Opinion ID: 3049756
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Circumstances surrounding the issuance of the

Text: warrant To determine whether the search of Hurd’s residence was within the scope of the warrant, we first conduct “an objective assessment of the circumstances surrounding the issuance of the warrant . . . .” Hitchcock, 286 F.3d at 1071. Officer Clifton applied for a warrant authorizing the search of Hurd’s person, his residence, and his vehicle. In support of UNITED STATES v. HURD 10515 the warrant application, Officer Clifton submitted a sworn affidavit setting forth probable cause for the search of the residence described in the warrant.4 Officer Clifton notes in the affidavit that he and other officers witnessed Hurd on multiple occasions drive to the residence described in the warrant, enter the apartment, and then return to his vehicle and immediately proceed to the site where he sold drugs to a police informant. Following these transactions, Hurd would return to the residence described in the warrant. The affidavit also notes that Hurd’s personal information in the police data system lists the apartment described in the warrant as his permanent residence. [2] When Officer Clifton presented this affidavit and the search warrant to Judge Kurshner at her home, the judge placed Officer Clifton under oath and reviewed the affidavit. She then instructed Officer Clifton to sign the affidavit and she also signed it herself. Judge Kurshner did not ask any questions about the information in the affidavit or the request to search Hurd, his residence, and his vehicle. She did not give any indication that probable cause only supported part of the requested search warrant, nor did she give any indication that there were any other problems with the warrant request. To the contrary, Judge Kurshner told Officer Clifton that “his warrant request was ‘fine’ (or words to that effect)” before signing the search warrant itself. Judge Kurshner signed the warrant promptly after reviewing and signing Officer Clifton’s affidavit, and that affidavit indisputably described the probable cause for searching Hurd’s residence. It is likely that if Judge Kurshner did not intend to authorize the search of Hurd’s residence, she would have done something to call Officer Clifton’s attention to whatever deficiency she found in the warrant request and she would not have simply indicated her approval of the warrant. An objective assessment of the circumstances surrounding the issuance of the warrant 4 Hurd does not dispute that the affidavit sets forth probable cause to search his residence. 10516 UNITED STATES v. HURD thus supports the conclusion that Judge Kurshner authorized the search of Hurd’s residence along with the search of his person and his vehicle.