Opinion ID: 781489
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Service of the Warrant & Suppression Hearing

Text: 8 On June 29, 1999, a few days after Primanto was followed to Foothill Hydroponics and Zavacky found the scissors and pH reducer, Zavacky and a few other DEA agents went to the house to execute a search warrant issued by a federal magistrate judge based on Zavacky's affidavit. 9 The items served on Celestine during the search were the warrant's face sheet, captioned Search Warrant on Written Affidavit, and two attachments (Attachment A and Attachment B). The face page of the warrant stated, in pertinent part: 10 Affidavit(s) having been made before me by the below-named affiant that he/she has reason to believe that the premises known as SEE ATTACHMENT A in the Central District of California there is now being concealed property, namely: SEE ATTACHMENT B and as I am satisfied that there is probable cause to believe that the property so described is being concealed on the person or premises above-described and the grounds for application for issuance of the search warrant exist as stated in the supporting affidavit(s). 11 Attachment A specified the premises to be searched, and Attachment B, which listed the items to be seized, specified that the items to be seized were evidence of violations of 21 U.S.C. §§ 841(a)(1), 843(b), and 846, as well as 18 U.S.C. § 1956. The affidavit in support of probable cause, however, was served on Celestine's attorney only after the search. 12 Celestine moved for suppression of the evidence from the search before the district court. The court held a hearing at which Zavacky testified that he served Celestine within the first ten minutes of the search, once the house was safe and the agent had gone downstairs to look at the plants. Zavacky also testified that he served Celestine with the face sheet and attachments, but not with a copy of the affidavit in support of probable cause. Zavacky stated that he understood it to be DEA policy that at that time I was not required to serve the affidavit at the location. I informed the defendant that he would receive a copy when he met with his defense attorney before he was arraigned. He also testified that his conclusion that the house used twice as much electricity as neighboring homes was based on his own visual assessment of the size of the comparator houses. Celestine also testified. He stated that he was not served with the warrant until hours into the search and he presented evidence that the comparator houses were considerably smaller than the castle-like house. 13 The district court denied the motion to suppress. The court reasoned that the affidavit had not been deliberately withheld and that service of the face sheet and the two attachments provided the defendant with the complete warrant. As to timeliness, the court found that Zavacky's testimony that he served Celestine within 10 minutes of beginning the search was credible. 14 Celestine pled guilty conditionally, and following the acceptance of his plea and sentencing, this appeal ensued.