Opinion ID: 1789614
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Omissions from the Police Officer's Search Warrant Application

Text: The district court was justly concerned about several omissions in Detective Noel's search warrant application and contradictory testimony given at the motion hearing. As the affiant, Detective Noel indicated that based on a reliable confidential informant's tip and his witnessing of corroborating events, defendants were in possession of cocaine and trafficking drugs. See, generally, Application for Search Warrant. Detective Noel neglected, however, to inform the issuing magistrate that the confidential informant did not purchase drugs from defendants within the previous 48-hours and that the informant was paid $700 for information about defendants. See Transcript of Motion Hearing (3/29/01) at 21-22 (hereinafter Transcript). He also did not advise the magistrate that officers conducted an extensive surveillance of both residences and followed defendants to several locations, but never observed any suspicious behavior. See id. at 7, 24-25. Furthermore, the affiant did not advise the magistrate that the officers searched one of the individuals who received a bag from Eli and the bag only contained ribbon. The affiant also did not advise the magistrate that they failed to stop or search the parties involved in two other alleged transactions. During the motion hearing, defendants called Rocque Caston and Walter Taylor to testify. Mr. Caston indicated that he rolls ribbon, making umbrellas and fans, for various second-line clubs in New Orleans. He stated that on the day in question, defendant Eli met him at the intersection of Earhart and South Galvez to give him a plastic bag containing ribbon, along with $35 as payment for him rolling the ribbon. See Transcript at 43-46. Caston also testified that shortly after he met with Eli, police officers stopped and handcuffed him as they pulled-down his pants and searched for evidence of a drug transaction. See id. at 45. The officers only discovered ribbon, much like that Caston indicated he gave to Eli. Similarly, Mr. Taylor indicated he had known Eli for more than 20-years because of their association with a New Orleans Mardi Gras club. He also indicated that on the day in question defendant Eli delivered to him a bag containing ribbon for him to roll. See Transcript at 49-51. A magistrate must be given enough information to make an independent judgment that probable cause exists to issue a warrant. See, e.g., State v. Manso, 449 So.2d 480, 482 (La.1984), cert. denied, Manso v. Louisiana, 469 U.S. 835, 105 S.Ct. 129, 83 L.Ed.2d 70 (1984). The United States Supreme Court held that [s]ufficient information must be presented to the magistrate to allow that official to determine probable cause; his action cannot be a mere ratification of the bare conclusions of others. United States v. Leon, 468 U.S. 897, 915, 104 S.Ct. 3405, 82 L.Ed.2d 677 (1984) (citations omitted). Moreover, this Court previously held: [t]he process [of determining probable cause] simply requires that enough information be presented to the issuing magistrate to enable him to determine that the charges are not capricious and are sufficiently supported to justify bringing into play the further steps of the criminal justice system. State v. Rodrigue, 437 So.2d 830, 833 (La.1983) (citing Jaben v. United States, 381 U.S. 214, 85 S.Ct. 1365, 14 L.Ed.2d 345 (1965)) (emphasis added). The previously described incidents show the affiant did not provide the issuing magistrate adequate information and did not act in good faith in securing the warrant. Accordingly, the district court concluded the police officers lacked reasonable suspicion about the brown paper bag. Moreover, the officers did not corroborate any information that would have led to a reasonable and objective conclusion that defendants were distributing drugs from their residences or vehicles. As such, the district court suppressed the improperly seized items.