Opinion ID: 1708005
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: The Phony Postman

Text: Additionally, a reversal is warranted to remedy the effects of the alleged possession of methamphetamine by Christine and search of her home. One morning, Christine Johnson was standing outside her mobile home when a United States postal employee approached her. After asking for her name, he handed Christine an Express Mail package addressed to her. She accepted and signed for the special delivery, a task familiar to most people. What happened next is not so typical. Standing in front of her home holding a sealed, unopened piece of mail fresh from the postman's hands, Christine suddenly heard the words: You're under arrest. After expressing her disbelief, the postman, a/k/a undercover DCI agent Dalziel, remarked, `Cause you know what's inside there. He took the still unopened package from her without revealing what's inside there. Following Christine so she could inform her husband of the arrest, Dalziel carried the package inside the house. Inside, neither Christine nor her husband touched the package. After two other agents arrived to secure the premises, Dalziel departed, placed the package in his trunk, and obtained a search warrant for the house based upon Christine's possession of methamphetamine in her home. This is remarkable. No such possession occurred. Only law enforcement agent Dalziel possessed the drug package within the Johnson home. In fact, Christine did not pick up drugs even when she stood outside her home that day. She picked up her mail! In State v. Engel, 465 N.W.2d 787 (S.D. 1991), Engel accepted a package from an undercover drug enforcement agency officer posing as a UPS deliveryman and took it inside. The package, containing cocaine, remained in Engel's home for thirty minutes before law enforcement officers took action on Engel's possession. We upheld the arrest and warrant stating: [O]nce Engel had possession for half an hour, officers had probable cause not only to believe that the delivered cocaine was on the premises, but also to believe that the delivery was no mistake and that other items associated with drug use might be found there as well. Engel, 465 N.W.2d at 790. DCI adhered to this procedure in State v. Baysinger, 470 N.W.2d 840 (S.D.1991). After a DCI agent was unable to make a UPS delivery, he left a note instructing the addressee to pick up the package at the UPS office. Later, the defendant did so and returned home. Thereafter, a search warrant request was made and executed before law enforcement officials. Dalziel put the cart before the horse. He intuitively knew an illegal activity had occurred, but blew his cover before he had the evidence. I do not propose that Christine Johnson be exonerated from a crime due to a technicality; rather I wish to protect citizens of this Republic from facing prosecution for merely accepting mail from the U.S. Postal Service. In both Engel and Baysinger, the defendant had physical possession of the contraband within his home and had sufficient time to check the packages' contents and act on a mistaken delivery. Christine held for a few moments a cardboard envelope decorated with the U.S. mail logo of one of this country's great symbols: the bald eagle. At no time did the State establish that she had knowledge of this misuse of our mail system. Frankly, the employee at Citibank who first mistakenly opened the package and discovered the drugs demonstrated more constructive possession than Christine. Her possession is clearly against the weight of the evidence. State v. Brings Plenty, 459 N.W.2d 390, 399 (S.D.1990). The controlled substance was in the house under Dalziel's controlled possession. Christine held the Express Mail for only a few seconds and never acknowledged so much as an I've been expecting this remark. In order for the warrant to properly issue, some evidence of constructive possession should exist. Dalziel skipped that detail. Because the trial court's decision was exercised to an end or purpose not justified by, and clearly against, reason and evidence, State v. Flying Horse, 455 N.W.2d 605, 608 (S.D.1990), it abused its discretion.