Court Opinion

ID: 9682690
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-24 13:14:51.692039+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:17:40.648858
License: Public Domain

John I. Purtle, Justice, concurring. Apparently this court has abandoned its old policy of not issuing advisory opinions set out in Stafford v. City of Hot Springs, 276 Ark. 466, 637 S.W.2d 553 (1982). In McCuen v. Harris, 271 Ark. 863, 611 S.W.2d 503 (1981) we stated we would not answer academic questions. I have advocated giving advisory opinions under certain special and limited circumstances but the majority has steadfastly refused until today to follow this course. It was not necessary for the majority to include in its opinion the ruling handed down by the U.S. Supreme Court in Illinois v. Gates, _ U.S _, 103 S.Ct. 2317 (1983) nor do I consider it proper to state what tests this court will utilize in the future. The majority clearly states that the affidavit in the present case meets the two-prong test of Aguilar and Spinelli. However, since the matter has been gratuitously thrown in I will comment. The exclusionary rule is predicated on the 4th Amendment to the Constitution of the United States of America, which was finally ratified December 15, 1791, almost 200 years ago. The 4th Amendment states in part: [N]o warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized. The 4th Amendment was written because the framers of the Constitution despised the general searches and seizures existing in England at the time. General searches had also been conducted in the colonies by the government of England through what were known as writs of assistance. These writs generally authorized certain officials to search wherever they chose in attempting to locate goods which had been illegally smuggled into the colonies. Many of the warrants were attempts to quiet seditious publications and to put the publishers out of business. The people who framed our Constitution and the Bill of Rights thought they were protecting American citizens in providing that their papers, goods, and persons would be free from intrusion by those who would not observe or did not agree with their ideas. It was the 4th Amendment which gave rise to the fact that “a man’s home is his castle.” Any search of a person, his premises or possessions is obnoxious and a hinderance to his liberty. Our 4th Amendment wisely states that search warrants must be supported by oath or affirmation which particularly describe the place to be searched and the persons or things to be seized. This was to eliminate the general search. Any departure from this mandate is a taking away of the rights of all the people. The step the majority takes today may be the first step in the destruction of the 4th Amendment to the Constitution of the United States of America. To this end I will not be a part. The anonymous informant in the Gates case merely supplied tips which were followed up by the officers and found to be true. So far as I know it has never been considered improper or illegal for police officers to investigate any tip received by them, whether reliable or not. The Gates opinion did not even hint that a tip from an unknown informant would support “probable cause” sufficient to justify the issuance of a warrant by a magistrate. In fact the court stated, “We agree with the Illinois Supreme Court that an informant’s ‘veracity,’ ‘reliability’ and ‘basis of knowledge’ are all highly relevant in determining the value of his report.” The opinion further held that the Illinois court seemed to imply all of the foregoing relative factors were to be rigidly applied. A.R.Cr.P., Rule 1.2 states: “These rules shall govern the proceedings in all criminal cases in the Supreme Court and in circuit courts of the State of Arkansas.” It is not the duty of this court to set forth tests which are to be used in the future, but rather, the existing rules are to be applied in the cases which come before us. This court has adopted rules relating to the issue of search and seizure. A.R.Cr.P., Art. IV. We are bound by our rules until such time as they are changed. A.R.Cr.P., Rule 13, specifically describes the circumstances upon which a search warrant may be issued. This rule has adequate protection for the public and plenty of authority for granting a search warrant within the confines of the 4th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. I believe our rules conform to the requirements of Aguilar and Spinelli and would validate a warrant in circumstances such as Gates without the necessity of chipping away at the Constitution. A.R.Cr.P., Rule 13.1 (b) provides that the application for a search warrant shall meet a test as rigid as the test in Aguilar. We have no right to abrogate our own rule in favor of one offering less protection to our citizens. We are not bound to follow a decision of the U.S. Supreme Court which is more restrictive than our own rules and statutes. An anonymous informant is a person who is unwilling to appear before a magistrate or other official and give a sworn statement in support of his allegation. The word anonymous by definition implies nothing is known about the person’s “veracity,” “reliability” or “basis of knowledge.” In the absence of information that an anonymous informer would in some manner suffer harm or injury if his identity were revealed I would treat such information as being worthy only of being checked out. Information from a nameless, faceless individual about whom we know nothing concerning personal honesty and integrity is not sufficient within itself to support the issuance of a search warrant. To so act upon the unverified tip of an unknown informant is a step in the direction of the despicable general search warrant. Justice Douglas stated in a dissenting opinion in Draper v. United States, 358 U.S. 307 (1959): “A rule protective of law-abiding citizens is not apt to flourish where its advocates are criminals. Yet the rule we fashion is for the innocent and guilty alike.” We are living in a time where there is a hue and cry for more and harsher punishment for criminals. Perhaps this has some justification, but we should be mindful of the words of Justice Stewart in Coolidge v. New Hampshire, 403 U.S. 443 (1971), when he said: “In time of unrest, whether caused by crime or racial conflict or fear of internal subversion, this basic law and the values that it represents may appear unrealistic or ‘extravagant’ to some. But the values were those of the authors of our fundamental constitutional concepts.” A long journey commences with one step and if it be in the wrong direction the intended goal may never be achieved. We must be ever mindful that this is a time of conflict and fear. Keeping this in mind we should make certain that when we take such a step, it is in the right direction. Though it may appear that my step be to the beat of a different drummer, I am convinced that it is in the right direction, and toward the direction the framers of our Constitution held dear in fashioning the language of the 4th Amendment. It is for these reasons I respectfully concur in the present case, agreeing with the majority’s result, but disagreeing with the language restricting the people’s right to be free from unreasonable searches and seizures.