Opinion ID: 1692959
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 17

Heading: Applicability of Inevitable Discovery Doctrine

Text: Soukharith relies on State v. Andersen, 232 Neb. 187, 440 N.W.2d 203 (1989), to argue that because no search had been initiated prior to Puls' illegal interrogation, the inevitable discovery doctrine does not apply. In Andersen, this court adopted the inevitable discovery doctrine: If the State shows by a preponderance of the evidence that, disregarding any police misconduct in obtaining the evidence in question, the disputed or controversial evidence would have been produced or obtained by proper police investigation entirely independent of the illegal investigative conduct, then such evidence is admissible pursuant to the `inevitable discovery' doctrine.... `[I]nevitable discovery' involves two lines of investigation, one tainted and the other lawful, but the lawful line of investigation is not consummated in production of evidence. However, by the requisite preponderance of evidence, the State must demonstrate that some lawful means of discovery, not an illegal investigation, would have produced the evidence in question, that is, such evidence inevitably would have been discovered without existence of any police misconduct. 232 Neb. at 199-200, 440 N.W.2d at 213-14 (quoting State v. Evans, 223 Neb. 383, 389 N.W.2d 777 (1986)). In Andersen, the police illegally seized an address book from Andersen's home. The address book contained a name which led police to several individuals who later testified against Andersen. At the time, Andersen was a suspect in an independent investigation. We affirmed the lower court's ruling, holding that the names inevitably would have been discovered by the independent investigation. Our holding in Andersen does not indicate that a search for the specific item discovered, i.e., the address book, must be ongoing for the inevitable discovery doctrine to apply. See, also, U.S. v. Kennedy, 61 F.3d 494 (6th Cir.1995) (holding that inevitable discovery exception to exclusionary rule applies when prosecution can demonstrate either existence of independent, untainted investigation that inevitably would have uncovered same evidence or other compelling facts establishing that disputed evidence inevitably would have been discovered), cert. denied ___ U.S. ___, 116 S.Ct. 1351, 134 L.Ed.2d 520 (1996); U.S. v. Ramirez-Sandoval, 872 F.2d 1392 (9th Cir.1989) (holding there is no requirement that evidence be obtained from previously initiated, independent investigation so long as police inevitably would have uncovered evidence following routine procedures). Rather, Andersen requires that there be an independent investigation, of which the search that inevitably would result in discovery of the evidence may be but a part. Here, as discussed below, agent Mott's investigation was ongoing when Puls illegally interrogated Soukharith. Although the FBI had not begun a physical search for Karen's body, Mott testified that, absent any assistance from Puls, the search would have been conducted. Soukharith's assignment of error is without merit.