Opinion ID: 740792
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Reasonableness of Seizure and Search

Text: 20 Plaintiffs argue that defendant's order to exit the hot springs in his presence, under threat of incarceration, was unreasonable, in light of the nature of the offense and the limited risk that they were carrying weapons or contraband. They argue also that defendant searched them in an unreasonable manner by staring at their breasts and genitals while they dressed. 21 The reasonableness of a seizure or a search receives special scrutiny when a suspect's constitutional right to bodily privacy is implicated. See, e.g., Whren v. United States, 116 S.Ct. 1769, 1776 (1996) (explaining that while probable cause generally renders searches and seizures reasonable, special balancing analysis needed when seizure or search is conducted in an extraordinary manner, unusually harmful to an individual's privacy or ... physical interests); Cottrell v. Kaysville City, 994 F.2d 730, 734 (10th Cir.1993) (weighing need for strip search against grave invasion of privacy it entails). 22 We begin by analyzing whether defendant's order to exit the hot spring, in itself, exceeded the bounds of reasonableness. A temporary seizure carries with it authority to order the detained individuals to move from a particular area, if reasonably necessary. See, e.g., Maryland v. Wilson, 117 S.Ct. 882, 885-86 (1997) (holding that officer making a traffic stop may, as a matter of course, order passengers to exit vehicle pending completion of stop). The reasonableness of such an intrusion depends on a balance between the public interest and the individual's right to personal security free from arbitrary interference by law officers. Id. at 885 (quotations omitted). 23 Here, the public interest in effecting plaintiffs' seizure justified defendant's order in several respects. To issue plaintiffs a violation notice or a warning, defendant was required to return to his truck, parked out of sight, approximately one hundred yards away. See R. I, doc. 31, ex. E, pp. 26-27, ex. O, p. 48. Thus the order to exit the water prevented any potential escape of the suspects, by requiring them to accompany defendant to his vehicle. Defendant's order also facilitated plaintiffs' seizure by enabling them to produce identification, and by allowing completion of the citation procedure in a dry environment. Finally, defendant's order prevented the possibility of future exposure of plaintiffs' nudity to any unsuspecting visitors. 24 Balanced against these public interests is the additional intrusion into plaintiffs' privacy occasioned by defendant's order. Although the intrusion was certainly greater than that experienced by the passengers in Wilson, it was minimized by the officer's act of turning his back to allow plaintiffs to exit the water and get dressed. See R. I, doc. 31, ex. N at 56, ex. O at 46-47; doc. 34, ex. C, p. 36. Further, as defendant had probable cause to search plaintiffs, the requirement that they expose themselves did not intrude on a reasonable expectation of privacy. Under these circumstances, defendant's order that plaintiffs exit the water was not unreasonable. 25 We conclude also that the manner in which the seizure was conducted was reasonable. A detention may be unreasonable if it is unnecessarily painful, degrading, or prolonged, or if it involves an undue invasion of privacy. Franklin, 31 F.3d at 876. Such an unreasonable detention was found in Franklin, when officers removed a gravely ill man, who was not a suspect, from his bed, and required him to sit handcuffed for two hours, with his genitals exposed to twenty-three armed officers. Id. at 876-77. In contrast, the court in Crosby v. Hare, 932 F.Supp. 490, 494-95 (W.D.N.Y.1996), found no constitutional violation when plaintiff was required to remain in a bathroom, naked, under the supervision of a female officer but within view of male officers, until a protective sweep of the house was completed. The court relied on the fact that the detention was of short duration, that the detainee was somewhat shielded from public view, that she was suspected of committing the crimes underlying the search of the residence, and that she was not made to strip but merely to remain naked until the sweep was completed. Id. at 495. 26 The facts of this case are much closer to those in Crosby. Although defendant's conduct required plaintiffs to expose themselves, he did not require them to strip, as they were already naked. Because plaintiffs were permitted to dress immediately, the length of their exposure was minimal. Further, unlike the detainee in Franklin, plaintiffs were not innocent bystanders, but were suspected of the criminal activity that precipitated their detention. The degree of intrusiveness into plaintiffs' privacy was also minimized by defendant's act of turning his back. Finally, defendant's threat of incarceration occurred only after plaintiffs refused to provide identification or cooperate with the officer. See R. I, doc. 31, exs. J, K & O. This threat was not unreasonable. See United States v. Buehler, 793 F.Supp. 971, 975-76 (E.D.Wash.1992) (holding fisherman who refused to provide identification was guilty of interfering with park ranger's authority to issue citation). We conclude on this record that plaintiffs were not seized in an unreasonable manner. 27 Similarly, we conclude that any search conducted by defendant was not performed in an unconstitutional manner. A search may be unreasonable if the privacy invasion outweighs the need for the search, considering the scope of the intrusion, the manner in which it was conducted, the justification for initiating the search, and finally, the place where the search took place. Cottrell, 994 F.2d at 734. Here, justification for initiating a search was present: defendant had a clear indication that plaintiffs were nude and that their nudity would be quickly and accurately revealed upon exiting the water, and further, that it would be difficult to prove their nudity by other means. See Winston v. Lee, 470 U.S. 753, 762-63 (1985) (analyzing strength of state interest to determine if search justified). Moreover, the manner in which the search was conducted, the place where it occurred, and its scope, were minimally intrusive. 5