Opinion ID: 339401
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: search of calhoun apartment

Text: 14 Appellants Calhoun, Ellis, Harris and Stephenson contend that the evidence seized from the Calhoun apartment in the search by DEA agents and LAPD officers should have been suppressed. They claim that the search warrant was invalid in that the information submitted to the magistrate at the time of the warrant's issuance did not provide probable cause. We conclude that the district court properly denied the suppression motion. In so doing, we note that only Calhoun has standing to contest the search and seizure. Brown v. United States, 411 U.S. 223, 93 S.Ct. 1565, 36 L.Ed.2d 208 (1973); United States v. Epperson, 528 F.2d 48 (9th Cir. 1975). 15 We are, of course, limited to an examination of the allegations contained in the documents submitted to the magistrate in support of the search warrant. Aguilar v. Texas, 378 U.S. 108, 109 n. 1, 84 S.Ct. 1509, 12 L.Ed.2d 723 (1964). Probable cause exists when the affidavits give sufficient information to lead a reasonably cautious person to conclude that the items sought are located at the place to be searched. Berger v. New York, 388 U.S. 41, 55, 87 S.Ct. 1873, 18 L.Ed.2d 1040 (1967). 16 In reviewing the affidavits of several law enforcement officers supporting the search warrant, we are mindful of the language of the Supreme Court: 17 (W)here these circumstances are detailed, where reason for crediting the source of the information is given, and when a magistrate has found probable cause, the courts should not invalidate the warrant by interpreting the affidavit in a hypertechnical, rather than a commonsense, manner. 18 United States v. Ventresca, 380 U.S. 102, 109, 85 S.Ct. 741, 13 L.Ed.2d 684 (1965). 19 The lengthy affidavits in support of the search warrant provide extensive details from which a magistrate could conclude that probable cause existed to search Calhoun's apartment. The information was of several types: descriptions of suspicious activities involving Calhoun and others observed by law enforcement officers over a period of months; statements of several informants that Vernard Harris and Calhoun were involved in drug traffic; statements of persons who had been arrested and charged with possession of heroin that Vernard Harris had supplied them with drugs; telephone records and observations of police officers associating Calhoun with Vernard Harris; and details of the events of March 9, from which it was reasonable to infer that drugs had been transferred to Calhoun's apartment. On the basis of the information, there was ample support for the magistrate's conclusion that probable cause for a search existed. 20 Calhoun also asserts that the fruits of the search should have been suppressed because the affidavit of a government agent, submitted in support of the search warrant, contained a number of inaccuracies. These do not require suppression for two reasons: they were neither material to a determination of probable cause nor were they intentional. United States v. Prewitt, 534 F.2d 200, 202 (9th Cir. 1976). 21 Appellant Calhoun expressly disavows any allegation that the inaccuracies were intentional misrepresentations. Therefore, if the evidence seized is to be suppressed, inaccuracies must have been material to the probable cause determination. Prewitt, supra, at 202. 22 A summary of the alleged inaccuracies demonstrates their immateriality: 23 (1) The affidavit relates observations of appellants by Officer Woempner which suggest criminal activity. It appears from the affidavit that Woempner communicated directly with the affiant when in fact the contact was only indirect. 24 (2) Affiant related that Officer Woempner knew that a conversation had occurred between Calhoun, Harris' brother and the man from the Rolls Royce, because he heard voices from just outside the Calhoun apartment. Actually, Woempner was in a truck parked in front of the building and heard the voices and saw the participants in Calhoun's apartment. 25 (3) The affiant stated that, during the alleged transfer of heroin to Calhoun's apartment, two men drove up and immediately assumed lookout positions near the car carrying contraband. If fact, Woempner reported that the two individuals entered the apartment building for a short time before assuming the lookout positions. 26 (4) The affiant stated the the lookouts had bulges in their waistbands, indicating possession of handguns. In fact, Woempner saw a gun in the waistband of only one lookout. He reported that the other man carried his hand under his coat, suggesting that he carried a handgun in a shoulder holster. 27 (5) The affiant stated that the alleged contraband was transferred from the car to Calhoun's apartment by Calhoun. Woempner in fact reported that appellant Ellis was the transferor. 28 (6) Finally, affiant stated that a transfer of what appeared to be money bags was made by Vernard Harris' brother from the building to a waiting limousine. Actually, Woempner had reported that the transfer was made by appellant Ellis, not Harris' brother. Moreover, the transfer was made from another car and not from the apartment building. 29 All of this, if stated in the affidavit in accordance with Officer Woempner's later statements, would not have affected the issuance of the warrant. If anything, it would give added support to the conclusion that probable cause to search existed. Moreover, even if we believed the inaccuracies material, although unintentional, we might still uphold the warrant and the resultant seizures on the basis of its unchallenged contents which, standing alone, provide an ample basis for a finding of probable cause to search. Cf. United States v. Damitz, 495 F.2d 50, 55 (9th Cir. 1974). 30 We also reject Calhoun's contention that even if individual inaccuracies do not require suppression, their cumulative effect does. The lack of materiality of each inaccuracy does not disappear when they are combined. And, given the nature of the discrepancies, we cannot accept the argument that these inaccuracies suggested that the magistrate should not have believed the other statements contained in the affidavits.