Opinion ID: 1851305
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: The denial of access to the identity of a confidential informer at the preliminary examination.

Text: The first argued issue by assignment of error no. 1 is based upon a preliminary examination held to determine whether there was probable cause to charge the defendant Tallie and a co-defendant (Miss Overby) with the present (American Legion) burglary and another. At the hearing, a police officer testified as to finding items stolen in both burglaries in Tallie's room and elsewhere in Miss Overby's premises. He and the victim of the other identified the items as stolen in the respective burglaries. In explaining why he had initially gone to Miss Overby's house, the police officer testified that he did so because he had received information from a confidential informant. This was that a male occupant of the home was a fugitive from Alabama and had committed an armed robbery in the immediate vicinity. The defendant urges error was committed when, upon state objection, the trial court prevented him from hearing the identity of the informant by cross-examination of the officer. There is no merit to this contention: Pretermitting the validity of the privilege as to confidential informers, see State v. Dabon, 337 So.2d 502 (decided this date), the identity of the informant was irrelevant to any issue before the court at this hearing. The preliminary examination is directed solely at whether there is probable cause to charge an accused with a specified offense. La.C.Cr.P. art. 296. The identity of the informer was not relevant evidence to determine the probable-cause issue. Evidence that goods stolen in the burglary were recovered from the accused's possession through execution of a search warrant was relevant to probable cause. However, the identity of the informant who supplied the information upon which the warrant was secured had no relevance to any issue then before the court.