Opinion ID: 216506
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: The Scope Of The Consent To Search

Text: The second issue before us is whether Lainhart's search of the laptop computer fell within the scope of Lucas's written consent to search his residence for narcotics-related evidence. We begin our analysis with the Supreme Court's pronouncements in Florida v. Jimeno, 500 U.S. 248, 251, 111 S.Ct. 1801, 114 L.Ed.2d 297 (1991), that the scope of a search is generally defined by its expressed object and that the standard for measuring the scope of a suspect's consent under the Fourth Amendment is `objective' reasonablenesswhat would the typical reasonable person have understood by the exchange between the officer and the suspect? In Jimeno, the suspect gave a police officer permission to search his car after the officer stated he was looking for drugs. Id. The question was whether it was reasonable for the police officer to conclude that the suspect's general consent to a search of his car included consent to examine a containera closed paper baglying on the floor of the car. Jimeno, 500 U.S. at 251, 111 S.Ct. 1801. The Supreme Court held that a reasonable person would know narcotics are generally carried in some form of container; therefore, it was objectively reasonable for the police officer to conclude that the suspect's general consent to search the car also included consent to search containers within the car which might conceal drugs. Id. The Court refused to require the police to seek and receive permission from a suspect to search each closed container found within a car, observing that a suspect may of course delimit as he chooses the scope of the search to which he consents. But if his consent would reasonably be understood to extend to a particular container, the Fourth Amendment provides no grounds for requiring a more explicit authorization. Id. at 252, 111 S.Ct. 1801. In reversing the Florida Supreme Court's affirmance of the suppression order, the Court distinguished the facts in Jimeno from State v. Wells, 539 So.2d 464 (Fla.1989), where the Florida Supreme Court had held that a suspect's consent to search the trunk of a car did not include authority to open a locked briefcase found inside the trunk. Id. at 251, 111 S.Ct. 1801. It is very likely unreasonable[,] the Supreme Court said, to think that a suspect, by consenting to the search of his trunk, has agreed to the breaking open of a locked briefcase within the trunk, but it is otherwise with respect to a closed paper bag. Id. at 251-52, 111 S.Ct. 1801. We followed Jimeno when we decided United States v. Garrido-Santana, 360 F.3d 565, 575-76 (6th Cir.2004), also an automobile search case. We held that the search of the vehicle's gas tank fell within the scope of the suspect's written consent to search the car where the suspect knew the officer was looking for drugs and the suspect did not object to a search of the gas tank, did not clarify that the scope of his sweeping consent excluded such a search, and did not revoke his consent, even though he had opportunity to do so. Id. at 576. We determined it was objectively reasonable for the police to conclude that the general consent to search the vehicle included consent to search any container within that vehicle that might have held illegal contraband. Id. We also recognized that the Fourth Amendment did not require the police to obtain separate permission to search the gas tank. Id. In Canipe, 569 F.3d at 604, also a vehicle search case, one issue we considered was whether police officers exceeded the scope of consent to look in a truck when they opened two closed containers found in the truck to discover a handgun and ammunition. Acknowledging that the question fell between two genre of cases exemplified by Jimeno and Wells, we observed that [w]hile the officers did not convey to Canipe the object of their search (distinguishing [the] case from the permissible consent search in Jimeno ), they also did not break or pry open locked containers (distinguishing [the] case from the impermissible consent search in Wells ). Id. at 605. We stated that it is `ordinarily' true that `general consent [to a search] permits the opening of closed but unlocked containers found in the place as to which consent was given' even `where officers did not tell the suspect the object of their search.' Id. (citing, e.g., United States v. Gant, 112 F.3d 239, 243 (6th Cir.1997)). Because the investigator in Canipe asked the suspect whether he had anything in his vehicle that might be unlawful, such questioning placed the suspect on notice that any unlawful item would be the subject of a search. Id. at 606. Thereafter, Canipe's general consent to search the truck reasonably included permission to search any container that might have held illegal objects. Id. Canipe made no attempt to revoke or limit the scope of his consent, although he was at or near the scene of the search. Id. For these reasons, we held the district court did not clearly err in ruling that the search fell within the scope of Canipe's consent. Id. We have not previously issued a published opinion applying the analysis of these automobile search cases in the context of a consent search of a personal computer located inside a private residence. In a similar child pornography case that was resolved in an unpublished opinion, we addressed the computer search issue briefly. United States v. Cottle, 355 Fed.Appx. 18 (6th Cir.2009), cert. denied, ___ U.S. ___, 130 S.Ct. 3490, 177 L.Ed.2d 1079 (2010). In that case, the defendant asserted on appeal that a sentencing enhancement should not apply because his father's consent to search the residence they shared did not give the police authority to search the defendant's personal computer located inside the residence. Id. at 21. We rejected the challenge, citing Canipe for the proposition that [g]eneral consent to search reasonably includes permission to search any container that might hold illegal objects. Id. Based on the third-party consent to search given to the police by the defendant's father, we determined that the search of the house and the computer was reasonable. Id. See also United States v. Morgan, 435 F.3d 660, 663-64 (6th Cir.2006) (holding warrantless search of defendant's computer for child pornography was justified where police reasonably concluded from facts available that defendant's wife had apparent authority to consent to the computer search). In this case, the defined object of the search, as clearly explained to Lucas, was the location and seizure of narcotics-related evidence. Like the district court, we believe a typical reasonable person, viewing objectively the exchange that took place between Lucas and the police in the laundry room, would determine that Lucas granted voluntary, written consent for the police to make a complete search of his residence for controlled substances, drug paraphernalia, and other material or records pertaining to narcotics, and to take from there any evidence pertaining to this investigation. Before Lainhart touched the laptop, the police had already discovered the marijuana plants in the closet and the digital photographs on the camera depicting marijuana usage. Also, on the keyboard tray below the laptop, Lainhart had found a handwritten grow chart. Through training and experience, Lainhart knew that individuals involved in growing marijuana often save plant growth data on computers in the form of Excel spreadsheets and upload that information, along with bragging photographs, to the Internet. He also knew that individuals involved in dealing or using controlled substances commonly store narcotics-related records and photographs on their computers and other electronic devices. In fact, Lucas disclosed to the police that he utilized the Internet to learn how to clone marijuana plants for re-sale and that he used a share program to exchange information with other growers. Upon finding the handwritten grow chart, Lainhart turned to Lucas, who sat a few feet away, and asked him if the laptop was password-protected. See United States v. Stabile, 633 F.3d 219, 232 (3d Cir.2011) (password protection is a factor that may be considered in determining suspect's privacy interest in computer). Lucas responded that it was not. Lainhart then opened the My Documents folder to look for an Excel spreadsheet like the one he found in handwritten form, and he opened the My Photos folder to look for photographs of marijuana plants or usage. Lucas did not at any time object to the computer search that was taking place in his presence, nor did he withdraw his consent to search. He also did not make any effort to clarify that he did not contemplate a search of his laptop when he granted written consent to search his home for other material or records pertaining to narcotics. In light of these circumstances, the district court found that Lucas himself believed the search of his laptop fell within the scope of his initial written consent to search because he confirmed the computer was not password-protected and he did not in any way object to the search of electronic files. The district court analogized the search of Lucas's non-secure laptop to the search of a closed, unlocked container, relying on Jimeno and several cases from other jurisdictions. See United States v. Al-Marri, 230 F.Supp.2d 535, 539-41 (S.D.N.Y.2002); United States v. Roberts, 86 F.Supp.2d 678, 688-89 (S.D.Tex.2000), aff'd, 274 F.3d 1007 (5th Cir.2001); United States v. Barth, 26 F.Supp.2d 929, 936-37 (W.D.Tex.1998); United States v. O'Razvi, No. 97 CR. 1250, 1998 WL 405048, at  (S.D.N.Y. July 17, 1998); United States v. David, 756 F.Supp. 1385, 1390 (D.Nev. 1991); and United States v. Blas, No. 90-CR162, 1990 WL 265179, at  (E.D.Wis. Dec.4, 1990). In light of Jimeno and our own prior holdings in Garrido-Santana and Canipe, we cannot say that the district court clearly erred in making its findings. Our decision to uphold Lainhart's entry into Lucas's electronic files based on the facts of this case should not be read as a grant of broad authority to the police to open a suspect's non-secured computer and examine at will all of the electronic files stored there. [3] We have previously cautioned in the context of third-party consent that [a]uthority to consent to a search of a residence is not necessarily co-extensive with authority to consent to a closed container stored in that area. United States v. Aaron, 33 Fed.Appx. 180, 184 (6th Cir.2002). And the district court below shared our concern that analogizing computers to other physical objects when applying Fourth Amendment law is not an exact fit because computers hold so much personal and sensitive information touching on many private aspects of life. We recognize individuals have a reasonable expectation of privacy in the content of emails stored, sent, or received through a commercial internet service provider. United States v. Warshak, 631 F.3d 266, 288 (6th Cir.2010). And we know there is a far greater potential for the `intermingling' of documents and a consequent invasion of privacy when police execute a search for evidence on a computer. United States v. Walser, 275 F.3d 981, 986 (10th Cir.2001). We uphold Lainhart's initial entry into Lucas's laptop because Lucas consented to the search of his non-secure computer for other material or records pertaining to narcotics, the police had already found narcotics-related evidence that justified Lainhart's limited search for the same or similar drug-related records and photographs on the computer, and Lucas did not lodge any objection to the search of his computer, clarify the scope of his consent, or withdraw his consent. [4] Finally, we agree with the district court's conclusion that Lainhart did not violate the Fourth Amendment when he accessed the removable thumb drive connected to the laptop and child pornography appeared unexpectedly on the screen. This case is not like United States v. Carey, 172 F.3d 1268, 1273 (10th Cir.1999), where the police officer inadvertently discovered child pornography while searching a computer for drug-related documents. There the officer failed to stop searching the computer pending issuance of a search warrant and instead rummaged through the hard drive for five hours looking for additional child pornography. By contrast, Lainhart's actions mirror those of the police officer in Walser, 275 F.3d at 984-85, who, in searching a computer for drug-related evidence, stumbled upon one file that displayed numerous thumbnail images of girls engaged in sexual acts with men. Believing the material to be child pornography, the officer enlarged the thumbnails to confirm his belief and then immediately ceased searching in anticipation of obtaining a search warrant. Id. at 985. In that situation, the Tenth Circuit affirmed the denial of a motion to suppress because the computer search fell within the parameters of the initial drug search. Id. at 987. See also United States v. Whaley, No. 10-12255, 2011 WL 521174, at -5 (11th Cir. Feb.16, 2011) (citing Walser where officer inadvertently found child pornography by opening an electronic file in a reasonable, though mistaken, belief that the file was the subject of the individual's consent); United States v. Koch, 625 F.3d 470, 476 (8th Cir.2010) (distinguishing Carey where officers unexpectedly encountered child pornography on flash drive and promptly stopped searching to obtain a search warrant). Similarly, in United States v. Wells, No. 3:08-cr-0003-JAJ, 2008 WL 2783264, at  2 (S.D.Iowa July 15, 2008), a police officer conducted a consent search of a computer for records related to drug trafficking. Id. While searching, the officer found a file folder containing images of child pornography. The officer reviewed three pictures in a ten-minute period and then stopped searching, secured the computer, and obtained a search warrant. Id. The Wells court determined that the search for drug records on the computer fell within the scope of third-party consent to search the apartment, but that no objectively reasonable person could agree that consent was given to search the apartment purposefully for child pornography. Id. at . Because the officer discovered the child pornography accidentally and immediately stopped searching to obtain a search warrant, however, the motion to suppress was denied. Id. at . We find the reasoning of these cases persuasive. Here there is no evidence that Lainhart intentionally searched for child pornography and purposefully exceeded the scope of Lucas's consent to search for other material or records pertaining to narcotics. When thumbnail images suddenly appeared on the screen, Lainhart enlarged just a few of them to be certain he was looking at child pornography. Convinced of the unlawful nature of the material, he immediately stopped searching and called the CACU detectives, who then obtained Lucas's voluntary consent, and subsequently a search warrant, to seize and search the computers thoroughly for child pornography. As a result, we conclude that the district court did not err in its evaluation of the Fourth Amendment issues. In light of our holding that Lainhart's search of the laptop fell within the scope of Lucas's voluntary consent to search, we need not consider whether Lucas's signature on the second consent form permitting a forensic examination of his computers was sufficiently attenuated from his signature on the first consent from to dissipate any taint caused by Lainhart's search of the laptop. We also need not address the argument that the child pornography would have been discovered inevitably through execution of a search warrant.