Court Opinion

ID: 9449713
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-04 16:20:37.179145+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T17:31:57.341050
License: Public Domain

WOODBURY, Chief Judge,
(dissenting).
In the light of the first and more particularly of the final paragraphs of the sheet attached to Mazaka’s affidavit, quoted at length in footnote 2 of the opinion of the court, I would read the statements of fact contained therein as based upon “observations” made either by the affiant himself or by other Investigators of the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax Division of the Internal Revenue Service. Since knowledge obtained from other federal law enforcement agents, though hearsay, has sufficient verification to support the issuance of a search warrant under the rule of Jones v. United States, 362 U.S. 257, 80 S.Ct. 725, 4 L.Ed.2d 697 (1960), see United States v. McCormick, 309 F.2d 367 (C.A.7, 1962), cert. den. 372 U.S. 911, 83 S.Ct. 724, 9 L.Ed.2d 719 (1963), it can make no difference which specific “observations” were made by the affiant himself and which were made by other Investigators and reported in line of duty to the affiant.
But, regardless of the foregoing, the allegations of the detection of the odor of fermenting mash emanating from Ventresca’s house on three occasions, twice between four and five o’clock on the morning of August 18, 1961, and once at about four o’clock on the morning of August 30, 1961, are clear allegations of actual observations made by Investigators themselves and not observations relayed to them by someone else whose identity does not appear. These allegations read in conjunction with the others impress me as enough to warrant issuance of the search warrant by the Commissioner. See United States v. Parham, 17 F.R.D. 301 (E.D.Mich.1955). I would affirm.