Opinion ID: 1928519
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: requirements for legal seizure of the methamphetamine.

Text: Defense counsel contends the methamphetamine was seized by means of an illegal search because the policemen's initial entry into Scott Geist's apartment to effect defendant's arrest was not based upon probable cause to believe defendant would be found within the apartment. It is clear that if the officers legally entered the apartment, the methamphetamine on the coffee table was properly seized because it was in plain view. Coolidge v. N. H., 403 U.S. 443, 91 S.Ct. 2022, 29 L.Ed. 564 (1971); State v. Pomes, 376 So.2d 133 (La.1979). The question of what requirements must be met before policemen may conduct a search of a third person's private home for a suspect for whom they have a valid arrest warrant is res nova in Louisiana. Article 224 of the Louisiana Code of Criminal Procedure provides: In order to make an arrest, a peace officer, who has announced his authority and purpose, may break open an outer or inner door or window of any vehicle, watercraft, aircraft, dwelling or other structure, movable or immovable, where the person to be arrested is or is reasonably believed to be, if he is refused or otherwise obstructed from admittance. The peace officer need not announce his authority and purpose when to do so would imperil the arrest. (Emphasis added). The United States and Louisiana Constitutions prohibit unreasonable searches and seizures. La.Const. art. 1, § 5 (1974); U.S.Const. amend. 4. As a general rule, police searches must be based upon probable cause. Draper v. U.S., 358 U.S. 307, 79 S.Ct. 329, 3 L.Ed.2d 327 (1959); State v. Culotta, 343 So.2d 977 (La.1976); State v. Morgan, 376 So.2d 99 (La.1979); State v. Hearn, 340 So.2d 1365 (La.1976) Probable cause for a search exists when facts within the officer's knowledge and of which he has reasonable and trustworthy information are sufficient to justify a reasonable man in the belief that the place to be searched will contain the object of the search. State v. Boneventure (and Buchanan), 374 So.2d 1238 (La.1979); State v. Morgan, supra. Also, as a general rule, a warrantless search is, per se, unreasonable absent one of the well-delineated exceptions. State v. Lain, 347 So.2d 167 (La.1977); State v. Aguillard, 357 So.2d 535 (La.1978); Coolidge v. N. H., supra. The warrant is required to insure a prior judicial determination of probable cause for the search. Schmerber v. Calif., 384 U.S. 757, 86 S.Ct. 1826, 16 L.Ed.2d 908 (1966). Without deciding whether police must obtain a search warrant prior to searching a third person's home for a suspect for whom they have a valid arrest warrant, [1] we conclude that the entry into Geist's residence was illegal because the officers did not have a reasonable belief, or probable cause to believe, that the defendant would be found in Geist's home as is required by C.Cr.P. art. 224 and by the Louisiana and United States Constitutional provisions prohibiting unreasonable searches and seizures. La.Const. art. 1, § 5 (1974); U.S.Const. amend. 4. Consequently, the methamphetamine must be excluded from introduction into evidence. Mapp v. Ohio, 367 U.S. 643, 81 S.Ct. 1684, 6 L.Ed. 1081 (1961); Weeks v. U.S. 232 U.S. 383, 34 S.Ct. 341, 58 L.Ed. 652 (1914); State v. Matthews, 366 So.2d 1348 (La.1978); State v. Davis, 359 So.2d 986 (La.1978). Any other result raises the possibility of police use of the arrest warrant, with no limitation, as carte blanche to search any residence in which they may believe a suspect is hiding. Such arbitrary invasion of the privacy of a person's home is exactly what the constitutional prohibitions of unreasonable searches seeks to prevent. State v. Jones, 358 So.2d 1257 (La.1978).