Court Opinion

ID: 9469438
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-05 02:40:36.156234+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T17:41:23.316840
License: Public Domain

McWILLIAMS, Circuit Judge,
dissents:
I respectfully dissent. The majority hold that the initial patdown search of Ward for weapons was unreasonable and therefore violative of the Fourth Amendment under the standard enunciated by the Supreme Court in Terry v. Ohio, 392 U.S. 1, 88 S.Ct. 1868, 20 L.Ed.2d 889 (1968). I disagree. Ward was the target of a criminal investigation concerning illicit bookmaking activities. In connection with that investigation, Henry, an undercover IRS agent, had previously placed illegal bets with Ward. Agent Henry, along with other IRS agents, arrived at Ward’s residence to execute a lawfully issued search warrant. When Agent Henry presented himself at Ward’s home, presumably Ward recognized Henry as the individual who a few days earlier had placed bets with him. It follows that at least at this point in time Ward was aware that he was a target in a criminal investigation.
Under these circumstances, I believe that a patdown by Henry of Ward’s person to determine whether Ward was armed, prior to commencing the search of the premises, was reasonable. I suggest that an IRS agent who executes a warrant authorizing the search of a home for gambling paraphernalia in the presence of the homeowner, who is also a suspect in a criminal investigation of illegal bookmaking operations, may prudently and reasonably believe that the person witnessing the search may be armed and dangerous. Henry need not have been absolutely certain that Ward was armed prior to frisking him, and due weight should be accorded to the inferences Henry was entitled to draw from the facts and circumstances then present in the light of human experience. See Terry v. Ohio, 392 U.S. at 27, 88 S.Ct. at 1883. Accordingly, I would hold the patdown search of Ward was justified.
Ybarra v. Illinois, 444 U.S. 85, 100 S.Ct. 338, 62 L.Ed.2d 238 (1979) is distinguishable *883on the facts. If my dissent be in conflict with United States v. Sporleder, 635 F.2d 809 (10th Cir. 1980), I, for one, would overrule Sporleder.