Opinion ID: 536447
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Legality of Search Warrant

Text: 8 Badea's business address, 3871 South Valley View, first was searched pursuant to a state of Nevada search warrant with both federal and state agents participating. The embosser was found in this search. While the state search was underway, Magistrate Philip M. Pro issued a federal search warrant. Both warrants were based on the same affidavit by Secret Service Agent Billy J. Flowers. The magistrate, however, also had information about counterfeit credit cards seen by an agent during the state search. (vol. 1, # 40). 2 9 The federal agent's plain view sighting of the credit cards only can provide evidence for the federal warrant if he had prior justification for the intrusion. See Coolidge v. New Hampshire, 403 U.S. 443 (1971). If the state warrant lacked probable cause, then, the federal warrant based on the same affidavit also would be illegal. In addition, because the embosser at issue was found during the search based upon the state search warrant, the state warrant must be legal for the embosser to be used as evidence. Thus, whether the evidence should be suppressed depends on the legality of the state, not the federal, search warrant. 10 The legality of a search warrant depends upon the sufficiency of what is found within the underlying affidavit. U.S. v. Martinez, 588 F.2d 1227, 1234 (9th Cir.1978). The affidavit is sufficient if it shows probable cause. If the facts alleged in the affidavit would allow a person of reasonable caution to believe that the evidence sought will be found in the stated place there is probable cause. Martinez, 588 F.2d at 1234; United States v. Damitz, 495 F.2d 50, 55 (9th Cir.1974). 11 The police had evidence that Badea had stolen property and that he owned an embossing machine used for credit card fraud at some location. They also knew he rented a warehouse and where he lived. The affidavit provided more than mere suspicion that the credit card equipment would be in one of those two places. See Martinez, 588 F.2d at 1234. 3