Opinion ID: 2064787
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: unreasonable search

Text: The Page brothers assert that the trial court committed reversible error by admitting into evidence the boots and other items taken from the apartment in violation of their Fourth Amendment protection against unreasonable searches and seizures. They claim that their arrests were invalid because: (1) The officers did not obtain an arrest warrant, and (2) There was lack of probable cause to arrest without a warrant. Under § 29-06-15, NDCC, a peace officer without a warrant may arrest a person when a felony has been committed and the police officer has reasonable cause to believe the person arrested has committed it. Our court has interpreted the terms reasonable cause and probable cause as being synonymous. State v. Frye, 245 N.W.2d 878 (N.D.1976); State v. Salhus, 220 N.W.2d 852 (N.D.1974). In State v. Kolb, 239 N.W.2d 815, 816 (N.D.1976), our court defined probable cause as follows: Probable cause exists when the facts and circumstances within a police officer's knowledge and of which he has reasonably trustworthy information are sufficient to warrant a man of reasonable caution in believing that an offense has been or is being committed. Although the facts and circumstances upon which the officer relies need not amount to evidence sufficient to convict [ State v. Erdman, 170 N.W.2d 872, 876 (N.D.1969)], the officer must have more than a bare suspicion that the defendant committed the offense. Brinegar v. United States, 338 U.S. 160, 69 S.Ct. 1302, 93 L.Ed. 1879 (1949). In determining what constitutes probable cause, we deal with probabilities: `These are not technical; they are the factual and practical considerations of everyday life on which reasonable and prudent men, not legal technicians, act. The standard of proof is accordingly correlative to what must be proved.' State v. Chaussee, 138 N.W.2d 788, 792 (N.D. 1965). Here, there was probable cause to arrest prior to the time the officers were admitted to the defendants' apartment. The officers acted reasonably upon trustworthy reports that the defendants had been in the vicinity prior to the robbery. They knew that the Pontiac LeMans the Pages were driving had large rear tires approximately the size of the prints that were located on Joe Smith's farm. Measurements and description of the footprints found around the car were similar to those found near the scene of the robbery. The cumulative effect of this information provided more than a mere suspicion that Brian and Randall Page had committed the robbery. It is asserted that even with the requisite proximate cause, the officers' entry into the apartment was unlawful because consent was not given to enter or, if consent was given, it was involuntary because of coercive tactics on the part of the officers. The Pages claim that their arrest and the search of their home violated their Fourth Amendment expectation of reasonable privacy, and the evidence acquired after the unlawful entry was inadmissible against them. In the case of United States v. Phillips, 497 F.2d 1131, 1135 (9th Cir. 1974), the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals said: An officer without an arrest warrant certainly has no more license than an officer with a warrant in seeking entry to effect an arrest. Absent a judicial determination to the contrary, the Fourth Amendment protection that assures citizens the privacy of their homes is applicable not only in case of entry to search for property, but also in cases of entry to arrest a suspect. The Fourth Amendment right against an unreasonable entry to an individual's home for the purpose of arrest or search is a right which can be waived. State v. Manning, 134 N.W.2d 91, 97 (N.D. 1965). Thus, if a person consents to an entry of his home by law officers, he cannot later claim that his rights have been violated by the entry. The Fourth Amendment requires that consent be voluntary, unimpeded by either explicit or covert force. Schneckloth v. Bustamonte, 412 U.S. 218, 228, 93 S.Ct. 2041, 36 L.Ed.2d 854 (1973). To determine what constitutes voluntary consent, our court considers the totality of the circumstances. State v. Metzner, 244 N.W.2d 215, 221 (N.D.1976). The background, experience and conduct of the accused is relevant to this determination. State v. Manning, supra . At trial, Deputy Sheriff Gardner of the Ward County Sheriff's Office was questioned about the circumstances under which the officers entered the apartment: Q All right. Now, when you went down and someone knocked on the door, what did you do? A I stood off to the side a little bit. Q Did you ever go into the apartment at that time? A Yes, sir, we did. When the individual answered the door, opened it up, I believe it was Westphal asked if we could come in, he stated yes. So we entered the room. I don't really recall all the conversations that took place right away, but then Agent Westphal and Deputy Gietzen took the Page brothers into custody. [Emphasis added.] The above testimony provides the only understandable description of what occurred at the time the officers sought entry into the apartment. The record discloses that Randall Page unequivocally invited the officers to enter his home. No clear evidence was presented to controvert this testimony. Under the circumstances, Officer Gardner's version of the entry is a credible interpretation of the events that occurred. The fact that there were armed policemen outside the door or that Randall Page refused to answer questions is not proof that the officers used coercive tactics. The record does not support the argument that the officers entered to make an arrest rather than to ask questions. There is nothing constitutionally objectionable about law officers inquiring at a citizen's home about the perpetration of a crime. Although officers are not invested with an unlimited license to glean what they can from questioning a suspect, the due process clause does not require that officers forego questioning entirely. Schneckloth v. Bustamonte, supra, 412 U.S. at 225, 93 S.Ct. 2041. Randall Page's consent to an entry by the officers is not inconsistent with a refusal to consent to informal interrogation. The conduct of the officers was not unreasonable when they entered the Page apartment. They knocked prior to admittance and were invited in. They inquired about the Pages' activities the previous night. There is no evidence that they used coercive tactics to force cooperation. There is nothing in the record which suggests that the officers made any threats to gain entry. The officers remained in the living room while they waited for Brian and Randall to ready themselves for the trip to the police station. From the record it appears that the Pages are intelligent and aware individuals, capable of refusing entry to the officers. Randall Page, nevertheless, chose to invite the officers in, even after he was informed that their purpose was to inquire about activities the previous evening. From the totality of the circumstances we conclude consent was voluntarily given to enter.