Opinion ID: 739906
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: Post-Trial Franks Hearing

Text: 27 After the verdict, Trzaska, on a motion for a new trial, argued that the evidence obtained with the search warrants should have been suppressed because the warrant affidavit contained false statements about Johnson's observations of Trzaska's movements that were made in a deliberate or reckless disregard for the truth. See Franks v. Delaware, 438 U.S. 154, 98 S.Ct. 2674, 57 L.Ed.2d 667 (1978). Specifically, Trzaska contended: that the warrant falsely stated that Johnson saw Trzaska loading his car one hour after the illegal plain view search, while Johnson testified that it was in fact closer to four hours; that the warrant falsely stated that Johnson saw Trzaska loading two large garbage bags, one box and several shopping bags into his car, while Johnson testified that she in fact saw Trzaska loading packages ... [and] plastic garbage bags into his car; and that the warrant falsely stated that Johnson saw Trzaska unload the items into his garage, while Johnson testified that she saw Trzaska's car with its trunk open in or near the driveway of the garage, but denied that she saw Trzaska unloading his car. 28 The district court conducted a post-trial Franks hearing on Trzaska's claim. At that hearing, probation officer O'Keefe testified that she did not make notes about her conversations with Johnson until well after the conversations occurred. Further, O'Keefe also testified that the reason she had the ATF agent prepare the warrant affidavit was that O'Keefe had never applied for a search warrant before and did not believe she could sign a warrant affidavit. Finally, O'Keefe testified that she believed the affidavit was accurate at the time it was prepared and that she continued to believe the affidavit was accurate. 29 The court noted that O'Keefe was not trained as a law enforcement officer and was therefore careless[ ] in how she took notes. Further, the district court stated: It was simply not good practice and good procedure to have someone swear to an affidavit who had absolutely no personal knowledge of the facts. The court concluded that any false statements that were contained in the affidavit were a result of these mistakes and other misunderstandings, and that these mistakes and misunderstandings did not arise to a deliberate or reckless disregard for the truth. Accordingly, the court held that the statements were properly included in the warrant affidavits.