Opinion ID: 2213342
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: the warrant and search

Text: The application and affidavit for the search warrant for Vrtiska's residence, as well as the search warrant itself, was introduced as evidence at the hearing on Vrtiska's motion to suppress evidence. According to those documents, law enforcement personnel had reliable information that Vrtiska was growing marijuana in the basement of his dwelling, where Vrtiska also had a stolen machine gun. The county court issued a warrant to search Vrtiska's residence and seize Growing Marijuana Plants and a fully automatic machine gun described as a `Thompson' machine gun, if found on the premises searched. Pursuant to the search warrant, the sheriff, two deputy sheriffs, and two investigators from the Nebraska State Patrol went to Vrtiska's residence. The sheriff, who was the first to arrive, had the search warrant, found the front door locked, and entered the house through a dining room window. Nothing discloses whether the window was open or entry was gained by application of force to the window. The sheriff then unlocked the house's front door, through which the other officers entered the dwelling. After entering, the officers first confirmed their belief that the premises were unoccupied and then commenced a search for marijuana plants in the basement, where officers found a marijuana plant stem that looked like it had been chopped off. Although there were no plants growing in the basement, the officers found a fan, electric lights, loose dirt, a watering apparatus, aluminum foil, and a thermometer, which were items used in a marijuana-cultivating operation. Officers photographed the area for marijuana production in the basement and returned upstairs to continue their search for the machine gun mentioned in the search warrant. In the course of the upstairs search, the officers came across some explosive material, a plastic pipe with a fuse in it, and continued their search for the machine gun. During their search, and at various times in different parts of the house, the officers found the machine gun, which consisted of three componentsa barrel and receiver group, a loaded drum-magazine, and a butt stock. On top of a buffet in the dining room, the officers found the loaded magazine for the machine gun. Believing that the other parts for the weapon were in the vicinity, the officers continued their search. Beneath a television set in the living room, one officer found the barrel and receiver group for the machine gun. The sheriff, still searching in the dining room, opened a door in the buffet and discovered a sawed-off shotgun, which had an 11 ¼-inch barrel. Later, officers found the butt stock near a footlocker in the living room. The State filed three complaints against Vrtiska. The first complaint charged Vrtiska with possession of a short shotgun, which is defined in Neb.Rev.Stat. § 28-1201(6) (Reissue 1985) as a shotgun having a barrel or barrels less than eighteen inches long or an overall length of less than twenty-six inches. The second complaint charged Vrtiska with possession of explosive materials in violation of Neb.Rev.Stat. § 28-1215 (Reissue 1985), while the third charged that Vrtiska had received stolen property in violation of Neb.Rev.Stat. § 28-517 (Reissue 1985). After a preliminary hearing, Vrtiska was bound over to district court on all three charges filed in separate informations, to which Vrtiska entered his not guilty plea.