Court Opinion

ID: 9847382
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-09-24 03:58:45.065568+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T09:17:08.719054
License: Public Domain

SWANSTROM, Judge,
dissenting in part.
I fully concur with the foregoing opinion except as to part II-B-1 wherein the majority holds that the testimony of witnesses who identified Holman’s pickup at the sheriff’s office should be suppressed. While the district court properly suppressed any “search” of the pickup, as being outside the warrant and therefore unreasonable, that suppression need not and should not be extended to exclude a view of the exteri- or. No person who operates a motor vehicle upon the public streets and highways can reasonably have an expectation of privacy concerning the exterior of the vehicle. The view of Holman’s pickup by the witnesses at the sheriff’s office could have occurred anywhere. I would not apply the exclusionary rule to evidence that lies wholly beyond the protective scope of the fourth amendment.
Moreover, as the majority candidly suggests, suppressing the identification made of the pickup at the sheriff’s office really *393accomplishes nothing. Essentially the same evidence can be introduced in a later trial in other ways. Therefore, the purpose of the exclusionary rule — to deter illegal police conduct by imposing sanctions — will not be served here. Effective deterrence has already been accomplished, however, by suppression of the physical evidence obtained in the search of the pickup. In such circumstances, I suggest courts should be extremely wary of applying a rule when the only real effect is to inhibit knowledgeable citizens with relevant evidence from testifying at trial. Cf. United States v. Ceccolini, 435 U.S. 268, 98 S.Ct. 1054, 55 L.Ed.2d 268 (1978).
Finally, it should be pointed out that Holman never made the argument to the district court that the testimonial evidence should be suppressed because it was the product of an illegal seizure of the pickup. The district court, speaking to the ground urged by Holman for the suppression of this evidence, ruled that the “showup” of the pickup at the sheriffs office was not unduly suggestive. Holman has not shown this ruling to be erroneous and I would uphold it.