Opinion ID: 495436
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: The Officers' Appeal

Text: 8 a. The District Court's Denial of the Officers' Motion For J.N.O.V. on Abshire's Sec. 1983 Claim 9 The standard in this circuit for judging the constitutionality of a strip search of a pre-trial detainee is firmly established. In Logan v. Shealy, 660 F.2d 1007 (4th Cir.1981), cert. denied, 455 U.S. 942, 102 S.Ct. 1435, 71 L.Ed.2d 653 (1982), we stated that 10 Strip searches of detainees are constitutionally constrained by due process requirements of reasonableness under the circumstances. In each case it requires a balancing of the need for the particular search against the invasion of personal rights that the search entails. Courts must consider the scope of the particular intrusion, the manner in which it is conducted, the justification for initiating it, and the place in which it is conducted. 11 Id. at 1013 (quoting Bell v. Wolfish, 441 U.S. 520, 559, 99 S.Ct. 1861, 1884, 60 L.Ed.2d 447 (1979)). On appeal, the officers contend that the evidence clearly established that the need for the ... search outweighed the invasion of personal rights. They argue that the search was therefore reasonable as a matter of law and the district court erred in denying their motions for directed verdict and judgment notwithstanding the verdict. We disagree. 12 In support of their position, the officers point to the following evidence. First, Baltimore County's strip search policy provided that [a]rrestees shall not be subject to a strip search unless specific factors are present which establish [a] reasonable belief that the search will uncover or recover a weapon or a controlled substance. Officer Krach, who authorized the search of Abshire, testified that he had a reasonable belief that the search [would] uncover or recover a weapon or a controlled substance because 13 number one, he was intoxicated, and there was no way to tell what he was intoxicated from or what combination of things he was intoxicated from [and,] [n]umber two, he was carrying a service revolver with one spent cartridge and one empty round and he was also carrying additional ammunition. 14 Second, the officers contend that the evidence established that the search was no more intrusive than necessary to determine if Abshire carried a controlled substance or a weapon. Finally, Officer Walls testified that he and another officer conducted the search in a utility room and, although the lock on the door was open and the door slightly ajar, the open door faced only the end of an empty hallway. 15 In contrast, Abshire contends that the invasion of his personal rights far outweighed any legitimate need for the search. He maintains that the police lacked a reasonable belief that the search would uncover a weapon because his revolver and ammunition had already been confiscated. Moreover, a less intrusive pat-down search was never conducted, nor was any evidence introduced as to why a more limited search was not feasible. Finally, Abshire testified that the strip search was conducted in front of six to eight police officers--five who were in the room with him and several others, including a female officer, who witnessed the search while standing in the adjacent hallway. 16 Considering the evidence in the light most favorable to Abshire, see Wilhelm v. Blue Bell, Inc., 773 F.2d 1429, 1433 (4th Cir.1985), cert. denied, 475 U.S. 1016, 106 S.Ct. 1199, 89 L.Ed.2d 313 (1986), the circumstances surrounding the search convincingly reinforces the decision of the trial court that the reasonableness of the search was a jury question. 17 b. The District Court's Evidentiary Rulings 18 Abshire moved in limine to exclude any documentary or testimonial evidence concerning his prior criminal record. Relying on Federal Rule of Evidence 609, the district court granted the motion and refused to permit any inquiry into Abshire's prior convictions. The police officers then proffered that they would have shown that Abshire: (1) was sentenced to one year in jail in 1968 for receiving stolen property; (2) received a probation before verdict on a disorderly conduct charge in June 1970; (3) was given a six-month suspended sentence and one-year probation in October 1970 for bypassing an electric meter; (4) was charged with two counts of failing to appear in housing court in October 1978, for which he paid an undisclosed amount in fines; and (5) was charged with contempt of court in March 1979 for failing to appear as required, for which he paid a fifteen dollar fine. Following the officers' proffer, the district court reaffirmed its decision. 19 On appeal, the police officers contend that the trial court erred in relying on Rule 609 to exclude evidence in this civil proceeding because Rule 609 applies only in a criminal setting. See, e.g., Moore v. Volkswagenwerk, A.G., 575 F.Supp. 919 (D.Md.1983). The district court reasoned that Abshire's prior convictions should be excluded because their prejudicial effect outweighed their probative value. This reasoning, however, is also pertinent to excluding evidence under Rule 403, which provides: 20 Although relevant, evidence may be excluded if its probative value is substantially outweighed by the danger of unfair prejudice, confusion of the issues, of misleading the jury, or by considerations of undue delay, waste of time, or a needless presentation of cumulative evidence. 21 Fed.R.Evid. 403. We, therefore, need not resolve Rule 609's applicability in a civil proceeding if Abshire's prior criminal record would be properly excluded under Rule 403. 22 The officers nevertheless contend that, even if the trial court's action is analyzed under Rule 403, the court still abused its discretion in refusing to admit evidence of Abshire's prior criminal record because the danger of unfair prejudice did not substantially outweigh its probative value. They urge that Abshire had attempted to bolster his credibility by relying on his status as a law enforcement officer. The officers argue that they consequently had the right to introduce Abshire's prior convictions to impeach his credibility. We disagree. 23 The unfair prejudice accompanying the admission of the latter four incidents proffered by the officers may well have substantially outweighed their probative value so that the trial court did not abuse its discretion in excluding the evidence. Since these events either occurred long ago or involved minor violations not involving dishonesty (or both), their probative worth is almost nil on the question of whether the jury should have believed Abshire's testimony. The record also amply supports the district court's ruling that the probative value associated with Abshire's 1968 conviction for receiving stolen property is substantially outweighed by the danger of unfair prejudice. The conviction was more than ten years old and, moreover, a conviction for receiving stolen property is not highly probative of credibility. See United States v. Glenn, 667 F.2d 1269, 1273 (9th Cir.1982) (theft crimes generally do not involve dishonesty or false statement.) 24 The officers also contend that the district court erred by refusing to allow them to cross-examine Abshire as to whether he had been strip searched on any previous occasion. They reasoned that they should have been allowed to pursue this line of questioning in an attempt to counteract Abshire's testimony complaining of the humiliating effect of the strip search. Although the district court did not ground his ruling on any particular rule of evidence, we conclude that this evidence was also properly excluded under Rule 403. 25 The officers further contend that the court erred in instructing the jury on the good faith defense, see Wood v. Strickland, 420 U.S. 308, 95 S.Ct. 992, 43 L.Ed.2d 214 (1975), and in delaying its summary judgment ruling until the eve of trial. Our review of the record, however, convinces us that neither contention is of sufficient merit to warrant discussion.