Opinion ID: 901461
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Citizen's Tip plus Police Corroboration.

Text: [¶ 34.] When a citizen informant reports to police that a crime has been committed, that informant's `veracity,' `reliability' and `basis of knowledge' are all highly relevant in determining the value of his report. Illinois v. Gates, 462 U.S. 213, 230, 103 S.Ct. 2317, 2328, 76 L.Ed.2d 527 (1983). These elements should not be understood as entirely separate and independent requirements to be rigidly exacted in every case. Id. Instead, a probable cause determination always depends on an examination of the totality of the relevant circumstances. Id. at 235, 462 U.S. 213, 103 S.Ct. at 2330, 76 L.Ed.2d 527; see also State v. Christensen, 2003 SD 64, ¶ 23, 663 N.W.2d 691, 697 (quoting State v. Zachodni, 466 N.W.2d 624, 629 (S.D.1991)). [¶ 35.] Officer Hamann received a radio message that the manager of the Budget Host advised that the four [suspects] just left the motel, headed into town, driving a Montana Lic/29A8307, Maroon 2000 Olds 4DR. After stopping the vehicle and confirming the caller's information about the identity of the car and its occupants, Officer Hamann found no additional facts to suggest that the occupants were involved in criminal activity. [¶ 36.] In our prior cases dealing with citizen tips on criminal conduct, we have upheld automobile stops and searches when officers were able to corroborate to some degree that the persons stopped were indeed involved in some type of criminal behavior. Scholl, 2004 SD 85, ¶ 6, 684 N.W.2d at 86; State v. Olhausen, 1998 SD 120, ¶ 7, 587 N.W.2d 715, 717-18 (citations omitted). That is what makes this case different. Here, the police gained nothing from the investigatory stop to elevate reasonable suspicion to the level of probable cause. Mere suspicion is never sufficient to support a finding of probable cause. Wong Sun v. United States, 371 U.S. 471, 83 S.Ct. 407, 9 L.Ed.2d 441 (1963). Other courts have likewise noted the importance of independent corroboration. See State v. K.V., 821 So.2d 1127, 1128 (FlaApp.2002) (information from security guard provided suspicion; probable cause was established after officer corroborated that information when he observed a `small cloud' of smoke floating from the vehicle and smelled the odor of burning marijuana); State v. Estrado, 170 Ga.App. 889, 318 S.E.2d 505, 507 (1984) (information officer received was insufficient to detain defendants, but officer smelling marijuana provided the corroboration necessary for probable cause); State v. Birkenmeier, 185 N.J. 552, 888 A.2d 1283, 1290 (2006) (the officer's observations and smell of marijuana during the investigatory stop based on informant's tip further corroborated the tip and triggered application of the automobile exception to the warrant requirement). But see State v. Carlson, 762 N.E.2d 121 (Ind.App. 2002) (anonymous tip resulted in stop of vehicle, officer smelled alcohol and marijuana emitting from vehicle, smell not sufficient to establish probable cause). [¶ 37.] In some instances, crime reporting by citizen informants having firsthand knowledge may be sufficient for probable cause without police corroboration. State v. Griggs, 306 Mont. 366, 34 P.3d 101, 104 (2001) (when information is provided by citizen informant, whose identity is known, who personally observes the alleged criminal activity . . . may not need further law enforcement corroboration); State v. Lammers, 267 Neb. 679, 676 N.W.2d 716, 725 (2004) (detailed eyewitness report of a crime may be self-corroborating). However, a citizen informant's veracity and basis of knowledge remain important considerations for finding probable cause, when an independent investigation by law enforcement officers fails to substantiate allegations of criminal activity. See Gates, 462 U.S. at 238-39, 103 S.Ct. at 2328, 76 L.Ed.2d 527 (there needs to be a substantial basis . . . for concluding that probable cause existed) (quoting Jones v. United States, 362 U.S. 257, 271, 80 S.Ct. 725, 736, 4 L.Ed.2d 697 (1960)). In this case, we have no police corroboration of the purported criminal activity. Thus, we must examine whether there was an adequate basis of knowledge to support the citizen's tip.