Opinion ID: 2544552
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Motion to suppress evidence of other search warrants

Text: Prior to trial commencing, Diaz filed a motion in limine seeking the exclusion of certain evidence, including reference to the search warrant addressed to Diaz. [8] The trial court limited the reference to the search warrant addressed to the Fil-Am Video store. The following exchange occurred among the court, defense counsel, and the prosecutor: THE COURT: . . . [Prosecutor], I think considering, among other things, that there are two, I'm going to deny your request to submit written documents into evidence and grant the defendant's motion to exclude them. I think the State does have obviously a legitimate right to show the jury that the police acted properly, shall we say, so you may, you know, elicit testimony with respect to the existence of the search warrant. With respect to the search warrant that permitted police to search the defendant, I would prefer that you  that perhaps you can lead and just keep it down to `pursuant to search warrant, did you search the defendant.' . . . . DEFENSE COUNSEL: Your Honor, so that I do not overly mention the fact of the search warrant to the jury, I would ask this Court if I could have a running objection to even the mention of a search warrant with respect to the search of the defendant. . . . . DEFENSE COUNSEL: The search warrants with respect to 3480 Salt Lake Boulevard, or her residence, nothing was found there. THE COURT: Okay, I think  unless the Defense wants that in, I think that's irrelevant, and I'm going to ask [prosecutor] not even to talk about two search warrants, one for her home, one for this individual, the man, whoever he may be. DEFENSE COUNSEL: And that's precisely the point. The search warrant that in fact recovered the illicit items, it was not addressed specifically with respect to Ms. Diaz, so if the prosecuting attorney will start asking questions with respect to did you search the defendant with regards to that search warrant, there will be the impression by the jury that that particular search warrant for Fil-Am Video was addressed for Ms. Diaz, and that's not the case. That search warrant was addressed to Aris Garcia, not Ms. Diaz. . . . . PROSECUTION: Your Honor, the State's not going to over-emphasize it. It's just going to ask the officers were you there pursuant to a search warrant, were you executing a search warrant, and that's it. THE COURT: All right. DEFENSE COUNSEL: And then I'd like to be free at that point to expand on that particular search warrant for the Fil-Am Video to point out to the officer that in fact the attention or focus of that search warrant was not Ms. Diaz, but someone else. PROSECUTOR: I'm going to object to that, Your Honor. He can't have part of it coming in. THE COURT: It's up to you, [defense counsel]. But, you know, if you open the door, then  you know, I don't know what you're going to ask or what the answer may be.