Opinion ID: 1231969
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Nature of the Falsehood

Text: This court has followed Franks when considering challenges as to the truthfulness of factual statements in a search warrant affidavit. State v. Carter, 145 Ariz. 101, 108, 700 P.2d 488, 495 (1985); State v. Poland, 132 Ariz. 269, 279, 645 P.2d 784, 794 (1982). In Carter, we also held that where the falsehoods or omissions were deliberate or reckless, the court must redraft the affidavit by deleting the falsehoods and adding the omitted material facts before moving on to the probable cause determination. 145 Ariz. at 109, 700 P.2d at 496. The trial judge in this case clearly redrafted the affidavit in accordance with Franks and Carter, and also, we assume, followed the law in determining that the misstatements and omissions of material fact were made with the requisite state of mind, before finding the remaining facts insufficient to establish probable cause. [5] On appeal, different standards are used to review the trial court's findings as to whether the affiant included a knowing, intentional, or reckless misstatement of fact and whether the redrafted affidavit establishes probable cause. A trial court's finding on whether the affiant deliberately included misstatements of law or excluded material facts is a factual determination, upheld unless clearly erroneous. United States v. Fawole, 785 F.2d 1141, 1145 (4th Cir.1986); United States v. Elliott, 893 F.2d 220, 222 (9th Cir.), cert. denied, ___ U.S. ___, 111 S.Ct. 268, 112 L.Ed.2d 224 (1990); United States v. Dozier, 844 F.2d 701, 705 (9th Cir.), cert. denied, 488 U.S. 927, 109 S.Ct. 312, 102 L.Ed.2d 331 (1988); United States v. Jenkins, 901 F.2d 1075, 1079 (11th Cir.), cert. denied, ___ U.S. ___, 111 S.Ct. 259, 112 L.Ed.2d 216 (1990). This standard is consistent with the general body of law holding review for clear error appropriate where the applicable legal standard provides for a strictly factual test, such as state of mind. See United States v. McConney, 728 F.2d 1195, 1203 (9th Cir.), cert. denied, 469 U.S. 824, 105 S.Ct. 101, 83 L.Ed.2d 46 (1984). In this case, as Buccini notes, the trial judge was in a unique position to judge Kadous' credibility and determine that he was on notice of material facts that he either misstated or omitted entirely from the affidavit. The Court in Franks stressed that the showing for probable cause must be truthful, in the sense that the information put forth is believed or appropriately accepted by the affiant as true. 438 U.S. at 165, 98 S.Ct. at 2681. It is clear that Buccini told Kadous of his alibi and named several alibi witnesses. The evidence at the hearing also showed that Kadous knew Buccini was still employed at Canyon Ranch and knew that he had to be at work that day. Therefore, the evidence supports the trial judge's implicit finding that Kadous at least recklessly [6] misstated material facts by swearing under oath that Buccini did not have anyone to substantiate his alibi, and by inferring that Buccini was hurrying Kadous in order to prevent him from discovering further evidence. We cannot conclude, therefore, that the trial judge committed clear error or abused her discretion in making this finding. Cf. State v. Claxton, 122 Ariz. 246, 248, 594 P.2d 112, 114 (Ct.App. 1979) (officer's statement in the affidavit that defendant was in possession of merchandise was found to be knowingly and intentionally false or made with reckless disregard for the truth where officer admitted at hearing that there was, at best, only a possibility that jewelry was back in [defendant's] possession). We conclude that the trial judge was correct in following the first prong of Franks and redrafting the search warrant affidavit to exclude the material misstatements and include the relevant omitted facts. We must now determine whether the redrafted search warrant was sufficient to establish probable cause. [7]