Court Opinion

ID: 9557488
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-21 16:51:10.950337+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T09:05:53.393375
License: Public Domain

ORME, Presiding Judge
(dissenting):
I dissent. While the affidavit established probable cause to search the Hundleys’ residence, it did not establish the probability that other persons coming to the residence were most likely intending to engage in drug transactions. Quite the contrary, the affidavit identified Steve Hundley’s place of employment, rather than the residence, as the hotbed of sale activity. While I take no issue with the general law outlined by the majority, I fail to see how the affidavit established, in the words of the main opinion, “probable cause to believe that anyone present at the location will likely be involved in the suspected criminal activity.” While I concede the three factors delineated in Commonwealth v. Smith, 370 Mass. 335, 348 N.E.2d 101, 107 (1976), seem to be present in this case, as duly noted by the majority, this is merely a threshold question and not dispositive of whether the “all persons present” warrant was adequately supported by probable cause.
In reviewing the grant of an “all persons present” warrant, this court must carefully scrutinize the underlying affidavit. State v. Covington, 904 P.2d 209, 212 (Utah App.1995). In Covington, this court cited to cases in which “all persons present” searches were upheld. Id. In each of these eases, the facts had to establish a sufficient nexus between the criminal activity, the place of the activity, and the persons at the place. Id. The facts that helped establish this nexus are, for example, an informant observing large quantities of cocaine in the house, drugs being sold from the house, numerous persons entering the premises and staying for short periods of time, a lookout present to warn occupants of police activity, undercover purchases of crack cocaine from the residence, and extensive walk-in and drive-in traffic at the location. Id. We have no such information here. Given the affidavit before us, it is just as likely that the only visitors to the Hundley residence were friends, relatives, pizza deliverymen, opinion surveyors, bill collectors, Jehovah’s Witnesses, and persons looking for lost pets as it is that most visitors were looking to buy drugs. A fair reading of the affidavit is that those looking to buy drugs from the Hundleys called on Steven at work rather than dropping by the residence.
In this ease, there is nothing in the affidavit quoted by the majority to establish the requisite factual nexus. The only premises from which drug sales took place, according to the explicit language of the affidavit, was Steven Hundley’s place of employment. There was no indication that numerous persons dropped by for short periods of time or even that an undercover drug purchase was made from the home. Without more evidence of drug dealing from the home, there is nothing to establish a link between the home, the alleged drug dealing, and any person, other than the Hundleys, who may have been present. Therefore, insofar as directed at anyone else who might turn up at the residence, the warrant was not supported by probable cause, and the search of defendant was unlawful.
I would reverse the conviction and remand for a new trial.