Court Opinion

ID: 9527183
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-07 03:28:09.116888+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T13:25:36.516508
License: Public Domain

MORGAN, Justice
(concurring specially).
I concur in the opinion that the two prongs of the Aguilar test were met by reading both affidavits. I therefore see no reason to weaken the requirements of that test. In this case I really see no difference between a paid informant for cash and an informant who receives favors.
I will grant that the absence of hearsay in an officer’s affidavit diminishes the necessity of showing that the informant was reliable in the past; nevertheless, the informant’s affidavit should still show both informational reliability and credibility and observational reliability. A crank can sign an affidavit as can an embittered enemy. A citizen can make an accusation in an area where he has total lack of knowledge; witness the recent case where the informant was informing on the use of drugs that turned out to be sand and vitamin pills. I think that the majority paint with too broad a brush.
I am authorized to state that Justice ZASTROW joins in this special concurrence.
APPENDIX
Agent Gromer’s affidavit was as follows:
1. That my name is Donald Gromer, and that I am a Special Agent for the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation, and that as such I am charged with investigating violations of the laws of the State of South Dakota, and that I have been so employed at all times pertinent hereto;
2. That during the' late afternoon and evening hours of 22 July, 1976,1 conducted a surveillance involving one Michael *815Powers, and one other individual, in the Vermillion, South Dakota area;
3. That I observed the subjects vehicle arrive in the area of the Sommerset apartments at approximately 7:30 PM on 22 July, 1976, and that a short time thereafter I observed a tan Volkswagen, license South Dakota 1976 CL4530, arrive at the apartments; that a few minutes after this vehicle arrived, with one male occupant, the driver who had entered the apartment upon arriving, left the apartment, and headed east on highway 50; that at this time I stopped this subject, placed him under arrest, and ascertained that he was Lindsay Bergdale, and that I took from his person approximately $5000 in 100 dollar bills;
4. That approximately two hours later, the apartment, number 14, at the Sunset [sic] apartments was searched by other state agents, and I was advised that two plastic bags, containing a large quantity of amphetamine tablets were recovered from the apartment;
5. That affiant contacted the sheriff in Chamberlain, and had the sheriff go to the apartment of Michael Powers in Oa-coma and attempt to locate an envelope with a telephone number written on it, addressed to Powers, and from Gail Herman, that the sheriff called me back by telephone some 45 minutes later and advised that he did find such an envelope, and that a telephone number of 934-1985 was printed on the front of the envelope;
6. That said telephone number lists to one MARK ROTH of Alcester, South Dakota, a rural residence;
7. That upon further checking, I have ascertained that this is a farm located approximately 30 minutes driving time from Vermillion, and that I believe that the said Mark Roth is also known by the name of Animal; '
8. That the residence to which the telephone number 934-1985 lists is located in section 5, township 94, range 49 Big Springs Township Union County, and further that the residence is located directly to the west of the Frank Farley residence, and to the east of the L. E. Wilson residence; and further that the residence is two miles south on highway 11 and one and three quarters west, on the north side of the road; from Alcester;
9. That I checked with Jim Navis, Agent, Iowa Bureau of Narcotics, Sioux City, by telephone during the late evening hours of July 22, and he advised after checking with other law enforcement officers in Iowa that Mark Roth was known as ANIMAL;
10. That the above described residence is approximately one half hour drive from Vermillion
WHEREFORE, your affiant has probable cause to believe and does believe that the above described residence, and any attached buildings thereon contains a quantity believed to be approximately 50,000 to 70,000 amphetamine tablets, which are a controlled substance pursuant to SDCL 39-17, and asks that a Warrant of Search issue for the above described residence, and directing that if such property or evidence or any part thereof be found that it be seized and brought before the court together with such other and further relief that the court may deem proper.
Powers’ affidavit reads as follows:
1. That My name is Michael Powers, that I am 22 years of age, and that I reside in Oacoma, South Dakota;
2. That approximately one month ago, I contacted one Lindsay Bergdale, a resident of Clay County, South Dakota, with respect to the purchase of a quantity of approximately 25,000 tablets of amphetamines, and that at the time I contacted Bergdale by telephone, he indicated to me that he thought he might know of someone who might have available such a quantity of amphetamines;
3. That approximately two days after the above noted telephone conversation with Lindsay Bergdale, I was in Vermillion and met with Lindsay Bergdale, and an individual who was introduced to me as ANIMAL, said person supposedly lived on a farm near Haywarden, Iowa;
*8164. That during this meeting in Vermillion, I was also given the telephone number of Animal by Lindsay Bergdale, and advised that if Bergdale was out of town, that I could contact Animal directly by telephone to purchase amphetamines;
5. That the telephone number given to me I wrote on an envelope addressed to me, with a return address from one Gail Herman, with an APO address, and maintained such envelope at my apartment;
6. That on Tuesday, July 20, 1976, I called Lindsay Bergdale in Vermillion to see what was happening regarding my request to purchase the above described quantity of amphetamines; that at this time, Lindsay Bergdale indicated to me that he thought a quantity of between 50,000 and 75,000 tablets of amphetamines would be available;
7. That on Wednesday evening, July 21, 1976, Bergdale called your affiant at approximately 12:30 AM (early Thursday Morning) and advised that the amphetamines would be available on Thursday, July 22, 1976, and to be in Vermillion at 6:30 PM, and that about 50,000 tablets could be purchased;
8. That at approximately 7:45 PM on Wednesday, July 22,1976,1 arrived at the Sunset [sic] Apartments in Vermillion with one other individual to purchase the above described amphetamines; that a short time after my arrival, Lindsay Bergdale arrived and delivered two plastic bags containing 5,000 (approximately) tablets of amphetamines, and indicated that he had to go get the remaining amount, which I believed to be approximately 25,000 tablets; Lindsay Bergdale was paid $5,000 for the entire transaction, and took all of the money before leaving the apartment;
9. Bergdale indicated to me that he would have to drive for approximately one half hour to a farm to get the rest of the amphetamines. He indicated to me that he would call when he got the drugs, and meet us at the Trucktown reststop at Beersford [sic] to make the rest of the delivery;
10. That it is my belief that Lindsay Bergdale was going to the farm of an individual known as ANIMAL to make the purchase of the amphetamines;
11. That a short time after Bergdale left the apartment on 22 July, 1976,1 and one other male individual were arrested by state agents.
12. That my part in the above described transaction was to arrange for the individual who was with me to make the purchase from Lindsay Bergdale.