Opinion ID: 1121806
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Heading: Anderson's Status and Rights as a Parolee.

Text: Since Anderson was a parolee, the first question which we must resolve is whether his status as a parolee deprives him of all of the protections afforded by the Fourth Amendment. U.S.Const. amend. IV. The Fourth Amendment offers protection against unreasonable searches and seizures to all persons. However, what may be a reasonable search when a parolee is the subject of the investigation may be unreasonable when directed against another person. United States ex rel. Santos v. New York State Board of Parole, 441 F.2d 1216 (2d Cir. 1971). We cannot ignore the fact that parolees, as a class, pose a greater threat of criminal activity to law enforcement authorities than ordinary citizens. United States ex rel. Randazzo v. Follette, 418 F.2d 1319 (2d Cir. 1969). Parole authorities must have the power to enforce parole conditions. To reach that end, the California courts have gone so far as to hold that a parole officer may investigate parole violations by searching a parolee's residence without probable, or even reasonable, cause to believe that a parole violation has occurred and without a search warrant. The reason behind the California courts' rule is that a parolee is deemed to be a prisoner under legal custody. In re Martinez, 1 Cal.3d 641, 83 Cal.Rptr. 382, 463 P.2d 734 (1970); People v. Kanos, 14 Cal.App.3d 642, 92 Cal.Rptr. 614 (1971); People v. Coffman, 2 Cal.App. 3d 681, 82 Cal.Rptr. 782 (1970); People v. Thompson, 252 Cal.App.2d 76, 60 Cal.Rptr. 203 (1967); People v. Gastelum, 237 Cal. App.2d 205, 46 Cal.Rptr. 743 (1965); People v. Hernandez, 229 Cal.App.2d 143, 40 Cal.Rptr. 100 (1965). We are not prepared to accept the position of the California courts or, on the other hand, to limit a parole officer's right to investigate parole violations by applying to such investigations the same panoply of Fourth Amendment rights which apply to other persons. State v. Cullison, Iowa, 173 N.W.2d 533 (1970). See White, The Fourth Amendment Rights of Parolees and Probationers, 31 U.Pitt.L.Rev. 167 (1969). In our view, the Fourth Amendment is not to be totally ignored merely because of parole status. United States v. Hallman, 365 F.2d 289 (3d Cir. 1966); Brown v. Kearney, 355 F.2d 199 (5th Cir. 1966); Martin v. United States, 183 F.2d 436 (4th Cir.), cert. denied, 340 U.S. 904, 71 S.Ct. 280, 95 L.Ed. 654 (1950). In Morrissey v. Brewer, 408 U.S. 471, 92 S.Ct. 2593, 33 L.Ed.2d 484 (1972), the Supreme Court of the United States declared that a parolee is granted conditional liberty when he is released from prison and is permitted to serve the remainder of his prison sentence outside the confines of the prison and beyond the highly disciplined and regimented life of a prison. Morrissey v. Brewer acknowledges that a parolee is subject to restrictions which are not applicable to other citizens, but declares that parole conditions are quite different from confinement in a prison and entitle the parolee to some constitutional protection commensurate with the degree of the liberty afforded by parole. Palmigiano v. Travisono, 317 F.Supp. 776 (D.R.I.1970). Accordingly, we declare that Colorado will adopt the middle ground. This requires a parole officer who is investigating a parole violation to have reasonable grounds to believe that a parole violation has occurred. Under these circumstances, when he conducts his search in connection with that investigation, the need for a search warrant is eliminated. State v. Simms, 10 Wash.App. 75, 516 P.2d 1088 (1973). To us, the measure of protection afforded to a parolee lies in a determination of what constitutes a reasonable search under the circumstances. The parole authority must be vested with the power to investigate a parolee to ascertain whether a parole violation has occurred if it is to fulfill its statutory function. Sections 17-1-101 et seq., C.R.S. 1973. Without access to evidentiary material relating to a parole violation, the parole authorities would be prevented from supervising parolees and from enforcing parole conditions. United States ex rel. Santos v. New York State Board of Parole, supra ; United States ex rel. Randazzo v. Follette, supra ; United States v. Hallman, supra ; Brown v. Kearney, 355 F.2d 199 (5th Cir. 1966); Burns v. Wilkinson, 333 F.Supp. 94 (W.D. Mo.1971); Palmigiano v. Travisono, supra ; State v. Williams, 486 S.W.2d 468 (Mo.1972); People v. Thompson, 77 Misc. 2d 700, 353 N.Y.S.2d 698 (1974); People v. Santos, 31 A.D.2d 508, 298 N.Y.S.2d 526 (1969); State v. Simms, supra .