Opinion ID: 156393
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: validity of anticipatory warrant to

Text: SEARCH ROWLAND’S RESIDENCE Rowland argues the anticipatory warrant in this case was invalid for lack of probable cause because the supporting affidavit failed to establish a nexus between Rowland’s residence and the contraband or any suspected criminal activity. Rowland asserts that although his private post office box had been linked to suspected criminal activity, the warrant affidavit failed to establish any link between such activity and his home. “Probable cause undoubtedly requires a nexus between [the contraband to be seized or] suspected criminal activity and the place to be searched.” 3 United 3 Some courts have held that to satisfy the nexus requirement of probable cause in the anticipatory warrant context, the warrant application must demonstrate the contraband is “on a sure and irreversible course to its destination” before a warrant may be issued. United States v. Ricciardelli, 998 F.2d 8, 12-13 (1st Cir. 1993); see also United States v. Leidner , 99 F.3d 1423, 1427-28 (7th Cir. 1996) (noting several circuits have adopted sure course requirement), cert. denied , 117 S. Ct. 1434 (1997); United States v. Garcia , 882 F.2d 699, 702-03 (2d Cir. 1989) (noting wide variety of courts have upheld anticipatory warrants when sure course requirement was met). As one court has explained: The sure course standard functions as a proxy for the actual presence of the contraband at the locus to be searched. It offers the magistrate a trustworthy assurance that the contraband, though not yet on the site, will almost certainly be located there at the time of the search, thus fulfilling the requirement of future probable -15- States v. Corral-Corral, 899 F.2d 927, 937 (10th Cir. 1990); see also Dennis, 115 F.3d at 530; 2 LaFave, supra, § 3.7(d). Probable cause to search a person’s residence does not arise based solely upon probable cause that the person is guilty of a crime. Instead, there must be additional evidence linking the person’s home to the suspected criminal activity. See Hendricks, 743 F.2d at 655; see also United States v. Lalor, 996 F.2d 1578, 1582-83 (4th Cir. 1993) (stating “residential searches [are] upheld only where some information links the criminal activity to the defendant’s residence”). cause. Ricciardelli, 998 F.2d at 13; see also United States v. Hendricks, 743 F.2d 653, 654-55 (9th Cir. 1984) (holding anticipatory warrant was invalid for lack of probable cause because, at time warrant was issued, the contraband was not on a sure course to the place to be searched and there was no assurance defendant would take contraband to that place). The “sure course” requirement is typically satisfied in controlled delivery cases when the delivery is made directly to the place to be searched. Indeed, in Hugoboom , a controlled-delivery case in which the contraband was addressed to and sent directly to the defendant’s residence, the court stated that the “sure course” standard was clearly satisfied by the facts of the case. See 112 F.3d at 1086-87. The court did not, however, expressly adopt the “sure course” requirement for the Tenth Circuit. See id. It is unclear how, or whether, the heightened “sure course” requirement applies to anticipatory warrants outside the controlled delivery context. We recognize that the “sure course” standard is one way of satisfying the traditional nexus requirement of probable cause. In this case, however, because we conclude the warrant did not satisfy traditional probable cause requirements, see infra Part II, we need not further determine whether the more stringent “sure course” requirement is a necessary prerequisite to validity for all anticipatory warrants. -16- Under the probable cause analysis traditionally employed in nonanticipatory warrant cases, probable cause to issue a search warrant only exists when the supporting affidavit sets forth sufficient facts that would lead a prudent person to believe that a search of the described premises would uncover contraband or evidence of a crime. See United States v. Burns, 624 F.2d 95, 99 (10th Cir. 1980). In determining whether probable cause exists to issue a search warrant, a magistrate’s task is to make a “practical, common-sense decision” based on the totality of the circumstances as set forth in the affidavit. Illinois v. Gates, 462 U.S. 213, 238 (1983); see also Corral-Corral, 899 F.2d at 931. Reviewing courts should give the magistrate’s ultimate probable cause decision “great deference.” United States v. Cusumano, 83 F.3d 1247, 1250 (10th Cir.1996) (en banc) (citation omitted). Nevertheless, this court will not defer to the magistrate’s determination if the affidavit does not provide “‘a substantial basis for concluding that probable cause existed.’” Id. (quoting Gates, 462 U.S. at 238-39). The affidavit in this case contained information supporting a probable cause determination that Rowland was involved in criminal activity and that the delivery to Rowland’s private post office box would take place. The affidavit indicated that Rowland had ordered the video tapes and had requested that they be sent to him at his post office box. The affidavit further indicated that the agents -17- planned to make a controlled delivery of the video tapes to Rowland at the post office box and planned to maintain surveillance over the post office box to determine that Rowland picked up the package. The affidavit also indicated that Rowland had been observed on several occasions collecting his mail from the post office box and then walking back to work. Because the controlled delivery was made to Rowland’s private post office box and not to his residence, however, establishing probable cause that the delivery would take place does not mean there was probable cause that the video tapes would be at Rowland’s residence when the search took place. Therefore, this court must determine whether the affidavit supporting the anticipatory warrant contained evidence establishing a nexus between the contraband and Rowland’s residence. See Hendricks, 743 F.2d at 654-55 (holding anticipatory warrant for search of defendant’s home was invalid because contraband was picked up by defendant rather than being delivered to his home and affidavit failed to provide facts establishing a nexus between contraband and defendant’s home). Only an oblique reference was made in the affidavit to the anticipated route of the contraband after its delivery to Rowland’s post office box. The affidavit stated: “It is anticipated that [Rowland, after picking up the tapes from the post office box,] will go to his place of employment and after work to his residence.” -18- The affidavit contained no information suggesting that Rowland had previously transported contraband from his private post office box to his home or that he had previously stored contraband at his home. Nor did the affidavit provide any facts linking Rowland’s residence to suspected illegal activity, such as in the past having similar video tapes or other illegal materials delivered directly to his home. The government nevertheless contends that the affidavit contained sufficient information for the magistrate to determine there was probable cause that Rowland would collect the package and then take it to his home after he left work. The government notes the affidavit contained information that Rowland’s usual practice was to pick up his mail and then walk back to work, and the affidavit also indicated that Rowland was employed by the Colorado Department of Revenue. The government asserts that from this information, a “logical inference” was that Rowland would not store or view the illegal video tapes at work, but would instead take the video tapes to his home. 4 In holding that the warrant was supported by probable cause, the district 4 court agreed with the government that it was “a reasonable inference . . . that given the previous activities that the officers had observed, one might expect that the video[s] would eventually make [their] way to the apartment to be searched and not stay permanently at the defendant’s place of work.” The district court further explained that the officers had observed the defendant pick up packages, go back to his office. They had also been where he resided. They could reasonably infer that the contents of -19- In making the probable cause determination, the issuing magistrate may draw reasonable inferences from the material provided in the warrant application. See Gates, 462 U.S. at 240; cf. United States v. Lawson, 999 F.2d 985, 987 (6th Cir. 1993) (stating that in determining whether there is probable cause to support a warrant, the issuing magistrate is “entitled to draw reasonable inferences about where evidence is likely to be kept, based on the nature of the evidence and the type of offense” (internal quotations omitted)). In this case, a magistrate could infer from the affidavit that Rowland would be unlikely to view or store the video tapes at his place of employment. A further possible inference was that, after removing the tapes from his workplace, Rowland would take the tapes home to view or store. Rowland’s home, however, was but one of an otherwise unlimited possible sites for viewing or storage. The Carr affidavit provided no basis to either limit the possible sites or suggest that Rowland’s home was more likely this particular package would not be readily usable at the defendant’s office. And I do not find it to be an unreasonable inference to assume that the contents of the package would eventually make their way to the defendant’s home where they could more likely be viewed than they could at the office. Although, as the district court and government suggest, it was reasonable to infer that Rowland would not view or store the illegal video tapes at work, particularly given the fact that Rowland was a State employee, the district court did not address and the government has not explained why it was logical to infer Rowland would take the tapes home to view or store, rather than taking the tapes to some other location. -20- than the otherwise endless possibilities. As a consequence, the possible inference that Rowland would take the tapes home, in and of itself, is insufficient to provide a substantial basis for concluding there was probable cause to believe the contraband would be in Rowland’s home at the time the search was to take place. 5 Given the absence of any facts in the affidavit linking the contraband to Rowland’s home, the magistrate had no information from which to determine, at the time he issued the warrant, there was probable cause to believe the contraband would be at Rowland’s residence when the search was to take place. 6 Cf. 5 In arguing the warrant was supported by probable cause, the government also asserts that a magistrate may consider an affiant’s experience and expertise in making the probable cause determination, and notes the affidavit in this case described Inspector Carr’s training and investigative experience in the area of child sexual exploitation and child pornography. The affidavit did not, however, set out any facts suggesting that, based on Carr’s experience, there was reason to believe Rowland would be likely to view or store such materials at his home, rather than viewing or storing the materials at another location. Therefore, we reject this argument. The government additionally asserts the warrant affidavit indicated Rowland had been “observed in his daily routine,” which included picking up his mail, walking back to his office, and “driv[ing] to his residence after work.” The affidavit, however, in fact only stated that Rowland had been observed picking up his mail and walking back to his place of employment, and later leaving work and walking to his car at a nearby parking lot. The affidavit did not indicate whether Rowland would typically drive directly home after work, nor did it indicate whether Rowland would typically take home any mail he had collected that day from his private post office box. 6 The government also asserts that because Carr “made no attempt to execute the search warrant until [Rowland] first indicated to him that the videotapes were in his residence,” Carr “[i]n effect . . . delayed the search until the . . . nexus requirement had been met.” Although officers must comply with an anticipatory warrant’s conditions for the warrant to be validly executed, such -21- Hendricks, 743 F.2d at 654-56 (holding anticipatory warrant for search of defendant’s home was invalid when defendant was required to pick up suitcase containing contraband at airport and there was no information indicating defendant would take suitcase home or otherwise linking defendant’s residence to illegal activity); State v. Goble, 945 P.2d 263, 268-69 (Wash. Ct. App. 1997) (holding anticipatory warrant for search of defendant’s home was invalid because facts made known to magistrate did not establish, at time warrant was issued, the required nexus between the contraband to be seized, which was mailed to defendant’s post office box, and defendant’s home); see also Lalor, 996 F.2d at 1582-83 (holding, in non-anticipatory warrant context, search warrant for defendant’s home was invalid based on failure of affidavit to establish nexus between drug activity and defendant’s home). We therefore conclude the warrant was not supported by probable cause and was thus invalid. 7 compliance does not satisfy the threshold requirement that, at the time of the warrant’s issuance, the warrant must be supported by probable cause. As discussed above, by placing conditions on a warrant’s execution, a magistrate can ensure that the warrant is not executed prematurely. Such conditions do not, however, themselves provide the magistrate with a basis for making the probable cause determination. See Hendricks, 743 F.2d at 654-56. The magistrate must ensure that the judicial function of determining the existence of probable cause is not improperly delegated to government agents by relying on police assurances that a search will not take place unless there is probable cause. 7 Because we have concluded the affidavit failed to provide a substantial basis for the magistrate’s probable cause determination, we need not consider whether, assuming probable cause had existed, the warrant conditions were adequate for a valid anticipatory warrant. -22-