Court Opinion

ID: 9646459
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-23 13:00:26.559995+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:11:38.406881
License: Public Domain

James R. Cooper, Judge, dissenting. While I do not disagree with the majority opinion as it relates to the evidence obtained through the warrantless search, I respectfully dissent from that portion of the opinion which affirms the trial court’s refusal to suppress the evidence obtained through the search warrant. The affidavit for the search warrant described the property in question and showed that the affiant, Sheriff Ray Watkins, had personally observed marijuana growing on the property. However, there was no information whatsoever contained in the affidavit as to when Sheriff Watkins observed the growing marijuana. I believe this is a fatal defect, and that the evidence seized should have been suppressed. The majority disposes of this issue by finding that the municipal judge could have inferred that the events related in the affidavit occurred on the date the affidavit was signed. I disagree. Since the affiant had personally observed the growing marijuana plants, the majority opinion reasons that the magistrate had reasonable grounds for believing that marijuana was being grown at the described location on the date the affidavit was signed. The majority, I believe, has gotten the cart before the horse. The alleged illegal activity, according to the face of the affidavit, could have occurred weeks, months, or even years earlier. To use the conclusory statement by the affiant, i.e., that he believes there is marijuana on the premises on the day he signed the affidavit, as a justification for believing that he observed it on that day, is simply bootstrapping. Obviously an affiant is going to believe that contraband is located on the premises at the time he signs the affidavit, or at least, that the contraband will be present shortly thereafter. This is true in virtually every case. If that justifies the issuance of this search warrant, then from and after the date of this opinion, there will simply be no requirement that time be alleged in affidavits for search warrants. In Coyne v. Watson, 282 F.Supp. 235 (S.D. Ohio 1967), aff'd, 392 F.2d 585 (6th Cir.), cert. denied, 393 U.S. 951 (1968), the district court stated: With respect to the deficiency in “time,” it must be conceded that the affidavit must contain something affirmatively indicating that there is probable cause at or about the time the search warrant is applied for. If it be on personal knowledge, there should be some indication of the officer’s personal knowledge now; or if it be based on hearsay, there should be some indication that the information was imparted to the affiant at or shortly before the time of the application and that the information indicated probable cause now, not five or six days or months ago. [citation omitted]. The case of United States v. Neal, 500 F.2d 305 (10th Cir. 1974), involved information provided to the police by an informer. The information was at least three months old, and the court found that the affidavit contained no information from which it could be inferred that the criminal activity continued, or that the contraband remained on the premises. The district court stated: Probable cause existing at some time in the past will not suffice unless circumstances exist from which it may be inferred that the grounds continued to the time the affidavit was filed. Sgro v. United States, 287 U.S. 206, 53 S.Ct. 138,77 L.Ed. 260 (1932); [footnote omitted] Durham v. United States, 403 F.2d 190 (9th Cir. 1967); Rosencranz v. United States, supra; People v. Siemieniec, 368 Mich. 405, 118 N.W.2d 430 (1962), 100 A.L.R.2d 522, Anno. 525; 3 Wright, Federal Practice and Procedure, par. 662 at 23, par. 670 at 91 (1969). Although undated information may be closely interrelated with dated information so as to allow an inference that the events alleged took place in close proximity to the dates given, United States v. Holliday, 474 F.2d 320 (10th Cir. 1973), undated information with no specific clues as to time is inadequate to justify a finding of probable cause. United States v. Salvucci, 599 F.2d 1094 (1st Cir. 1979), rev’d and remanded on other grounds, 448 U.S. 83 (1980). In United States v. Boyd, 422 F.2d 791 (6th Cir. 1970), the court dealt with an affidavit which alleged that there was being concealed certain contraband "now”. In vacating the conviction, the court said: But when the date of that observation is not supplied to the Commissioner under oath, the door is opened to inference of a present offense based on stale information. Generally, the courts have refused to uphold warrants based — or possibly based — on stale information. [citations omitted] While it is true that the cases cited above contain language which appears to allow inferences as to the time of the alleged criminal activity, it is clear that those inferences must be tied to other factual and dated allegations contained in the affidavit before they may be considered sufficient to constitute probable cause for the issuance of a search warrant. In the case at bar, the majority concludes that, because of the “common sense” rule laid down by the Arkansas Supreme Court in Baxter v. State, 262 Ark. 303, 556 S. W.2d 428 (1977), which quoted United States v. Ventresca, 380 U.S. 102 (1965), the affidavit in the instant case should be held sufficient. However, this exact issue was dealt with in Rosencranz v. United States, 356 F.2d 310 (1st Cir. 1965). The Court dealt with the question of whether Ventresca compelled or permitted the upholding of an affidavit which lacked any averment as to when the affiant received information from an anonymous informant, or as to the time when the affiant actually detected the alleged illegal activities. In Rosencranz, the district court dealt with Ventresca, and held, as does the majority in the case at bar, that the information received from the informant “must reasonably be construed as speaking as of the date of the affidavit, for the present tense is used.” The Courc of Appeals reversed, holding that the affidavit was insufficient because it did not contain sufficient allegations as to the time when the observations were made. The court, in so holding, stated: We conclude that a combination of undated, conclusory information from an anonymous source and an undated general allegation of personal observation by the affiant, with no other reasonably specific clues to the time of their happening, is inadequate. Further, the court stated: It is one thing to expect the magistrate to give a commonsense reading to facts set forth and to draw inferences from them. It is quite another thing to expect the magistrate to reach for external facts and to build inference upon inference in order to create a reasonable basis for his belief that a crime is presently being committed. Several state court decisions have reached the same result. See McCray v. State, 50 Ala. Crim. App. 143, 277 So.2d 418 (1973); People v. Padilla, 182 Colo. 101, 511 P.2d 480 (1973); Pierson v. State, 338 A.2d 571 (Del. 1975); Bachelor v. State, 143 Ga. App. 442, 238 S.E.2d 579 (1977); Latten v. State, 127 Ga. App. 75, 192 S.E.2d 562 (1972); State Ex Rel. Townsend v. District Court of Fourth Judicial District, 168 Mont. 357, 543 P.2d 193 (1975); Morris v. State, 617 P.2d 252 (Okla. Crim. App. 1980); State v. Winborne, 273 S.C. 62, 254 S.E.2d 297 (1979). See also Annot., 100 A.L.R.2d 527 (1965). Although there have been more cases on this question since the A.L.R. annotation, it is worthwhile to note the beginning paragraph of the annotation where it is stated: While the courts agree that an affidavit must contain an express statement of the time of the occurrence of those facts relied upon as supporting the issuance of a search warrant, this rule is apparently so well recognized that few cases contain a positive statement to this effect. The reason, at least to me, the rule is so obvious to most courts, is that probable cause dissipates with time. As stated in State v. Winborne, supra, if the affidavit fails to state the time of the occurrence of the facts alleged, then The conduct of the citizen throughout the entire period of his past life would furnish grounds for continuous and repeated searches of his premises, if, perchance, he had been guilty during that period of harboring on his premises contraband articles. . . . Finally, I must point out that neither I, nor the majority, have found any Arkansas case which has ruled on the precise point presented in the case at bar. However, I find the decision of the Arkansas Supreme Court in Vanderpool v. State, 276 Ark. 220, 633 S.W.2d 374 (1982) persuasive. In Vanderpool, the affiant did not make any statement in his affidavit as to whether he personally had observed the contraband or whether the information had been obtained from a third person. The Arkansas Supreme Court reversed and remanded, holding that the trial court should have suppressed the evidence because of the failure to state the source of the affiant’s information. In so doing, the court stated: A magistrate must determine the reliability of the assertion in the affidavit before deciding the existence of probable cause. In order to weigh reliability the magistrate must know whether the assertion is from personal observation, perceived facts or hearsay. Thus, the basis of the assertion must be stated in the affidavit in those cases where the sole evidence is the affidavit. We reverse the Court of Appeals on this issue and remand the case for a new trial. If a magistrate determines that an affidavit is insufficient the defect can easily be cured, if the affiant has the required good cause, by putting the affiant under oath and allowing him to testify or else allowing him to execute a supplemental affidavit under oath. In Vanderpool, the Arkansas Supreme Court held that the magistrate, and the reviewing court, may not infer the source of the information provided by the affiant. The Court further held that the source of the affiant’s information must be specifically stated. How, then, can we allow the issuing magistrate to infer the time when the affiant gained the information in the affidavit from which a probable cause determination must be made? I think the obligation of this Court is to make an independent determination based on the totality of all the circumstances and to resolve all doubts in favor of the rights of the individual. We should reverse the trial court on the refusal to suppress the evidence obtained by virtue of the warrant, since the ruling was clearly erroneous. State v. Tucker, 268 Ark. 427, 597 S.W.2d 584 (1980); Grant v. State, 267 Ark. 50, 589 S.W.2d 11 (1979). I respectfully dissent. Glaze and Corbin, JJ., join in this dissent.