Court Opinion

ID: 9742009
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-26 21:05:19.768613+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T12:07:04.715950
License: Public Domain

T. M. Burns, J.
(dissenting). I respectfully dissent for two reasons. I believe that the majority utilizes an improper scope of inquiry in judging the legality of the searches and seizures involved in this case. Further, I reach a different conclusion than the majority regarding the existence of probable cause.
A warrantless search and seizure of private property is unreasonable and violative of the Fourth Amendment unless it is shown to come within a recognized exception to the warrant requirement. People v Chism, 390 Mich 104; 211 NW2d 193 (1973), People v Hilber, 69 Mich App 664; 245 NW2d 156 (1976). South Dakota v Opper*345man, 428 US 364; 96 S Ct 3092; 49 L Ed 2d 1000 (1976), does not change that principle, at least as it applies in this case. The searches and seizures in this case were not conducted under warrant. They were, therefore, unreasonable unless shown to be otherwise.
The vial was not found in a search. It was in plain view of the officer when he was in a place where he had a right to be. The mere fact that an object is in plain view, however, does not automatically justify its seizure and additional searches and seizures of its contents.
"[T]he extension of the original justification is legitimate only where it is immediately apparent to the police that they have evidence before them; the 'plain view’ 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 US 443, 466; 91 S Ct 2022, 2038; 29 L Ed 2d 564, 583 (1971). See People v Harden, 54 Mich App 353, 358; 220 NW2d 785 (1974).
What the arresting officer saw in this case was the top of what appeared to be a prescription bottle. He didn’t know if the bottle contained anything and it certainly wasn’t immediately apparent to him that he was viewing evidence or contraband. Cf. People v Nelson Pitts, 40 Mich App 567, 579; 199 NW2d 271 (1972). That the top of the vial was in plain view did not justify its seizure. The majority finds, however, that the officer had probable cause to believe that the automobile contained narcotics or evidence of intoxication and that the existence of probable cause justified seizure of the vial and subsequent searches and seizures of its contents.
The arresting officer knew that defendant had *346been drinking and that he was in possession of marijuana. He knew that there was an object in the car that resembled a prescription bottle. He suspected that it contained further evidence or contraband. He took the bottle out and examined it. He saw that it was not evidence but suspected that it might be contraband. He took the bottle to the station, examined the pills and checked his pharmaceutics manual. He now entertained a reasonable belief that the pills were a controlled substance. The pills were then subjected to analysis. They were indeed of a controlled substance, tuinal. Thus, even if the various searches and seizures could be justified on the basis of probable cause, probable cause did not exist until after the original seizure of the contents of the bottle. Mere suspicion is not probable cause. The evidence against the defendant was illegally obtained. As such it is inadmissible against him in a criminal prosecution.
I would reverse the conviction.