Court Opinion

ID: 9468130
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-05 02:05:47.541967+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T17:40:42.352240
License: Public Domain

KENNEDY, Circuit Judge,
concurring:
This circuit has not yet ruled whether Stone v. Powell bars our consideration of fourth amendment claims when cast as an argument respecting competency of counsel. Even if we are permitted to circumvent Stone v. Powell in this way, we should be cautious about turning sixth amendment cases into fourth amendment ones unless there is an absolute necessity to do so. Based on the trial court’s observation of the trial counsel’s skill and the fact that the lawyer studied the fourth amendment point and researched it carefully, I would determine he was competent without further discussion of the fourth amendment issues.
Since the court’s opinion treats those issues at some length, it is appropriate to state my full agreement with the apparent holding that the officer’s opening of the screen door was reasonable and necessary under the circumstances and that the evidence so disclosed was not barred by the exclusionary rule. If, however, the iron logic of the exclusionary rule were to apply to the good faith and sensible actions the officer took here and thus make the evidence inadmissible, I would be hard pressed to say that its admission was harmless error. With these observations, I concur in the opinion of the court.