Opinion ID: 1960938
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: appellate court review

Text: The Court of Appeals, while having serious doubts regarding the trial court's finding, on the basis of a simple review of the preliminary examination transcript, that Officer Henry's testimony was inherently incredible, affirmed the trial court's decision on the theory that the trial court should have suppressed the heroin from evidence on the authority of People v Young, supra . However, we are here not primarily concerned with the precedential value of Young. What really concerns us in this matter is that the Court of Appeals would presume under the circumstances of this case to affirm the trial court on the basis that the evidence should have been suppressed. Not only was the probable cause issue not explicitly passed upon by the trial court, but the circumstances of this case, of course, are that whatever action the trial court did or did not take, it did so on the basis of the preliminary examination record alone. Even had the trial court chosen to give express consideration to the constitutionality of the seizure, it could not properly have decided whether or not the evidence should have been suppressed without a full evidentiary hearing  listening to witnesses and judging other evidence  to determine whether or not the seizing officer had probable cause to seize the evidence. Since the trial court did not have such a full evidentiary hearing it would have no way of knowing whether the facts in the case authorized or did not authorize the officer to seize the evidence. For the Court of Appeals to presume to rule on the merits in such an absence of proper procedure requires this Court to point out to that Court and all trial courts that a motion to suppress evidence requires the holding of a full evidentiary hearing and any attempt to rule on such a motion on the basis of a preliminary examination transcript alone is inadequate and erroneous. [2] Since a trial court has not yet had an opportunity to examine the totality of circumstances surrounding the contested seizure with an eye toward determining the existence or absence of probable cause, we remand for an evidentiary hearing on defendant's motion to suppress to help insure the constitutionally correct resolution of this issue. The hearing upon remand is to be a de novo inquiry into the constitutional validity of the contested seizure. The trial court in this case, and all other trial courts in the conduct of all future suppression hearings, shall not place exclusive reliance on the preliminary examination transcript in the determination of the legality of a contested search or seizure. [3] The defendant presents here what is essentially a bifurcated argument respecting the constitutionality of the seizure. First, defendant still maintains that the allegations of the arresting officers are inherently incredible. While at heart this is a factual matter involving credibility concerns, it is a matter whose resolution is of constitutional dimensions. To disbelieve the testifying officer's account of the chain of events leading up to the seizure of the heroin is, in substance if not in form, to determine that the evidence in question was seized in some manner other than through plain view. Since no other constitutionally justifying circumstances, as, for example, consent, are advanced for the warrantless seizure of the evidence, one can only infer, if one disbelieves the testifying officer, that the evidence was seized impermissibly. In light of this we believe the trial court should have the opportunity to view first-hand the demeanor of the officer as he relates his version of the circumstances surrounding the contested seizure and to pass anew on his credibility. Other witnesses, too, may either corroborate or diminish Officer Henry's testimony. The trial court cannot properly assess credibility from the cold record prepared at the preliminary examination. A suppression hearing, unlike a hearing to quash an information due to an alleged magisterial abuse of discretion, is not to be limited to the record of the preliminary examination. In short, at a suppression hearing the trial court may choose to believe or not believe the plain view account of the officer, or may choose to believe another proffered version of the relevant events in determining whether to suppress the seized evidence. This action does not reflect upon the effect of the magistrate's decision in the binding over, where another rule of review obtains. Second, defendant also argues that there was no probable cause supporting the warrantless seizure of the evidence even if Officer Henry's story is to be believed. Here it is not the facts per se that are in dispute, but the legal conclusion to be drawn from these facts, i.e., did the factual situation, as recounted by Officer Henry, give the police probable cause to seize the evidence. Nonetheless, a further exposition of certain constitutionally significant factual matters in this case can be of immeasurable aid to the trial court in making its constitutional determination. The factual record prepared at the preliminary examination may, for numerous reasons, be found critically wanting when analyzed for purposes of a motion to suppress. For example, the preliminary examination may have focused on facts surrounding actions not especially helpful to a constitutional determination or it may prove to be too skeletal to benefit a suppression hearing due to inadequate time for preparation of counsel or to counsel's fear of disclosing his or her case at the preliminary examination. Cf. People v Olajos, 397 Mich 629, 634-635; 246 NW2d 828 (1976). See, also, California v Green, 399 US 149, 189; 90 S Ct 1930; 26 L Ed 2d 489 (1970) (Brennan, J., dissenting). By requiring a de novo evidentiary hearing on remand, the trial court will have an opportunity to fully weigh the nature of the furtive gesture, as well as such other factors as the workaday knowledge and experience of the arresting officers, and any other relevant facts the prosecution may choose to advance. See People v Howell, 394 Mich 445, 447; 231 NW2d 650 (1975). [4] Accordingly, in lieu of granting leave to appeal, and pursuant to GCR 1963, 853.2(4), we vacate the Court of Appeals affirmance of the trial court and remand this matter to the trial court for an evidentiary hearing on the issue of probable cause for purposes of the motion to suppress. In so doing, we do not intend to intimate any view as to the substantive merits of defendant's motion to suppress the evidence.