Opinion ID: 1172016
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 8

Heading: The Search and Seizure of Kevin's Trailer

Text: (12) Defendant moved pretrial to suppress evidence pertaining to Kevin's trailer and its contents (various items belonging to Kevin). The basis for the motion was that the trailer was seized pursuant to a search warrant which authorized only a search of Shelton's property, whereas the trailer was in fact located on neighboring property. Were this a post-Proposition 8 case, defendant's claim would fall for lack of standing to object. (Cal. Const., art. I, § 28, subd. (d); see Rakas v. Illinois (1978) 439 U.S. 128, 133-134 [58 L.Ed.2d 387, 394-395, 99 S.Ct. 421]; In re Lance W. (1985) 37 Cal.3d 873, 896 [210 Cal. Rptr. 631, 694 P.2d 744].) Because this is a pre-Proposition 8 case, however, we must determine whether, under the vicarious exclusionary rule, the neighbor's rights were violated by the entry onto his property incident to the seizure of Kevin's trailer. (See Kaplan v. Superior Court (1971) 6 Cal.3d 150, 156 [98 Cal. Rptr. 649, 491 P.2d 1]; People v. Martin (1955) 45 Cal.2d 755 [290 P.2d 855].) We conclude no such violation occurred and, therefore, defendant's motion to suppress evidence pertaining to the seizure of the trailer or its contents was properly denied. When Thomas showed the officers executing the search warrant where the trailer was hidden, they did not realize they had crossed Shelton's property line; the neighboring property was open wilderness in Lassen County without fencing or posted signs. The record indicates the area where the trailer was found was isolated and rural. As such, the search and seizure which occurred within Shelton's trailer involved a mere technical trespass onto the neighbor's realty; the neighbor had exhibited no legitimate expectation of privacy which defendant might vicariously assert. (See People v. Bradley (1969) 1 Cal.3d 80, 84-85 [81 Cal. Rptr. 457, 460 P.2d 129].) At best, the neighbor might have complained of a trespass, but we have long recognized that the Fourth Amendment prohibits unreasonable searches and seizures, not trespasses, and that, even if the officers' entry [onto the land] was a technical trespass, there was no violation of the Fourth Amendment. ( People v. Edwards (1969) 71 Cal.2d 1096, 1104 [80 Cal. Rptr. 633, 458 P.2d 713].) Accordingly, we conclude the court did not err in denying defendant's suppression motion.
(13) The court read to the jury CALJIC No. 2.52, which provides that The flight of a person immediately after commission of a crime or after he is accused of a crime is not sufficient in itself to establish his guilt but is a fact which, if proved, may be considered by you in light of all other proved facts in deciding the question of his guilt or innocence. The weight to which such circumstance is entitled is a matter for the jury to determine. Defendant claims the court erred in giving the instruction, contending there was no evidence of flight. We find defendant's contention meritless. We note that the evidence was sufficient to justify an inference of flight: Defendant and Shelton left Lassen County shortly after they discarded Laura's body; they instructed Thomas to hide all weapons in the event the police came around. Defendant was later arrested hundreds of miles away in Fresno. We find these circumstances sufficient to justify leaving to the jury the question whether defendant's conduct constituted flight within the meaning of CALJIC No. 2.52. Moreover, we believe that under the evidence, any error in instructing on flight was harmless; on these facts it is not reasonably probable a result more favorable to defendant would have been reached absent such an error. ( People v. Watson (1956) 46 Cal.2d 818, 836 [299 P.2d 243].)