Opinion ID: 901461
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Probable Cause to Search the Vehicle

Text: [¶ 81.] The Court concedes that it was reasonable for Hamann to conclude that one who had been using marijuana shortly before a stop might also possess marijuana. Supra ¶ 25. Despite this concession, the Court goes on to state that Hamann could not infer possession without first corroborating the allegation of marijuana use. However, Hamann was not required to infer possession before conducting the search. Hamann had all that he needed when he inferred that the crime of ingestion of a controlled substance had occurred based on the motel manager's tip and his corroboration of the license plate number, direction of travel, and gender of the four occupants. See supra ¶ 24. His original belief that evidence of the crime of ingestion of a controlled substance would be found in the vehicle was sufficient for a determination of probable cause and justified the search for evidence of a violation of SDCL 22-42-15. The fact that the search produced evidence of other crimes different [18] from the original crime for which probable cause was originally established, ingestion of a controlled substance under SDCL 22-42-15, cannot invalidate the search. See Peterson, 407 N.W.2d at 224. [¶ 82.] In Peterson, an officer stopped a vehicle due to erratic driving and detected the smell of alcohol coming from the vehicle and emanating from the driver. Id. at 222. We held that the smell of alcohol on the driver justified a warrantless search of an automobile for further evidence of crime. Id. at 223. The search in that case was for an open container, a violation of SDCL 35-1-1.9, a Class 2 Misdemeanor. The officer found one open beer can that appeared at first glance to be empty, and then proceeded to search the entire car and its contents for additional open containers. Id. The driver in Peterson was able to pass the field sobriety tests, but the odor of alcohol provided sufficient probable cause for a search of the vehicle for open containers. Id. During the final phase of the search for open containers, law enforcement found drug paraphernalia and some marijuana. Id. at 224. We upheld the search under the automobile exception despite the fact that the original search was based on probable cause to believe that the driver had an open container of alcohol in the car. Id. [¶ 83.] In the instant case, the tip from the motel manager provided reasonably trustworthy information that the offense of ingestion of a controlled substance under SDCL 22-42-15, a Class 1 misdemeanor, had occurred. Based on the tip and the corroborating information confirmed by Hamann, it was reasonable for law enforcement to conclude that a search of the vehicle would generate evidence that the occupants had violated SDCL 22-42-15. The occupants were traveling from Deadwood back to their homes in Montana with their possessions, including their luggage and car. It was reasonable for law enforcement to believe that evidence of the crime of ingestion of a controlled substance would be inside the car or their luggage, either in the form of drug paraphernalia or evidence of residue of marijuana, as Sweedland and his companions had just departed the motel.