Opinion ID: 435102
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: The Retroactivity of Gates

Text: 9 The Gates Court held that sufficiency of an affidavit that relies on a confidential informant depends on the totality of the circumstances. 103 S.Ct. at 2332. It abandoned the rigid application of the two-pronged test established by Aguilar v. Texas, 378 U.S. 108, 84 S.Ct. 1509, 12 L.Ed.2d 723 (1964), and Spinelli v. United States, 393 U.S. 410, 89 S.Ct. 584, 21 L.Ed.2d 637 (1969). 10 The searches of the Estradas' residences took place prior to the Gates decision. Appellants contend that Gates should not be applied retroactively. 11 We have not yet decided this question. Compare United States v. Landis, 726 F.2d 540 at 541 (9th Cir.1984) (applying Gates to prior search without discussing retroactivity question); United States v. Seybold, supra, 726 F.2d at 503 (same); with United States v. $93,685.61 in United States Currency, 730 F.2d 571 at 572 (9th Cir.1984) (retroactivity of Gates remains open question). The Fifth Circuit has held that Gates applies to all decisions arising on direct review when Gates was decided. United States v. Mendoza, 727 F.2d 448 at 449 (5th Cir.1984). 12 We agree. As a rule, judicial decisions apply 'retroactively.'  Solem v. Stumes, --- U.S. ----, ----, 104 S.Ct. 1338, 1341, 79 L.Ed.2d 579 (1984). Any exceptions to this general principle must find their source in the interest of justice or the exigencies of the situation. Id. 13 We have never denied retroactive application to a new decision that limits the Fourth Amendment's exclusionary rule. We have held, for example, that the warrantless automobile container search rule announced in United States v. Ross, 456 U.S. 798, 102 S.Ct. 2157, 72 L.Ed.2d 572 (1981), applies retroactively. United States v. Johns, 707 F.2d 1093 (9th Cir.1983), petition for cert. filed, 52 U.S.L.W. 3777 (U.S. April 24, 1984). Accord United States v. Freire, 710 F.2d 1515 (11th Cir.1983), cert. denied, --- U.S. ----, 104 S.Ct. 1277, 79 L.Ed.2d 681 (1984); United States v. Burns, 684 F.2d 1066, 1074 (2d Cir.1982), cert. denied, --- U.S. ----, 103 S.Ct. 823, 74 L.Ed.2d 1019 (1983). 14 These cases indicate that decisions limiting the exclusionary rule are fully retroactive. 15 No other result makes sense. The purpose of refusing to apply retroactively a new decision enforcing the exclusionary rule is to avoid penalizing police conduct when the police reasonably relied on existing judicial precedent. [cites] When a court determines that a particular police practice does not violate the Constitution, there is no reason not to apply that decision retroactively. 16 Johns, 707 F.2d at 1097. 17 A participant in illegal activities cannot legitimately expect to order his affairs in reliance on prior judicial interpretations of the exclusionary rule. Ross, 456 U.S. at 824 & n. 33, 102 S.Ct. at 2172 & n. 33; Mendoza, supra, 727 F.2d at 449. 18 Similarly, the administration of justice is benefited by giving retroactive application to a new decision limiting the exclusionary rule. The costs of that rule are justified by its deterrent effect on illegal police conduct. Stone v. Powell, 428 U.S. 465, 486, 96 S.Ct. 3037, 3048, 49 L.Ed.2d 1067 (1976); United States v. Janis, 428 U.S. 433, 446, 96 S.Ct. 3021, 3028, 49 L.Ed.2d 1046 (1976). When a subsequent decision holds the police conduct reasonable, the rationale for exclusion disappears. Johns, 707 F.2d at 1097.