Opinion ID: 46216
Heading Depth: 4
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: “Bare Bones” Affidavit

Text: We review de novo the district court’s rejection of Pope’s properly preserved claim that Baird’s reliance on the first search warrant was unreasonable because his affidavit supporting that warrant was “so lacking in indicia of probable cause as to render officer’s belief in its existence unreasonable.” We agree with the district court that Baird’s affidavit, limited as it was to facts concerning the previous prescription-drug transaction, was not a “bare bones” affidavit. “Bare bones” affidavits typically “contain wholly conclusory statements, which lack the facts and 15 circumstances from which a magistrate can independently determine probable cause.”21 Generally, examples of “bare bones” affidavits include those that merely state that the affiant “has cause to suspect and does believe” or “[has] received reliable information from a credible person and [does] believe” that contraband is located on the premises.22 That is not the case here. Baird’s affidavit was based on his direct participation in the illegal drug transaction with Pope and his continuing investigation of such activity. As the district court noted, the affidavit “outlined in detail the illegal sale that [Pope] undertook with [Baird].” We hold, therefore, that Baird’s reliance on the first search warrant, issued on the basis of his affidavit, was not unreasonable, and that the district court correctly applied the good faith exception to the exclusionary rule in denying Pope’s motion to suppress the evidence recovered from her residence.