclusionary rule is applied only in extreme cases where all other attempts to secure compliance have proven unsuccessful. See generally Mapp v. Ohio, 367 U.S. 643, 651-52, 81 S.Ct. 1684, 6 L.Ed.2d 1081 (1961). In this area there has been no showing of widespread flagrant disregard to justify formulation of such a rule at this time. 454 Pa. at 372, 312 A.2d at 600; see also Commonwealth v. Musi, 486 Pa. 102, 115-16, 404 A.2d 378, 384 (1979). The same may be said here. Even if we assume for the sake of argument that consent was rendered invalid by the officers' deception, it nonetheless appears that the officers were acting on an objectively reasonable good faith belief that valid consent had been obtained. Cf. Illinois v. Krull, supra ; United States v. Leon, supra ; Commonwealth v. Edmunds, 373 Pa.Super. 384, 541 A.2d 368 (1988); Commonwealth v. Shaeffer, supra, 536 A.2d at 396 (Kelly, J., concurring and dissenting); Commonwealth v. Morris, 368 Pa.Super. 237, 533 A.2d 1042 (1987). There is certainly no indication of widespread flagrant disregard of suspects' rights in this manner so as to justify application of the concededly drastic sanction of exclusion. Moreover, had the absence of valid consent been known to the officers, a valid administrative warrant could and would undoubtedly have been secured, and an unquestionably lawful inspection and lawful seizure of the prescription records at issue would have been conducted. Cf. United States v. Murray, supra; cf. Nix v. Williams, 467 U.S. 431, 443, 104 S.Ct. 2501, 81 L.Ed.2d 377 (1984). The inevitableness of the discovery of such evidence, of course, need only be established by a preponderance of the evidence. See Bourjaily v. United States, supra ; Nix v. Williams, supra . Thus, under the facts of this case, both the inevitable discovery doctrine and the rationale of the good faith exception preclude suppression. See United States v. Murray, supra; Illinois v. Krull, supra .