Court Opinion

ID: 9657907
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-23 20:40:55.214037+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T15:02:50.833406
License: Public Domain

STUART, Justice
(dissenting).
I respectfully dissent. In my mind the basic question, not answered in the majority opinion, is whether a search by a parole officer in the discharge of his duties of supervision, surveillance and control over the parolee is within “those carefully defined classes of cases” referred to in Camara v. Municipal Court, 387 U.S. 523, 528-529, 87 S.Ct. 1727, 18 L.Ed.2d 930, 935, or the “well recognized exceptions” mentioned in Chimel v. California, 395 U.S. 752, 89 S.Ct. 2034, 23 L.Ed.2d 685, in which a search of private property without proper consent or a valid search warrant can be reasonable. I believe this must be the rule if our parole system is to function properly for the benefit of both the society and the individual.
“It has been held that where a parole officer has reason to believe that a parolee has violated the terms of his parole, such officer may lawfully make a search of the parolee’s residence -prior to taking him into custody.” Anno: 89 A.L.R.2d 715, 755 (1963).
“The question whether the search by the parole officer was illegal is largely governed by the special character of the relation between such officer and his parolee, * * *. For the protection of the community as to whose security the parolee constitutes a calculated risk, the parole officer exercises an ubiquitous supervision over him, including broad visitatorial powers. Having constructive custody of his prisoner at all times, there is nothing unreasonable in a parole officer’s search of a prisoner’s premises where he has reasonable cause to believe that the parole has been breached.” People v. Triche, 148 Cal.App.2d 198, 306 P.2d 616. A long line of California cases including People v. Hernandez, 229 Cal.App.2d 143, 40 Cal.Rptr. 100, 8 A.L.R.3d 1092, cert. den. 381 U.S. 953, 85 S.Ct. 1810, 14 L.Ed.2d 725; People v. Robarge, 151 Cal.App.2d 660, 312 P.2d 70; People v. Denne, 141 Cal.App.2d 499, 297 P.2d 451; confirm this position.
If the search is valid, fruits of another crime disclosed by such search are properly admissible into evidence along with the testimony of the parole officer.
“The rule applicable here, widely supported by authority, is that if entry of the premises is authorized and the search is valid, the Fourth Amendment does not inhibit the seizure of property the possession of which is a crime, even though the searching officers were not aware such property was on the premises when the search was initiated. Among the articles the possession of which has been declared to be illegal per se and the seizure of which ⅛ not within the constitutional guaranty is stolen property. 79 C.J.S. Searches and Seizures § 17, pages 792, 793.” State v. Wesson (1967), 260 Iowa 781, 784-785, 150 N.W.2d 284, 286 and cases and authorities cited and discussed therein including Harris v. United States, 331 U.S. 145, 155, 67 S.Ct. 1098, 1103, 91 L.Ed. 1399, 1408, and Abel v. United States, 362 U.S. 217, 238, 80 S.Ct. 683, 697, 4 L.Ed.2d 668, 686.
This case is not controlled by Camara v. Municipal Court, supra. That case merely takes “administrative health and safety inspections” out of the “carefully defined classes”. We know of no case and none are cited which hold a parole officer must obtain a search warrant to inspect the premises of a parolee.
*545Of course, abuse of visitation could amount to harassment and render a search unreasonable under the facts. An unlawful warrantless search by peace officers does not become legal because they are accompanied by a parole officer. But neither of these situations confronts us here.
I would reverse.
MOORE, C. J., and SNELL, J., join in this dissent.