Opinion ID: 1758171
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: The vacant trailer

Text: A like contention is made that the seizure of the brown bag beneath the steps of the vacant trailer next to Kimble's trailer was not authorized by the warrant, because the vacant trailer was not designated as the place to be searched in the warrant. Again the State contends to the contrary, arguing that the close proximity of the vacant trailer was within the meaning and intendment of the warrant authorizing the search of Kimble's trailer together with all approaches and appurtenances thereto. The search of the basement to Miller's apartment occurred about 3:45 on the afternoon of February 24, 1978. The information which supported probable cause for the issuance of the warrant had been confirmed by the search of the basement. With this knowledge the officers proceeded to Kimble's trailer and established the surveillance which assured them that the brown bag secreted beneath the steps of the vacant trailer in all probability contained drugs obtained in the pharmacy burglary. And, even if the warrant did not authorize the seizure of the brown bag, the officers had probable cause to do so. In addition, although seizure of the bag under the steps of the vacant trailer was not initially with the permission of the owner, the owner did subsequently approve the seizure and allowed the officers to search the interior of the vacant trailer. If the State's contention that the clause together with all approaches and appurtenances thereto included the steps of the vacant trailer was not well-founded, the fact that the officers had probable cause to believe that Spruell was secreting stolen drugs and the approval of the seizure of the bag by the owner of the vacant trailer do combine to meet the test of reasonableness established by the Fourth Amendment. Kimble and Spruell had no right to an expectation of privacy beneath the steps of the vacant trailer. The trailer park owner was the party entitled to that right and he waived it in favor of the police. In State v. Williams, 353 So.2d 1299 (La. 1978), this Court upheld an after-the-fact consent to a search and seizure, saying: Therefore, even if the initial entry into defendant's house and impoundment of his automobile resulted in a warrantless search or seizure, the subsequent voluntary written consent to search a second time amounted to a waiver of the warrant requirement rendering both the first and second search and seizure valid. Consequently, the ruling of the trial judge denying the motion to suppress was correct. Thus neither Spruell nor Kimble had a right to demand that the police obtain a warrant to search the vacant trailer which did not belong to them and in which they had no expectation of privacy. In any event, the after-the-fact consent by the owner to search the vacant trailer was a waiver of the warrant requirement.