Court Opinion

ID: 9769561
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-29 14:54:35.210135+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T07:31:05.296590
License: Public Domain

DOUGLAS, Judge,
dissenting.
The majority reverses appellant’s conviction on the ground that the heroin filled balloon taken from his windowsill was seized during an illegal search and for this reason the admission of the heroin into evidence violated the Texas and United States Constitutions. The “plain view” doctrine applies.
The evidence must be immediately apparent to the police before the “plain view” doctrine obtains. The doctrine “may not be used to extend a general exploratory search from one object to another until something incriminating at last emerges.” Coolidge v. New Hampshire, 403 U.S. 443, 466, 91 S.Ct. 2022, 2038, 29 L.Ed.2d 564, 583 (1971). But this rationale is not applicable to the instant case.
Officer Williams knew that appellant was wanted for possession of heroin. And it is common knowledge that users and sellers of narcotics carry the substance on their persons in rubber balloons, often called finger-stalls. See Guzman v. Estelle, 493 F.2d 532 (5th Cir. 1974). See also Bailey & Rothblatt, Handling Narcotic and Drug Cases, Section 298 (1972).
The officer was performing a legitimate function when he returned to appellant’s residence to secure the window. Cf. Robertson v. State, 541 S.W.2d 608 (Tex.Cr.App.1976), cert. denied - U.S. -, 97 S.Ct. 1145, 51 L.Ed.2d 563 (1977). Hence, the “plain view” doctrine is applicable and the heroin was properly admitted into evidence. Jackson v. State, 489 S.W.2d 565 (Tex.Cr.App.1973); United States v. Erwin, 507 F.2d 937 (5th Cir. 1975).
The majority views the events surrounding the seizure of the balloon in a vacuum.
This case does not involve the observation and seizure of an apparently innocuous item. Instead it concerns the confiscation of a commonly recognized drug container in plain and open view, such container belonging to a man arrested only moments before for possession and sale of heroin. This Court has consistently upheld “plain view” seizures in the past involving similar items. See, e. g., Simpson v. State, 486 S.W.2d 807 (Tex.Cr.App.1972) (matchbox); Cazares v. State, 488 S.W.2d 455 (Tex.Cr.App.1972) (matchbox).
The judgment should be affirmed.