Opinion ID: 1611371
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 14

Heading: did the trial court err in overruling the appellant's motion to suppress the physical evidence consisting of a pack of reliance ink pens which were removed from the appellant's vehicle?

Text: Woodward filed a motion to suppress all of the physical evidence, but his argument specifically addresses several blue topped fountain pens. Initially it should be noted that the defendant came by the sheriff's office around 8:00 a.m. on July 24, and at that time he had a blue topped fountain pen in his shirt pocket. Arlon Moulds, investigator for the district attorney's office, testified that he talked with Woodward on July 24, 1986 about 12:15 or 12:30 p.m., prior to any arrest. Moulds asked Woodward to sign a waiver form allowing a search of his logging truck. Woodward signed the consent to search, which was received into evidence. When the investigating officers exchanged information, they realized that there was a blue topped fountain pen at the crime scene, one in Woodward's shirt pocket, and a partial packet of pens in his truck. Realizing this fact, Moulds later asked Woodward to return to the sheriff's office, which Woodward did. Moulds stated that Woodward was arrested prior to the time he signed the waiver of rights form, which was 2:30 p.m., and that Woodward's truck, its contents and a fountain pen from his pocket were seized after the arrest. The waiver form had Time 2:30 p.m. written at the top. On cross-examination Moulds testified that the arrest occurred about 2:30 p.m. Julia James, a crime scene specialist with the Mississippi Crime Laboratory, testified at the suppression hearing that about lunch time, she searched the truck pursuant to Woodward's consent to search and seized certain items from it. At that time, she saw the pack of blue topped fountain pens. After finding a similar ink pen at the crime scene, she returned to the sheriff's office, where the truck had been seized, and collected the pack of ink pens at approximately 2:30, 2:40. Later in the suppression hearing, Moulds testified that after the arrest he removed a similar pen from Woodward's shirt pocket at approximately 3:08 p.m. On cross, he agreed with defense counsel that the reason he arrested Woodward was because of the pen, which was the crucial evidence. He continued to assert that the arrest occurred at approximately 2:30. The trial court overruled the motion to suppress, stating the following: As far as the physical evidence is concerned, it is the finding of this Court beyond a reasonable doubt that the seizure of all items were performed after the execution of a valid consent form with the Defendant freely and voluntarily having waived his rights and consented thereto to the search of his truck, and that this was done without any threat, force, coercion or intimidation. That the seizure of all subsequent items were made subsequent to a lawful arrest, and that probable cause did in fact exist for any and all searches and subsequent seizures... . Woodward argues that the second search was pre-arrest, and being three hours after the first search, was not a part of the initial investigation. Woodward correctly notes that after the first consent search, he was allowed to take the truck and continue his daily work activities. He asserts that this intervening factor made any subsequent search unreasonable and illegal. The State contends that the second search was valid whether pre-arrest or post-arrest, with which this Court agrees. The trial judge made a factual finding supported by the record, and this Court will not overturn a finding of fact made by a trial judge unless clearly erroneous. West v. State, 463 So.2d 1048, 1056 (Miss. 1985). Further, this Court must give effect to all reasonable presumptions in favor of the ruling of the court below. In Mississippi, where the police officer determines that it is necessary to leave the scene of the search in order to examine the body at the hospital, a 25 to 30 minute delay is not unreasonable. In Crum v. State, 349 So.2d 1059 (Miss. 1977), this Court held: The opinion of the Supreme Court of Tennessee quoted from United States v. Rabinowitz, 339 U.S. 56, 70 S.Ct. 430, 434, 94 L.Ed. 653 (1950), where it was said: What is a reasonable search is not to be determined by any fixed formula. The Constitution does not define what are `unreasonable' searches and, regrettably, in our discipline we have no ready litmuspaper test. The recurring questions of the reasonableness of searches must find resolution in the facts and circumstances of each case... . Reasonableness is in the first instance for the District Court to determine. The Tennessee Court then said: We cannot say that the second search of Voss' room was unauthorized and that the evidence tendered and admitted was the result of an unlawful search. It conclusively appears from the record before us that the arresting officers, having lodged their prisoners in jail, returned at once to make a further and more thorough search of the premises for evidence connecting them with the murder of Mr. Hutchinson. The time which elapsed between the arrest, the immediate search and this second search was of such short duration that we are justified in holding that the second search was merely a continuation of the first. It cannot be considered as unreasonable in any legal sense. Id. at 1062. Again, it is this Court's opinion that the trial court should be affirmed on this issue in his holding that the second search was authorized and reasonable, and that therefore the evidence was the result of a lawful search.