Court Opinion

ID: 9537349
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-07 07:16:26.646073+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T14:56:29.571706
License: Public Domain

Rosellini, J.
(dissenting) — The majority find, contrary to the finding of the trial court, that the arrest of Louis Plancich was made with reasonable grounds to believe that he was about to commit a felony, or that he was mentally unsound and dangerous to be at large. They do not decide which of these beliefs the defendants were reasonably justified in entertaining.
At the outset it is well to have in mind some of the fundamental rules of law applicable in testing whether the trial court erred in holding that there was not a probable cause for the arrest of the plaintiff.
The supreme court in reviewing the sufficiency of the evidence to sustain the judgment must consider the evidence alone most favorable to the successful party. Aurelio v. Puget Sound Electric R., 80 Wash. 480, 141 Pac. 1030.
Upon review of a judgment based on findings, respondent is entitled to the benefit of all the evidence and reasonable inference therefrom in support of the judgment.
The reviewing court will consider only the evidence most favorable to the respondent and will eliminate from consideration all evidence contrary thereto or in conflict therewith. Shultes v. Halpin, 33 Wn. (2d) 294, 205 P. (2d) 1201.
Appellate courts cannot pass on the veracity of witnesses. Anderson v. Kurrell, 28 Wn. (2d) 227, 182 P. (2d) 1.
The trial court’s view expressed in an oral opinion carries much weight and is entitled to careful consideration. Brotherton v. Day & Night Fuel Co., 192 Wash. 362, 73 P. (2d) 788.
Louis Plancich, a young man something over thirty years of age, was on October 17, 1954, living with his father, *379Jerry, aged seventy-eight or seventy-nine, in the family home at 1971 Pacific Avenue, Olympia. Louis was executor of his mother’s estate, which included the home in question. The father had a community interest. The mother’s half was devised to Louis.
Louis was somewhat odd and eccentric in manner and habits, but entirely harmless and peaceable. He had lived in Olympia practically all his life, and was graduated from high school there. He was clean in his habits.
Jerry Plancich was at the time in question emotionally upset because of his wife’s death the year before. He was subject to nightmares. He had a habit of wandering from home, and had been brought home from Seattle and Tacoma after having wandered away. He imagined that the dead would come back and haunt him. He believed that his dead wife visited him. He was excitable. Had the officers chosen to investigate Jerry Plancich’s complaint, these facts would have been revealed.
On the date mentioned, according to the police officers, the father appeared at the Olympia police station and told the acting desk sergeant that his son had knocked on the door and threatened to shoot him. The officer said “he was at that time very nervous and speaking broken English and it was kind of hard for me to ascertain what he was saying.” There is nothing in this officer’s statement or in the testimony of any of the other officers to indicate that the old man ever stated or suggested that he had seen a gun or other weapon. Officer Schuler candidly said that in his mind there was a mere possibility that Louis was armed and that he had no firm conviction that he was. No weapon was ever found. There is no evidence in the record, save hearsay, that such a threat was made. Louis testified that he had never had a gun in his life and that there was no quarrel nor other reason for the father’s leaving the house on the evening in question.
While several other officers talked with Jerry Plancich, no investigation was made except to look at the City Directory. Eight police officers thereupon congregated at the Plancich home. The eight officers reached the house a few *380minutes after eleven p. m. A second call came at 11:45. The fire department was called at 12:07 to assist in the siege. The plaintiff was brought to the police station at 1:45 a. m. At no time did he resist physically or do anything which could be called “violent.”
The officers entered the house through a window. They kicked in Louis’ bedroom door. They threw him on the floor to handcuff him; in so doing, they sprained his wrist. The officers realized as soon as the arrest was made that no assault nor felony had been committed and that no gun was involved; nevertheless they took him to the police station.
Louis was held in the city jail from 1:45 a. m., on Monday, until two p. m. the same day. He was then taken in handcuffs through the streets of Olympia to the county jail, where he was kept until six p. m. the following Wednesday, when he was released after a doctor who examined him pronounced him “grossly sane.”
While in the city jail he demanded the right to communicate with his family and to call an attorney, but was refused.3 His sister Mrs. Murphy was unable to communicate with him, though she tried. His sister Mrs. Gaetz was likewise refused permission to communicate with him. Mrs. Murphy was denied the right to talk with him at the county jail Monday evening and Tuesday morning. She finally was permitted to see him Tuesday afternoon. Louis was allowed no communication with the outside world until Tuesday.
No complaint was ever filed. No warrant was ever issued. He was never taken before a magistrate. The arrest was the subject of widespread and lurid newspaper publicity.
*381The trial court in its oral opinion stated:
“The difficulty in this case arose first when an old man wandered into the police station and made a complaint to an officer, who for one night was enjoying the glory of being an acting sergeant and that officer is not a defendant here. Why, the Court does not know, but certainly he started a chain of unfortunate events by using bad judgment at the outset. The old man’s complaint very clearly showed that this was a family fight. During the pre-trial conference on this case, I think there was eight attorneys taking part in that, all very capable and learned attorneys, and there certainly was no agreement between them as to who the owner of that property was, as to who had the right of possession to it and it does involve some interesting and difficult legal problems.
“Louis Plancich was the executor. He also was the heir under his mother’s will. He ultimately did receive a half interest in the property. Jerry Plancich owned a community interest in the property before the death of Mrs. Plancich and still owned it afterwards. Now, it is true that very possibly Jerry Plancich could have claimed a homestead upon the property, but he didn’t do so and, anyway, things will be in a sorry state in this country when the day comes that people can call the police and by the use of authority and violence in the night time can substitute for the orderly, lawful procedure of declaring a probate homestead. The law provides means of getting people out of property where they are in possession wrongfully. . . .
“Also, this was a complaint by a man who, by the testimony, talked very broken English, a man who was very excited and, according to all the testimony, was somewhat senile and obviously not one who should be given the highest credibility. ...”
I do not think it can be said that there were, at the time of the arrest, any grounds to believe that the plaintiff was about to commit an assault other than the unsworn and uncorroborated statement of his father that he had threatened to shoot him. The plaintiff was found to be unarmed, and there was no evidence that he said or did anything threatening in the presence of the officers. He simply remained peaceably in his home and refused to come out. Certainly there was no indication given during the three-*382hour siege that the plaintiff was on the verge of committing a felony. I think the trial judge rightly so concluded.
So far as evidence of dangerous insanity is concerned, I can find none. No doubt the plaintiff showed signs of eccentricity. Instead of sitting in the glare of an electric light, he chose to light his room with a single candle. Instead of watching television, reading the comics, playing solitaire, or quietly getting drunk, he sat staring into space. To be lost in thought is an obvious sign of eccentricity, bordering on insanity perhaps, but hardly dangerous so long as thoughts do not give rise to actions. Rather than argue with those who besieged his castle and addressed him with abusive language, the plaintiff chose to ignore them. Peculiar, no doubt, but upon whom could he call to defend him against this attack? The police? As a further manifestation of his desire to be left alone, he barricaded himself against their final attack. When they broke down the barricade, he refused to resist arrest. His room was dirty and his clothes were shabby. Obviously, the man was eccentric, but I do not see in these facts any evidence that he was dangerous to be at large.
While not wishing to create any suspicion that I lack respect for electricity, entertainment, volubility, and cleanliness, I cannot subscribe to the theory that a manifestation of disdain toward them is sufficient ground for arrest. Nor do I think that an unsworn and uncorroborated report that an eccentric has threatened harm to a complainant can justify the invasion of the privacy of his home and his arrest therein without a warrant.
I do not see in the facts of this case any emergency requiring immediate action. The plaintiff’s father was under no compulsion to return to the home that night; and a warrant could have been obtained the following day if he showed the court probable cause therefor. Condoning a police assault of this type upon a citizen in his home, to my mind, opens the door to far greater evils than it can conceivably prevent.
*383I would affirm.
Weaver, C. J., and Donworth, J., concur with Rosellini, J.
March 9, 1961. Petition for rehearing denied.

This was clearly in violation of RCW 9.33.020 (5) which provides: “No officer or person having the custody and control of the body or liberty of any person under arrest, shall refuse permission to such arrested person to communicate with his friends or with an attorney, nor subject any person under arrest to any form of personal violence, intimidation, indignity or threats for the purpose of extorting from such person incriminating statements or a confession. Any person violating the provisions of this section shall be guilty of a misdemeanor. [1909 c 249 § 359 . . .]”