Opinion ID: 2035010
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 11

Heading: information in affidavit was sufficiently related in time to issuance of warrant to justify finding of probable cause

Text: Next, Bossow argues that the district court erred in overruling his motion to suppress because the affidavit supporting the search warrant contained stale evidence and therefore did not establish probable cause. A search warrant, to be valid must be supported by an affidavit which establishes probable cause. Probable cause sufficient to justify issuance of a search warrant means a fair probability that contraband or evidence of a crime will be found. Proof of probable cause justifying the issuance of a search warrant generally must consist of facts so closely related to the time of issuance of the warrant as to justify a finding of probable cause at that time. [14] In reviewing the strength of an affidavit submitted as a basis for finding probable cause to issue a search war rant, an appellate court applies a totality of the circumstances test. The question is whether, under the totality of the circumstances illustrated by the affidavit, the issuing magistrate had a substantial basis for finding that the affidavit established probable cause. [15] In arguing that the information in the affidavit was stale, Bossow points to the fact that pursuant to the affidavit, the last time the marijuana plants in Bossow's residence had actually been seen was March 19, 2006, but the search warrant was not issued until April 20, approximately 1 month later. We explained in State v. Faber [16] that `[t]here is no bright-line test for determining when information is stale. Whether the averments in an affidavit are sufficiently timely to establish probable cause depends on the particular circumstances of the case, and the vitality of probable cause cannot be quantified by simply counting the number of days between the occurrence of the facts supplied and the issuance of the affidavit. Time factors must be examined in the context of a specific case and the nature of the crime under investigation.. . .' We further stated that, where the affidavit recites a mere isolated violation, it would not be unreasonable to imply that probable cause dwindles rather quickly with the passage of time. However, where the affidavit properly recites facts indicating activity of a protracted and continuous naturea course of conductthe passage of time becomes less significant. [17] In the present case, notwithstanding the passage of time between the information in the affidavit and the issuance of the warrant, we find that the information in the affidavit was not too stale to establish probable cause. The information in the affidavit establishes that three separate individuals saw marijuana plants, growing under a heat lamp in. Bossow's residence approximately 1 month before the issuance of the search warrant. The delay between the evidence collected in the affidavit and the issuance of the warrant is not significant when considered in light of the nature of the crime with which Bossow was charged. Growing marijuana is not an isolated activity where the evidence supporting probable cause tends to disappear quickly. Rather, growing marijuana is a protracted process, for which there is a much greater probability that the evidence related to the crime would remain on the premises for some time. As indicated in Tighe's affidavit, marijuana plants can take up to 22 weeks to mature and can grow in excess of 8 feet tall. But here, the largest marijuana plant described in the affidavit was approximately 4 feet tall, and the other marijuana plants in Bossow's residence were much smaller than that. This information indicates that the plants were, at that time, in the early stages of development and unlikely to be harvested in the near future or removed from Bossow's residence. Given the particular circumstances of this case, we conclude that the passage of time was not fatal to the court's finding of probable cause. A magistrate's determination of probable cause to issue a search warrant should be paid great deference by reviewing courts. [18] After-the-fact scrutiny by courts of the sufficiency of an affidavit used to obtain a search warrant should not take the form of a de novo review. [19] In this case, the facts justifying the issuance of the warrant were sufficiently related to the time of the issuance of the warrant to justify the district court's finding of probable cause.