Opinion ID: 3049103
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: facts

Text: Diaz lived on the Fort Hall Indian Reservation in Idaho. He had previously been convicted of assault, battery with intent to commit rape, and failure to register as a sex offender. He worked from home as a mechanic and often had several cars at the house. He protected his property with dogs and security cameras. 1 We address other issues that Diaz raised in a separately filed memorandum disposition. UNITED STATES v. DIAZ 7549 In July 2003, police visited Diaz’s home and asked to look around. Diaz consented. In Diaz’s bedroom the police discovered an assault rifle and a “snort tube” used to inhale methamphetamine. Police also found a bong and marijuana rolling papers in Diaz’s kitchen. The snort tube and bong both tested positive for traces of methamphetamine. The police went back to the house three or four more times over the next 18 months. Diaz usually answered the door, though once he took about 45 minutes to do so. Other people and many cars, including Diaz’s own black sport utility vehicle, were usually there, though Diaz was sometimes there when his car was not. Diaz told the officers they could usually find him at his house during the day, and in fact they usually did. Between July 2003 and January 2005, Diaz was absent only once when the officers went to his house. On February 23, 2005, a grand jury charged Diaz with (1) being a drug user in possession of a firearm in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(3), and (2) being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(1). A warrant was issued for Diaz’s arrest. That afternoon, officers from several government agencies converged on Diaz’s house. Before knocking on the door, the agents tried to survey the house for some sign Diaz was there. Barking dogs and security cameras impeded their efforts, so the officers resorted to driving by the house a few times. On one of those passes, an agent saw two unidentified people standing next to a red SUV. Diaz’s black SUV was not in sight. Officers would later discover it in a nearby shed. The agents surrounded the Diaz property. Within a few minutes, the red SUV drove away. The agents did not stop it. They did not identify who was driving and thought only one person was inside the vehicle; they surmised that the other person was still in Diaz’s house. After an hour and a half, the agents approached Diaz’s house. They could not see inside because blankets covered the 7550 UNITED STATES v. DIAZ windows. The agents knocked on the door, announced their presence, and waited a reasonable time. No one answered. The agents used force on the door and entered. Inside, they found no one, but one agent saw a plastic baggie, containing what appeared to be illegal drugs, in Diaz’s bedroom. The agents left the house, obtained a search warrant, and went back inside. In the subsequent search they seized a bag of methamphetamine and some drug equipment. After discovering Diaz was not at home, the agents checked a nearby casino. They found Diaz there with his wife, Jamie, and arrested him. Diaz filed a motion to suppress the evidence found during the February 2005 search. He argued that the agents exceeded the authority of their arrest warrant by entering his home when they had no reason to believe he was there. The district court denied Diaz’s motion after hearing testimony from government agents, Jamie Diaz, and Diaz himself. The court concluded that the agents had enough experience with Diaz to reasonably conclude that he was home, and that the presence of dogs, cameras, and blankets made it impossible for them to conclude he was not at home. A jury eventually convicted Diaz on both counts. Diaz appealed, arguing that the district court erred in allowing the government to introduce evidence from the February 2005 search.