Opinion ID: 1182062
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Seizure of the Murder Weapon

Text: (4a) In a pretrial motion under section 1538.5, defendant contended that his constitutional rights were violated by the unlawful seizure of his gun. Police obtained the gun from defendant's cousin, Sabrina Epperson, with whom he had left it. The trial court denied the motion, ruling defendant had no standing to challenge the admissibility of the gun. Defendant contends the trial court erred in failing to suppress the gun. In this post-Proposition 8 case, the issue is whether the seizure of defendant's gun from his cousin violated defendant's rights under the Fourth Amendment to the United States Constitution. ( In re Lance W. (1985) 37 Cal.3d 873, 879 [210 Cal. Rptr. 631, 694 P.2d 744].) (5) An illegal search or seizure violates the federal constitutional rights only of those who have a legitimate expectation of privacy in the invaded place or seized thing. ( United States v. Salvucci (1980) 448 U.S. 83, 91-92 [65 L.Ed.2d 619, 628, 100 S.Ct. 2547].) The legitimate expectation of privacy must exist in the particular area searched or thing seized in order to bring a Fourth Amendment challenge. ( People v. Hernandez (1988) 199 Cal. App.3d 1182, 1189 [245 Cal. Rptr. 513], italics in original.) Because the historical facts concerning standing are established by uncontradicted evidence, we review independently the trial court's ruling that defendant lacked standing to challenge seizure of the gun. ( People v. Williams (1988) 45 Cal.3d 1268, 1301 [248 Cal. Rptr. 834, 756 P.2d 221].) Defendant bears the burden of showing a legitimate expectation of privacy. ( Rawlings v. Kentucky (1980) 448 U.S. 98, 104 [65 L.Ed.2d 633, 641, 100 S.Ct. 2556].) A claim of ownership in property seized does not necessarily signify a legitimate expectation of privacy, although it is one factor to be considered in the analysis. ( Id. at p. 105 [65 L.Ed.2d at pp. 641-642].) Among the factors to be considered are: `whether the defendant has a [property or] possessory interest in the thing seized or the place searched; whether he has the right to exclude others from that place; whether he has exhibited a subjective expectation that it would remain free from governmental invasion, whether he took normal precautions to maintain his privacy and whether he was legitimately on the premises.' [Citations omitted.] ( People v. Hernandez, supra, 199 Cal. App.3d at p. 1189.) (4b) Applying these factors to the evidence before the trial court, we conclude defendant had no reasonable expectation of privacy as to the gun. While an overnight guest in his relatives' home, he gave the gun to his cousin Sabrina, asking her to hold it for him. She put the weapon in her own bedroom under her pillow. Although defendant owned the gun and was in the house by permission, he exhibited no concern whatever in knowing the specific place where it was to be kept; moreover, he failed to show he had any legitimate access to that place. He had no right to exclude others from his cousin's bedroom. Moreover, defendant took no precautions to maintain any privacy with respect to his gun  he parted with it voluntarily, knowing it would be kept by another person in a place both unknown to him and over which he had no control. Defendant's behavior was consistent with a desire to rid himself of the gun that had obviously become a hot item; whether he intended to do so temporarily or permanently, he clearly asserted no continuing private interest in it. Having voluntarily surrendered his gun to his cousin with no attempt to control or safeguard its location, defendant had no standing to complain when police obtained it from her. (See, e.g., People v. Martins (1991) 228 Cal. App.3d 1632, 1637 [279 Cal. Rptr. 687] [no standing to challenge search of locked suitcase shipped across country in name of another person where both shipping airline and party to whom suitcase was addressed consented to search]; People v. Root (1985) 172 Cal. App.3d 774, 776-779 [218 Cal. Rptr. 182] [no standing to challenge seizure of unsealed bag placed in automobile of another].) Our rejection of defendant's claim of standing also disposes of his related arguments. Defendant's assertion that his cousin was illegally arrested and coerced into surrendering the weapon is an attempt to invoke her constitutional rights; defendant lacks standing to do so. Defendant's further assertion that his trial counsel failed to develop an adequate record at the suppression hearing likewise lacks merit. (6) Defense counsel is not required to advance unmeritorious arguments on the defendant's behalf. ( People v. Ledesma (1987) 43 Cal.3d 171 [233 Cal. Rptr. 404, 729 P.2d 839]; People v. Taylor (1984) 162 Cal. App.3d 720, 726 [208 Cal. Rptr. 708]; People v. Eckstrom (1974) 43 Cal. App.3d 996, 1001-1003 [118 Cal. Rptr. 391].)