Opinion ID: 365589
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Alonso Lizarraga

Text: 7 Alonso attacks on several grounds the sufficiency of the affidavit supporting the warrant for the search of his house. This affidavit discloses substantively that an informant-heroin user had seen his own dealer, Blondie, take delivery of heroin from a person whose name may have been Alonso, whose description fit that of Alonso, and who drove a car registered to Alonso. It also discloses that the affiant-officer had, upon the informant's tip as to time and place, observed what appeared to be a drug transaction between Blondie and the person believed to have been Alonso. 8 Alonso first argues that the informant's identity should have been disclosed, an argument which we have already rejected. It is next argued that the affidavit does not disclose sufficiently the reliability of the informant. Alonso points particularly to the fact that the affidavit, in referring to three of the four previous cases in which this informant was involved, states only that the informant assisted the officer. In the fourth case, the informant furnished . . . information, but this case culminated only in arrest, not conviction. 9 We reject Alonso's argument as to the informant's reliability. Viewing the affidavit in the appropriate commonsense and realistic fashion, United States v. Ventresca, 380 U.S. 102, 108, 85 S.Ct. 741, 13 L.Ed.2d 684 (1965), it is clear from the context that the officer was using assisted to refer to the supplying of information. The officer refers to the informant as having  given truthful information, and having assist(ed) . . . by acting in an undercover role. The affidavit also discloses that in the fourth case not only did the information supplied by the informant lead to arrest, but also to seizure of heroin. 10 Further, it is clear that tips given by the informant were corroborated by personal observations of the officer. The officer knew Blondie to be a heroin dealer, and had arrested him in the past. The officer verified the license plate and identification of the car and the description of its owner, as supplied by the informant. The officer also observed an apparent drug transaction between Blondie and the driver of the car when and where the informant had said that such a transaction would occur. The reliability of the informant is also buttressed somewhat by his statements against his own penal interest that he had purchased heroin from Blondie. See United States v. Harris, 403 U.S. 573, 583-84, 91 S.Ct. 2075, 29 L.Ed.2d 723 (1971) (opinion of Burger, C. J., joined by three justices, one justice concurring in the judgment). 11 Alonso also argues that the affidavit does not disclose that the information came from the informant's personal knowledge. This contention is also without merit, as the affidavit is clear that it relates the informant's personal observations. It states either that the informant has seen the actions related to the officer, or provides information of such nature and detail as to make clear that it relates firsthand observation. 12 It is next argued that even if the affidavit is sufficient to establish Alonso as the connection, it does not disclose reasonable grounds for believing that heroin would be found at Alonso's house. The premise of this argument is correct: the facts supporting the warrant must show probable cause to believe that the criminal objects are presently in the place to be searched, Durham v. United States, 403 F.2d 190, 193 (9th Cir. 1968), and it cannot follow in all cases, simply from the existence of probable cause to believe a suspect guilty, that there is also probable cause to search his residence. United States v. Lucarz, 430 F.2d 1051, 1055 (9th Cir. 1970). 13 But it is also clear that interpreting a search warrant in the proper commonsense and realistic fashion, United States v. Ventresca, supra, 380 U.S. at 108, 85 S.Ct. 741, may result in the inference of probable cause to believe that criminal objects are located in a particular place to which they have not been tied by direct evidence. See, e. g., United States v. Spearman, 532 F.2d 132, 133 (9th Cir. 1976) (per curiam) (affidavit disclosed heroin sales at defendant's apartment; held, warrant for search of car valid); United States v. Lucarz, supra, 430 F.2d at 1055 (affidavit gave probable cause to believe postal employee had stolen contents of mail pouch; Held, warrant for search of residence valid). In the present case the affidavit discloses that the informant had seen deliveries by Alonso several times, and that Blondie was able to get heroin from Alonso readily. The officer's personal knowledge confirmed that Blondie was a dealer, permitting the reasonable inference that Alonso was an even higher level dealer. The officer, acting on the informant's tip, saw Alonso leave his house and drive to where the apparent narcotics transaction with Blondie took place. The opinion of the affiant, an experienced narcotics officer, that there would be heroin on Alonso's person or in his house or car, is but a particularized restatement of the officer's opinion in the affidavit in United States v. Spearman, supra, 532 F.2d at 133, that  '(i)t is commonplace for dealers of heroin to have heroin that is packaged for sale in the place where they live or sell from, in their vehicles or on their persons.'  We find the affidavit in the present case sufficient to permit the inference that heroin would be found at the time of search in the Lizarraga residence. 14 Alonso next argues that his motions for severance were improperly denied. Under Federal Rule of Criminal Procedure 8(b), joinder of several defendants is permissible only where they are alleged to have participated in the same act or transaction or in the same series of acts or transactions constituting an offense or offenses. Here the requisite relatedness of the series of acts alleged in the substantive counts hinges upon the conspiracy count, which ties all of the substantive offenses together. Alonso argues, in essence, that the conspiracy count is insufficient or improper, and thus that misjoinder is shown. Further, it is argued that even if joinder was proper under Rule 8(b), failure to grant severance under Rule 14 was an abuse of discretion. 15 Ordinarily, the mere charging of a conspiracy count linking together substantive counts against various defendants fully satisfies the Rule 8(b) requirement of relatedness and makes joinder proper under that rule. Schaffer v. United States, 362 U.S. 511, 514, 80 S.Ct. 945, 4 L.Ed.2d 921 (1960); United States v. Donaway, 447 F.2d 940, 943 (9th Cir. 1971); Fernandez v. United States, 329 F.2d 899, 905 (9th Cir.), Cert. denied, 379 U.S. 832, 85 S.Ct. 62, 13 L.Ed.2d 40 (1964). Even if the appellate court decides subsequently that the conspiracy count was improper, and reverses the conspiracy conviction, reversal of the substantive convictions does not result under Rule 8(b). Fernandez v. United States, supra, 329 F.2d at 905-06; See Schaffer v. United States, supra, 362 U.S. at 514, 80 S.Ct. 945. This rule may not apply where conspiracy is alleged in bad faith merely to sidestep the requirements of Rule 8(b), United States v. Donaway, supra, 447 F.2d at 943, but Alonso's argument charging bad faith is not persuasive. 16 The question then becomes whether the trial court abused its discretion under Rule 14, which permits severance when justice so requires. A failure to establish conspiracy is not a ground for severance under Rule 14, absent prejudice. Schaffer v. United States, supra, 362 U.S. at 516, 80 S.Ct. 945; United States v. Cozzetti, 441 F.2d 344, 349 (9th Cir. 1971); Fernandez v. United States, supra, 329 F.2d at 906. The trial court need not have exercised its discretion to order separate trials, unless a joint trial was manifestly prejudicial. United States v. Cozzetti, supra, 441 F.2d at 349. We find that the burden of showing manifest prejudice has not been met. 17 Alonso was convicted of both conspiracy and substantive Count VIII. He apparently does not challenge the sufficiency of the substantive count, and in any event the evidence on this count is strong. Thus, because Alonso was sentenced concurrently on the conspiracy and substantive counts, we affirm the conviction without review of the sufficiency of the conspiracy count. See United States v. Westover, 511 F.2d 1154, 1155 (9th Cir.), Cert. denied, 422 U.S. 1009, 95 S.Ct. 2633, 45 L.Ed.2d 673 (1975).