Court Opinion

ID: 9457372
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-04 20:20:11.195462+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T17:35:19.661351
License: Public Domain

MOORE, Circuit Judge
(dissenting):
In my opinion, this decision results in a shocking miscarriage of justice. Overwhelming proof of reasonable cause requiring immediate action was in the possession of government narcotics agents charged with the duty of protecting the public against the apparently increasing distribution of narcotics in New York City. At a time when serious crimes are attributable to narcotics use and the rate of annual deaths therefrom, particularly among children, is on the rise, it is incredible to me that any court should rely upon procedural niceties and technicalities so popular in the eighteenth century. But even these technicalities do not exist in this case.
The majority opinion is riddled with the term “previously unknown informant” or “unknown informant” as if this were a term of sufficient opprobrium to cast doubt upon the reliability of the information furnished. However, reliability must be tested against the facts. If the Narcotics Bureau were forbidden to use an informer who had not had a record of previous successful convictions, then the informer system, so essential to ferreting out narcotics distribution, could not exist. There always must be a first instance. In this case, the Agents had ample proof of reliability. These are the facts.
The so-called “previously unknown informant” actually came in person to the office of Ageist Devine. This visit changed his “previously unknown” status to known and identifiable. The informant’s knowledge of Manning, Manning’s narcotics activities and his three prior narcotics convictions were revealed. The Agent checked out this information. It was accurate. The informant further showed his knowledge of Manning by giving the Agent (1) Manning’s address; (2) the license plate number of his car — a Cadillac; and (3) the address of a second apartment (247 West 145th Street, Manhattan) where Manning conducted his narcotics business. Not content with the informant’s word, the Agents verified each item — all correct. In addition, they personally observed the car parked at both addresses. Further conversations between the informant and Agent Devine ensued and on the morning of the seizure the informant advised Agent Devine that Manning was on his way to 247 West 145th Street with a quantity of narcotics. At this point the informant was told to go to the apartment, observe the drugs if possible and to telephone the narcotics office. Agent Devine then proceeded to the West 145th Street address where he observed Manning’s car parked and received word over his car radio that the informant had telephoned the information that he had actually seen the drugs. A critical situation was thus developing rapidly. There was undoubtedly narcotics traffic at 247 West 145th Street. In this situation the majority naively suggest that Agent Devine should have obtained a search warrant. Had he abandoned his pursuit at this point, had he driven downtown in search of a federal officer authorized to issue such a warrant, and had he then returned to West 145th Street, hours would have elapsed, the narcotics would have been cut and distributed, and the traffickers most probably would have disappeared. Had Agent Devine so acted under the cireum-*997stances, he would have been derelict in his duty and subject to serious criticism in failing to perform the task on which he was engaged — and properly so.
Agent Devine together with other Agents then proceeded to the designated apartment. This action the majority characterize as “wholly on the basis of what they had been told by an undisclosed informant whose reliability had not been tested or confirmed as to any suspicious fact.” The inaccuracy of this statement is convincingly established by the record.
However, despite this well-established background, the real justification of the seizure now commenced. The Agents concededly knocked on the door and announced their identity. They heard running and scuffling inside. After further knocking and no response, they broke in. How the majority can say that there was “complete absence of any knowledge that the persons in the apartment might be engaged in violations of the narcotics laws” defies comprehension. They say that failure of the persons inside “immediately to respond to the agents’ knocking” was not probable cause. This bit of naiveté is followed by factual inaccuracy on the assumption that “the persons inside may not have believed that those knocking were in fact federal agents.” Contrast this with the actual facts. On the trial, Abbott, Manning’s girl friend, testified that Manning said “It’s the police at the door; where is the key?” The occupants used the time (a half to one minute) to advantage by unlocking the window gates and escaping (all except one girl who didn’t quite make it) down the fire escape. Despite this uneontradicted testimony that there was definite “indication that those inside knew that the persons seeking entry were in fact federal agents,” the majority call these facts “skimpy corroboration” not constituting probable cause.
It was this very unrealistic approach to probable cause that caused this Court to consider en banc the original panel’s decision in United States v. Soyka, 394 F.2d 443 (2d Cir. 1968), cert. denied, 393 U.S. 1095, 89 S.Ct. 883 (1969), and to reverse the panel’s decision. See also United States v. Mont, 306 F.2d 412 (2d Cir. 1962), cert. denied, 371 U.S. 935, 83 S.Ct. 310, 9 L.Ed.2d 272 (1962).
By this decision, in my opinion, we are taking a long step backwards in a reasonable approach to the definition of probable cause and thereby properly invite public censure of the courts for taking such a hypertechnical point of view. Courts’ opinions, of course, should be written without fear or favor but when two skilled trial judges and a jury of twelve have passed upon the facts, it should not be the function of an appellate court, as a non-participant in the events on West 145th Street on October 8, 1968, to overrule the factual determinations of those charged with this responsibility.
I would affirm the judgment.