Opinion ID: 593968
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Validity of Oba's Oral Consent to the X-Ray

Text: 48 Oba contends that his oral consent and his subsequent written consent to an x-ray examination were involuntary. Whether a person's consent to a search was voluntarily made is a question of fact which we review under the clearly erroneous standard. United States v. Castillo, 866 F.2d 1071, 1082 (9th Cir.1989). 49 Special Agent Dinkins testified that Oba orally consented to a search at approximately 3:00 p.m. Oba testified that he refused to consent without the advice of counsel. As noted earlier, we find that the district court's acceptance of the officers' version of the facts was not clearly erroneous. The testimony of Special Agent Dinkins demonstrates that Oba's oral consent to an x-ray examination was voluntary. See Castillo, 866 F.2d at 1081 (execution of a written consent form is not necessary where the facts show that an oral consent was voluntary). 50 In this matter, however, the customs officers did not act upon Oba's oral consent because of departmental regulations. Instead, the customs officials did not cause an x-ray examination to be conducted until Oba had signed a written consent form. Accordingly, we next examine Oba's challenge to the validity of the written consent. 51