Court Opinion

ID: 9452901
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-04 17:56:14.66741+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T17:33:24.819344
License: Public Domain

Petition for Rehearing.
PER CURIAM:
In its petition for rehearing the state has presented us with several contentions which unfortunately it withheld on the appeal. Thus, for the first time, we are now provided with a description of the physical layout of the building in which Rogers lived; if accurate, this might indicate that Gowski actually saw the known addicts and unknown males entering the appellant’s “apartment,” something we were not told before.
We should note, however, as we tried to indicate in our opinion, that this information really has no relevance to the issue of probable cause unless it appears that it was brought to the attention of the magistrate at the time he issued the warrant, for we can only consider what was before him. But, the state tells us that the magistrate might have been familiar with the type of buildings in the neighborhood where Rogers lived, or he might have questioned Gowski to determine exactly what he had observed. Moreover, it claims that the magistrate might have inquired as to the basis for the informant’s statement that narcotics would be found in Rogers’ apartment. Because all this is conceivable, the state urges that once we determined that appellant had the right to present his constitutional claims to a federal court, we should have remanded the case to the District Court for a determination of the factual issues involved.
The state is to be faulted for having held back these facts and points raised so belatedly. Almost half of the lengthy *222brief submitted by Rogers on appeal was devoted to the issue of probable cause. Yet the state in replying to that brief never so much as suggested that the magistrate’s determination of probable cause was based on anything but Gowski’s affidavit. We were given to believe by the state’s silence on this question that there were no factual issues, for “there is nothing to indicate that the magistrate attempted to make any inquiries to resolve the ambiguity that existed [in Gowski’s affidavit].” United States ex rel. Rogers v. Warden, 381 F.2d 220 (2d Cir., June 15, 1967) (footnote omitted).
This Court had occasion once before to instruct the Attorney General of New York that “the exigencies of habeas corpus * * * make it desirable for a state to indicate, in any submission asking dismissal as a matter of law, the proceedings to which it deems itself entitled if its request should be denied.” United States ex rel. Mitchell v. Follette, 358 F.2d 922, 929 (1966). In view of the events that have transpired in the present case, and the unnecessary drain on our time which resulted from this action by the state, we wish to make it clear that in the future it will be not only “desirable,” but mandatory for the state to inform this Court of its views of the merits of a petitioner’s claim, and the further proceedings it believes to be appropriate in the event this Court denies its prayer for a dismissal of the petition as a matter of law.
We have determined, however, to remand to the District Court in order that it may ascertain whether the magistrate acted on any information other than that contained in Gowski’s affidavit; and if so, whether he might properly have found probable cause to issue the warrant.
We wish to make it clear that our remand in no way affects our holding regarding the right of a defendant to raise his Fourth Amendment claims in a federal habeas corpus proceeding after he has pleaded guilty and appealed pursuant to § 813-c of the New York Code of Criminal Procedure. We have considered the other arguments raised by the state and find them to be without merit.
The petition for reargument is granted. The previous order to issue the writ of habeas corpus is rescinded and the case is remanded to the District Court for further proceedings.
HAYS, Circuit Judge: I concur in the result.