Opinion ID: 362223
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Adequacy of Affidavit as to Inadequacy of Other Investigative Procedures

Text: 15 Title 18 U.S.C. § 2518(1)(c) requires that an application for a wiretap order include, a full and complete statement as to whether or not other investigative procedures have been tried and failed or why they reasonably appear to be unlikely to succeed if tried or to be too dangerous. 16 This court has interpreted section 2518(1)(c) in United States v. McCoy, 539 F.2d 1050, 1055-1056 (5th Cir. 1976), Cert. denied 431 U.S. 919, 97 S.Ct. 2185, 53 L.Ed.2d 230 (1977). There, we said: 17 We observed in United States v. Robertson, 5 Cir. 1974, 504 F.2d 289, Cert. denied, 421 U.S. 913, 95 S.Ct. 1568, 43 L.Ed.2d 778, that the statutory requirement 'must be read in a common sense fashion.' Accord, United States v. Cacace, 5 Cir. 1976, 529 F.2d 1167; United States v. Armocida, 3 Cir. 1975, 515 F.2d 29, 37, Cert. denied, 423 U.S. 858, 96 S.Ct. 111, 46 L.Ed.2d 84; 1968 U.S.Code Cong. & Ad.News 2190 (S.Rep.1097, section-by-section analysis of statute). Common sense dictates that the purpose of the statute 'is not to foreclose electronic surveillance until every other imaginable method of investigation had been unsuccessfully attempted, but simply to inform the issuing judge of the difficulties involved in the use of conventional techniques.' United States v. Pacheco, 5 Cir. 1974, 489 F.2d 554, 566, See United States v. Smith, 9 Cir. 1975, 519 F.2d 516, 518. In order to uphold the wiretap order, all that need be found in the affidavit is a 'factual predicate.' Armocida, 515 F.2d at 38. 18 539 F.2d at 1055. 19 The affidavit upon which the trial judge issued the authorization in this case is a more adequate factual predicate for the judge's finding that other investigative procedures . . . appear unlikely to succeed than the affidavit reported in McCoy, supra. We consider it entirely adequate, and therefore conclude that the trial court did not err in refusing to suppress the results from the interceptions.