Opinion ID: 450796
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Arrest and Residential Search

Text: 17 The government also challenges the suppression of the firearms and counterfeit currency found at Milian's home following his arrest. With respect to the items seized following Milian's arrest, the district court stated: 18 It seems to me that the easiest question that was presented was the conduct of the government at the defendant's house when the search was made early in the morning. I find that there really was no excuse for not getting a warrant to search the house under the circumstances ... I realize there was a consent given by the defendant after he was awakened at 3:00 o'clock in the morning under what I would consider extreme conditions where people--law enforcement officers were at both sides of the house with weapons drawn. I find that, if the Fourth Amendment means anything at all today, that sort of activity should be prohibited. Therefore, I would suppress everything that was found in the house. 19 (Hearing Transcript at 6-7). Milian argues that the suppression was appropriate, as his warrantless arrest violated the Fourth Amendment protections recognized in Payton v. New York, 445 U.S. 573, 100 S.Ct. 1371, 63 L.Ed.2d 639 (1980), and rendered the subsequent, ostensibly consensual search of his home invalid. The government claims that suppression was improper under this Circuit's construction of the Payton rule. 20 The Supreme Court has held that the Fourth Amendment prohibits police from making a warrantless and nonconsensual entry into a suspect's home to make a routine felony arrest. United States v. Payton, 445 U.S. 573, 100 S.Ct. 1371, 63 L.Ed.2d 639 (1980). Payton makes clear, however, that such an entry may be proper where probable cause to arrest the suspect exists and there are exigent circumstances making it impossible or imprudent for a warrant to be obtained. 445 U.S. at 588, 100 S.Ct. at 1381 (approving Dorman v. United States, 435 F.2d 385 (D.C.Cir.1970) (en banc)), 590. This Circuit has recognized circumstances sufficiently exigent to justify warrantless entry where law enforcement officials are in hot pursuit of a suspect, United States v. Burgos, 720 F.2d 1520 (11th Cir.1983) (citing United States v. Santana, 427 U.S. 38, 96 S.Ct. 2406, 49 L.Ed.2d 300 (1976)), where a suspect has undertaken to flee the jurisdiction, United States v. Mesa, 660 F.2d 1070 (5th Cir. Unit B 1981), where the suspect presents a danger to arresting officers or to the public, United States v. Burgos, supra (citing Warden v. Hayden, 387 U.S. 294, 87 S.Ct. 1642, 18 L.Ed.2d 782 (1967)), or where there is a risk of the destruction or removal of narcotics, United States v. Burgos, supra. 21 It is clear that the government had probable cause to arrest Milian; a machine gun, other firearms and 62 pounds of cocaine had been discovered in the closet of his office. Moreover, several of the exigent circumstances recognized by this Circuit were present at the time of the arrest. During the discussion at Operation Greenback, Milian had mentioned flight as an alternative he would consider if the government did not accept his offer of cooperation. The officers had legitimate reason to suspect that Milian would reconsider his position and flee the jurisdiction if he were not promptly placed under arrest. The discovery of several dangerous firearms at Milian's office also led agents to believe that Milian was holding additional weapons at his home, presenting a danger to arresting officers and to the public. Cf. Cady v. Dombrowski, 413 U.S. 433, 93 S.Ct. 2523, 37 L.Ed.2d 706 (1973) (presence of numerous weapons in suspect's home justified entry without arrest warrant). Finally, and perhaps most importantly, agents knew that Milian was in possession of large quantities of narcotics; he had strong reason to destroy or remove any drugs outside his office before the investigation progressed further, as their discovery would imperil his chances of striking a deal with the government. Indeed Milian's 11:45 p.m. call to the officers at his business premises evinced his concern with what they may have discovered; it may also have raised suspicions that Milian would use the time during which officials were otherwise occupied to dispose of any additional incriminating evidence. These factors demonstrate that Milian's arrest, though warrantless, was not a violation of his rights under Payton. Under these circumstances, Milian's consent to the subsequent search was valid, and the suppression of the items seized was error.