Opinion ID: 167423
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: The affidavit and search warrant

Text: 14 Given his surveillance and purchases from Pawoo and Isabel, Agent Pollock drafted an affidavit in support of an application for a search warrant. The affidavit described Isabel as a Hispanic female with red hair and brown eyes, and Pawoo as a Hispanic male with black hair and brown eyes. Agent Pollock conferred with District Attorney Katherine Bernards-Goodman, who reviewed the draft affidavit, and asked her about searching the garage. He stated he was trying to find out if [he] had legal rights to go through the garage but wanted to make sure since [the garage] was on the same property ... that... with [his] training and with [his] past knowing that people store things in the garage, was it acceptable under the same search warrant to go through the garage because it was detached. Id. at 547. District Attorney Bernards-Goodman asked if there were any indicia that a second residence was on the property, such as separate address numbers or a separate mailbox. According to the district court, Agent Pollock told her he was not aware of any indicia of a second residence. Id., vol. II, at 854. 15 One February 4, 2003 Agent Pollock submitted the proposed search warrant and affidavit to a Utah state court judge. The application described the property to be searched as: 16 44 West 2700 South, South Salt Lake City, Utah, a white house, brown roof, front door faces south, small wood fence to the west of the door across the front, #44 on the wall to the right of the front door, a detached garage to the rear of the house on the east side 17 Id. at 485 (emphasis added). The search warrant, issued the same day, described the property identically to the affidavit. The search warrant authorized the officer to search the property described, including any and all outbuildings and curtilage of the property. Id. at 724. Agent Pollock was aware that the detached garage itself had an addition (the 1963 finished main floor). He stated that he knew that an attachment to the garage existed before the execution of the warrant. 18 After he obtained the search warrant, Agent Pollock learned of the violent criminal backgrounds of Mr. Paul and Mr. Fawcett, who purportedly lived at 44 West 2700 South. Accordingly, Officer Pollock then contacted the SERT/SWAT officers to arrange for their assistance in the execution of the warrant. 4. The SERT/SWAT team's Operations Order 19 Three SERT/SWAT officers formed a scout team to investigate and surveil 44 West 2700 South. The scout team members reported they heard voices coming from the detached structure, observed lights on in the structure during the evening, and had seen individuals entering and exiting the garage. They also commented about the number of cars on the property. Scout member Officer Donovan Lucas testified that he told Agent Pollock that we've seen people going in there, are we sure that this is the primary residence? to which Agent Pollock responded, Yes, I've already double-checked that. Id. vol. II, at 584. 20 As the district court noted, 21 Agent Pollock told Sergeant Barnett that the scout team members believe[] or [sic] someone may be using the outbuilding. Sergeant Barnett, upon consulting with Lieutenant Lloyd Edward Michaud about the observed use of the outbuilding, told Agent Pollock to contact the district attorney's office for advice. Agent Pollock told Sergeant Barnett he had already consulted a district attorney, who said the outbuilding could be legally searched with the search warrant. 22 Id. vol. IV, at 1312. Sergeant Barnett's declaration indicates that Agent Pollock advised [him] that the district attorney's office told him the outbuildings could be legally searched with the Search Warrant. Id. vol. II, at 619. Agent Pollock does not recall using the term outbuildings, but probably said garage. Id. at 557. 23 Agent Pollock told the scout team it could do more checking if it remained concerned. The scout team contacted the city and reviewed a plat map, which indicated there was only one address for the property. Agent Pollock stated that Officer Donovan Lucas reported that the city planner indicated [t]here was no second residence on the home as far as they're concerned. Id. at 552. Agent Pollock added that the owner was going to be contacted hopefully after the search warrant was executed and that they were living [in the detached structure] quote/unquote illegally is what I was told through [Officer Lucas]. Id. Officers Tyler Kotter, Aiveni Taufu, and Lucas of the scout team drafted the SERT/SWAT Operation Order that Agent Pollock approved. The order described a single family dwelling with detached garage/residence. Id. at 731 (emphasis added). In his deposition, Officer Lucas testified the term garage/residence was used because the team members weren't sure whether someone was living there. Id. at 824. He acknowledged that if there's a secondary address on [the warrant], then we really shouldn't execute the continuation of the warrant. Id. at 823. The Operations Order continued as follows: 24 Left stick will be the entry stick for residence # 1 and the right stick will be the entry stick for the residence # 2 .... At driveway, left stick will slow to allow right stick to get into the back of the residence to simultaneously enter the two buildings. Left stick will then proceed to the white [sic] side of residence # 1 and prepare to breach the front door (single door knob right hinged left).... Right stick will then proceed to the white [sic] side of residence # 2 and prepare to breach the front door residence # 2, .... Two other officers will port [sic] and cover the 2-2 windows on the black [sic] side of residence # 2 once the primary entry of residence # 2 has been breached. Both sticks will enter their respective buildings and secure and clear the residences. 25 Id. at 734 (emphasis added). The Operations Order designated the back side of residence # 2 a danger area because motion lights in the commercial storage bordered the back side of the property. Id. 5. The Execution of the Warrant 26 On February 12, 2003, at approximately 12:30 a.m., Agent Pollock and Sergeant Barnett met with the SERT/SWAT team at a parking lot close to the house. The SERT/SWAT team departed to execute the warrant, while Agent Pollock and Sergeant Barnett waited behind for confirmation regarding the securing of the area. 27 The SERT/SWAT team divided into two units: the right stick for the house and the left stick for the garage. At 12:46 a.m., the units simultaneously entered 44 West 2700 South and 44 ½West 2700 South. To enter the garage apartment, the team broke through a rear window, and also entered through the side door. The team members swarmed the garage apartment with their weapons drawn. 28 Ms. Harman and Mr. Overton were discovered sleeping, lying unclothed on a mattress. Ms. Harman was wearing only thong underwear; Mr. Overton was naked. The team members smelled burnt marijuana and saw marijuana and a pipe on the kitchen counter. The SERT/SWAT team gave the plaintiffs a single bed sheet, handcuffed them to the couch, and searched the premises. Ms. Harman contends that she was so terrified that she urinated on herself, and was not given the opportunity to clean herself. Plaintiffs contend that only after an hour of being handcuffed in the February cold air did male officers help them dress. The defendants maintain that a female officer assisted Ms. Harman and a male officer aided Mr. Overton. 29 After securing the property, the SERT/SWAT team radioed Agent Pollock and Sergeant Barnett. Sergeant Barnett testified that [w]hen [he] walked in the door, [the plaintiffs] were sitting on the couch. Id. vol. III, at 1150. He testified that the residence appeared it could have been a separate residence, noting the counter and small kitchen. Id. at 1147. He wasn't sure whether the plaintiffs were involved in the drug ring. Id. at 1150. Despite his doubts, Sergeant Barnett returned to 44 West 2700 South to assist the processing of the suspects there. 30 After about thirty minutes, Sergeant Barnett returned to question the plaintiffs individually. The plaintiffs had been moved to a van holding suspects from 44 West 2700 South. Sergeant Barnett spoke to each plaintiff for about fifteen to twenty minutes. Ms. Harman repeatedly requested to see the search warrant. The plaintiffs told Sergeant Barnett that they had moved into the residence a few weeks earlier and were not involved with the drug trafficking at the 44 West 2700 South residence. Sergeant Barnett testified that upon completion of the interviews, he felt certain the garage apartment was a separate residence. Id. at 1149. 31 Agent Pollock did not interact with the plaintiffs. To apparently conceal his identity, Agent Pollcok testified that, upon returning to 44 West 2700 South, he donned a Balaclava, a type of head gear that covers the whole head. He then remained in front of the house in the shadows near some bushes and viewed the goings on from there. Agent Pollock did not recognize either Ms. Harman or Mr. Overton, but thought their features may have been consistent with purchasers of drugs from 44 West 2700 South. The district court concluded that Agent Pollock entered 44½ West 2700 South after the plaintiffs' removal. While there, he conducted a quick search for weapons or drugs. Id. at 1321. 32 Sergeant Barnett then told Lieutenant Michaud, who was in charge, that plaintiffs were not involved in the drug trafficking at 44 West 2700 South. Lieutenant Michaud gave the plaintiffs citations for possession of marijuana and paraphernalia, and they were released at 2:35 a.m. 33 Ms. Harman and Mr. Overton filed a complaint under 42 U.S.C. § 1983, alleging that Agent Pollock and Sergeant Barnett violated their Fourth Amendment rights (1) to be free of unreasonable searches, and (2) to be free from unreasonable detentions. The district court concluded that the officers were entitled to qualified immunity because (1) the entry into the garage apartment was objectively reasonable, and (2) the subsequent detention was also reasonable. For the reasons given below, we affirm in part and reverse in part.