Court Opinion

ID: 9514209
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-06 22:45:40.757821+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T09:06:13.779131
License: Public Domain

VANDE WALLE, Chief Justice,
concurring specially.
[¶ 18] I agree with the dissent that officer safety is an extremely important factor in determining whether or not exigent circumstances exist which may justify a search as an exception to the requirement of a search warrant under the Fourth Amendment of the United States Constitution. However, I agree with the majority that such circumstances do not exist under the facts of this case.
[¶ 19] In State v. Mitzel, 2004 ND 157, ¶ 23, 685 N.W.2d 120, the majority concluded that the facts of that case do not “show an emergency requiring swift action to prevent imminent danger to life or property” and that “exigent circumstances do not justify the search of Mitzel’s apartment” and that “no exceptions to a war-rantless search apply” so that “the officer’s action in following Mitzel through his home constitutes an unlawful search.”
[¶ 20] I dissented to the majority opinion because the facts in that case revealed the officers were sent to the home to investigate a report of a domestic disturbance, the police were invited into the home and, although there was initially no consent to search the home, I concluded the officer was entitled to follow Mitzel to the back bedroom, because “[i]t is well known that law enforcement officers may be in considerable danger when called to the scene of domestic violence” and “the officer was invited into the home and told by the defendant he had been arguing with his girlfriend, who was not visible in the home.” Id. at ¶ 36. I concluded that the officer out of concern for the woman and his own protection was justified under the exigent-circumstances exception to the warrant requirement of the Fourth Amendment in following Mitzel to the rear of the home.
[¶ 21] Here the facts are considerably different. This was not a domestic disturbance, the officers were not called to the home, the officers had observed the marijuana plants a week before and there was no indication the plants would be destroyed before a search warrant was obtained. There were no exigent circumstances which required the officers to enter the home before they obtained a search warrant. Rather, the officers were granted entrance to the home at their request when there was no good reason to do so before obtaining a search warrant. Under those facts I cannot *380conclude exigent circumstances justified the search of the house. If there were exigent circumstances they were created by the officers’ entry into the home without a warrant when one would have been required to search the home. I therefore concur in the result reached by the majority opinion.
[¶ 22] MARY MUEHLEN MARING, J., concur.