Court Opinion

ID: 9480566
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-05 07:51:39.532171+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T17:47:45.986394
License: Public Domain

McMILLIAN, Circuit Judge,
dissenting.
For the reasons discussed below, I do not agree with the majority opinion’s analysis in. Part 11(A) on fourth amendment standing and in Part 11(B) on Miranda warnings. Accordingly, I respectfully dissent. I would reverse the conviction on count XI (possession of five or more false identification documents in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1028(a)(3)), count XII (unlawful possession of a firearm in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)), and count XIII (making a false statement of identity to a pretrial services officer in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1001), vacate the sentence and remand the case to the district court for resentencing.
FOURTH AMENDMENT STANDING
I acknowledge the “well-settled rule that ... guest[s] in a hotel or motel room [lose their] reasonable expectation of privacy and consequently any standing to object to ‘an unauthorized seizure of the premises’ after [the] rental period has terminated.” United States v. Jackson, 585 F.2d 653, 658 (4th Cir.1978), citing United States v. Parizo, 514 F.2d 52, 54-55 (2d Cir.1975); see, e.g., United States v. Ramirez, 810 F.2d 1338, 1341 & n. 3 (5th Cir.), cert. denied, 484 U.S. 844, 108 S.Ct. 136, 98 L.Ed.2d 93 (1987). I would argue, however, that the analysis in these cases focused too narrowly on the hotel check-out time or, in the present case, on the expiration of the locker rental period. Standing “should not be determined merely by ascertaining whether in a property law sense the defendants] had lost [their] interest in the property [or premises] in advance of the search.” 4 W. LaFave, Séarch and Seizure § 11.3(a), at 287 (2d ed. 1987). This is because the “capacity to claim the protection of the [Fourth] Amendment depends not upon a property right in the invaded place but upon whether the area was one in which there was a reasonable expectation of freedom from governmental intrusion.” Mancusi v. DeForte, 392 U.S. 364, 368, 88 S.Ct. 2120, 2124, 20 L.Ed.2d 1154 (1968).
In an early hotel room search case, Abel v. United States, 362 U.S. 217, 241, 80 S.Ct. 683, 698, 4 L.Ed.2d 668 (1960), the Court emphasized that the warrantless search of the hotel room was lawful because at the time of the search the defendant had already vacated the room. Some time before the 3:00 p.m. check-out time, the defendant had packed and removed his belongings from the room, checked- out and paid his hotel bill, albeit under coercion (he was then under arrest). Id. Cases decided subsequently by -the federal courts of appeals involving hotel room searches have emphasized the check-out time. See, e.g., United States v. Parizo, 514 F.2d at 54-55; United States v. Croft, 429 F.2d 884, 887 (10th Cir.1970). The check-out time rule is too mechanical and simplistic a measure of hotel guests’ continued occupancy of and legitimate expectation of privacy in hotel rooms. If guests occupy their hotel room beyond check-out time, they might become liable to a charge for an additional night’s lodging or might expect the hotel staff to enter the room or claim exclusive right to the room. But over-staying guests should not be held to have lost their reasonable *292expectation of privacy merely because the check-out time has passed. Regardless of the status of the relationship between the hotel and its guests, the government should not be able to search the room without a warrant the moment after check-out time.
In my view, the analysis in this type of case should focus instead upon whether the defendant abandoned or relinquished any legitimate expectation of privacy in the premises, or storage place, before the search occurred. Cf. United States v. Paroutian, 299 F.2d 486, 488 (2d Cir.1962) (unclear whether monthly rent had been paid; however, no indication that defendant did not intend to return to apartment; landlord took no steps to evict defendant until several weeks after warrantless search; defendant had standing); 4 W. LaFave, Search and Seizure § 11.3(a), at 287 n. 41 (citing cases holding no standing when search occurred before term of lease had expired but after defendant had abandoned premises). The check-out time, or the expiration of the rental period, is relevant but not conclusive.
In the present case, I would hold that appellant had a legitimate expectation of privacy in the bus station locker, despite the expiration of the initial 24-hour rental period, and thus had standing to challenge the warrantless search of the bus station locker and the seizure of its contents, specifically the false identification documents and the gun. The notice on the locker stated that there was a $3 fee for each additional 24 hour period or fraction thereof and warned that “after 24 hours contents may be removed and held 30 days then sold for accrued charges.” At the time of the search, the initial rental period had expired and the bus station had “plugged” the lock, thus making it impossible for anyone to open the lock without first paying the accrued rental charges. The bus station had not, however, removed the contents of the locker even though several days had elapsed. Other than the bus station, only, appellant had a key to the locker and thus control over the locker and its contents. The fact that, according to the terms of the rental agreement, the bus station could have removed the contents of the locker once the initial 24-hour rental period had expired does not mean that the government could have done so.
The government should have obtained a search warrant. This was not a private search. Although the bus station manager opened the locker with a master key, the search was initiated by and conducted pursuant to an express request of a government agent. Nor was the warrantless search of the locker justified by exigent circumstances. I would also hold that the inevitable discovery exception does not apply. Not only would application of the inevitable discovery exception in the present case undermine the warrant requirement, but also there was no showing that the government agent would have searched the locker during the course of the investigation or that the bus station management was in the process of removing the contents of all the abandoned lockers.
MIRANDA WARNINGS
The majority opinion holds that the pretrial services officer’s questioning falls within the exception to the Miranda requirements for routine background questioning. I disagree. I would hold that the “booking” exception should not apply because the pretrial services officer’s question about identity to someone who is charged with crimes involving false identification was reasonably likely to elicit an incriminating response. For this reason, appellant’s false statement of identity should have been suppressed. I would further hold that its admission into evidence was not harmless error.
“A defendant who is placed in custody must receive Miranda warnings before being subject to interrogation.” United States v. Disla, 805 F.2d 1340, 1347 (9th Cir.1986) (question regarding residence held interrogation). However, Miranda warnings are not required before the asking of routine booking questions to gather background biographical information. See Pennsylvania v. Muniz, — U.S. -, -, 110 S.Ct. 2638, 2646, 110 L.Ed.2d 528 *293(1990). This is because “background questions rarely elicit an incriminating response.” United States v. Mata-Abundiz, 717 F.2d 1277, 1280 (9th Cir.1983) (question regarding citizenship held interrogation), citing United States v. Booth, 669 F.2d 1231, 1238 (9th Cir.1981). “If, however, the questions are reasonably likely to elicit an incriminating response in a particular situation, the [booking] exception does not apply.” United States v. Mata-Abundiz, 717 F.2d at 1280; see Pennsylvania v. Muniz, — U.S. at - n. 14, 110 S.Ct. at 2650 n. 14. The test is an objective one, although the subjective intent of the questioning agent is relevant. United States v. Mata-Abundiz, 717 F.2d at 1280. In addition, the relationship of the question asked to the crime suspected is considered highly relevant. Id.
I would hold that the identity question does not fall within the exception for routine booking procedures. Even though the questioning in the present case involved background biographical information characteristic of routine booking procedures, the question about identity related directly to an element of the very crimes that appellant was suspected of having committed, that is, using false identification. Under these circumstances, the questioning conducted by the pretrial services officer was reasonably likely to elicit an incriminating response from appellant. But cf. United States v. Horton, 873 F.2d 180, 181 & n. 2 (8th Cir.1989) (per curiam) (defendant charged with drug violations; false identification answer during pretrial booking held admissible; defendant did not raise Miranda objection).
Because the false statement about identity was the basis of count XIII, its admission into evidence cannot be said to be harmless error.