Opinion ID: 760821
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: the district court's ruling and issues presented

Text: 17 In its finding of facts, the district court essentially accepted the police version of events, and ruled that the evidence obtained in the search of Ivy's house should not be suppressed. The district court, adopting the magistrate judge's report, found that Ivy and Jones were not credible witnesses. It concluded: 18 [T]he testimony of Officer Harvey is more credible than that of the defendant James Ivy. Officer Harvey and his fellow patrolman were not at the house to look for drugs. They were there to locate Desi Arnez Hall, and did not know whether defendant was Hall or not. There was therefore no incentive for them to enter the house, except to protect themselves and to make sure defendant did not run out the back. At the evidentiary hearing, defendant testified that the $5,500.00 to $5,600.00 found by officers in a night stand in one of the bedrooms was money he and his girl friend had saved, and that he kept it under the night stand to keep it safe from burglars. This is such an incredible story ... that it taints defendant's credibility in general. 19 Based on this finding of the relative credibility of the witnesses, the district court adopted the police version of events with regard to Ivy's consent in allowing the officers to enter his house. The district court held defendant did in fact invite Officer Harvey and his partner into the house, as Harvey testified. 20 Similarly, the district court concluded that Ivy's consent to search the house was given voluntarily. The court explained: 21 Sergeant Setliff then went to defendant James Ivy and asked him if he would sign a consent to search the premises at 6706 Silhouette. Defendant made no response, and Sgt. Setliff went about doing other things. About five (5) to ten (10) minutes later, Sgt. Setliff again asked defendant if he would sign a consent to search. 22 There is a dispute about what next happened .... 23 ... [I]t is reasonable to infer that, when defendant asked Sgt. Setliff what would happen if he did not sign the consent, Sgt. Setliff told him something to the effect that a search warrant would be sought; that all adults in the house (including Tina Jones) would be arrested; and that, since there would be no adults to take care of the child, the child would be taken to the Department of Human Services for care. This would be an appropriate response, since, at the time of the arrest, Sgt. Setliff would have no way of knowing to whom the crack cocaine belonged. And, since all adults would be arrested, there would have to be arrangements made to take care of the small child. Thus, this would not be a threat (although defendant James Ivy and Tina Jones would perceive this as placing them on the horns of a dilemma). 24 Therefore ... the preponderance of the evidence indicates that the consent to search signed by defendant James Ivy was freely and voluntarily given and was not the result of coercion, duress, or submission to a claim of authority. Defendant was presented with a difficult choice (whether to sign and allow Tina Jones to stay with their child at 6706 Silhouette, or whether to refuse to sign, causing Ms. Jones to be arrested and the child to be taken for care and safekeeping by the Department of Human Services). However ... defendant freely and voluntarily made this choice, without any coercion, duress, or submission to a claim of authority by law enforcement officers. 25 On appeal, Ivy challenges the district court's ruling on two bases: first, that the district court erred in finding that Ivy consented to the officers' entry into his house; and, second, that the district court erred in finding that Ivy's consent to the police search of his house was given voluntarily.