Opinion ID: 1866213
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 7

Heading: Search With a Warrant.

Text: Although a search warrant was unnecessary for a valid search of Staten's person and was surplusage in relation to a search as an incident of a lawful arrest, the police, nonetheless, obtained a warrant to search Staten's person. However, Staten does not challenge the truth, accuracy, or sufficiency of the information which Agnew supplied in his affidavit for the search warrant. [T]he burden of proof depends on the basis for the search, that is, whether the search was conducted pursuant to a warrant or without a warrant. If police have acted pursuant to a search warrant, the defendant bears the burden of proof that the search or seizure is unreasonable; but if police acted without a search warrant, the State has the burden of proof that the search was conducted under circumstances substantiating the reasonableness of such search or seizure. State v. Vrtiska, supra, 225 Neb. at 461, 406 N.W.2d at 120. See, also, United States v. Longmire, 761 F.2d 411 (7th Cir. 1985); 4 W. LaFave, Search and Seizure, a Treatise on the Fourth Amendment § 11.2(b)(2d ed.1987). Thus, a defendant who seeks to suppress evidence obtained pursuant to a search warrant has the burden of establishing that the search warrant is invalid so that evidence secured thereby may be suppressed. State v. Vrtiska, supra . In his affidavit, Agnew supplied sufficient information which established probable cause necessary for a constitutionally valid search warrant. Because validity or legality of the warrant in this case is unchallenged, Staten had the burden to establish that the search of her person was unreasonable and, therefore, contrary to the constitutional safeguards against an unreasonable search. However, since Staten presented nothing to demonstrate that the search warrant was deficient in any respect or for any reason and has failed to show that the search of her person was otherwise unreasonable, Staten has not established that the cocaine, obtained from her person as the result of a search warrant, is constitutionally inadmissible.