Court Opinion

ID: 9638760
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-22 15:53:06.447482+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:10:09.400469
License: Public Domain

John A. Fogleman, Chief Justice, dissenting in part. I could accept a holding that the seizure of the marijuana in this case was the result of an unreasonable search and seizure, but I do not agree that the seizure of the LSD was the result of an unreasonable search. It was the fruit of a search pursuant to a search warrant which the officers were unable to produce until 34 hours after they knew there was a probable cause for a search of the motel room in which it was found. The officers who remained at the scene restrained themselves admirably except for the questionable episode relating to the marijuana. Perhaps the circumstances were not so exigent as to permit a search without a warrant, but Haynes did not have a constitutional right to flush his remaining inventory of LSD down the commode. Yet this is the unarticulated effect of the majority opinion. That is the only way that it can be said that the successful search pursuant to a proper warrant was the fruit of an unlawful intrusion. In viewing this matter, it seems to me that the majority in making its independent determination of the reasonableness of the search, has given no weight whatever to the finding of the trial judge that the search was reasonable. The holding in Payton v. New York & Riddick v. New York, 445 U.S. 573, 100 S.Ct. 1371, 63 L.Ed. 2d 639 (1980), relied upon by the majority is strictly limited to arrests made in the absence of exigent circumstances. Throughout all the spate of its decisions during the past quarter of a century dealing with the Fourth Amendment warrant requirements in the light of what has been called the amorphous word, “reasonableness,” the United States Supreme Court has consistently recognized an exception to the warrant requirement in exigent circumstances, both in cases where a search was sustained as reasonable and where suppression was required because a warrantless search or seizure was unreasonable. See, e.g. Johnson v. United States, 333 U.S. 10, 68 S. Ct. 367, 92 L. Ed. 436 (1948); McDonald v. United States, 335 U.S. 451, 69 St.Ct. 191, 93 L.Ed. 153 (1948); United States, 335 U.S. 451, 69 S.Ct. 191, 93 L.Ed. 153 (1948); United States v. Jeffers, 342 U.S. 48, 72 S.Ct. 93, 96, L.Ed. 59 (1951); Warden v. Hayden, 387 U.S. 294, 87 S.Ct. 1642, 18 L.Ed. 2d 782 (1967) Katz v. United States, 389 U.S. 347, 88 S.Ct. 507, 19 L.Ed. 2d 576 (1967); Chimel v. California, 395 U.S. 752, 89 S.Ct. 2034, 23 L. Ed. 2d 685 (1969); Chambers v. Maroney, 399 U.S. 42, 90 S.Ct. 1975, 26 L.Ed. 2d 419 (1970); Coolidge v. New Hampshire, 403 U.S. 443, 91 S.Ct. 2022, 29 L.Ed. 2d 564 (1971); Mincey v. Arizona, 437 U.S. 385, 98 S.Ct. 2408, 57 L.Ed. 2d 290 (1978). In Payton, the court specifically recognized that a different result might have been reached had the state found exigent circumstances, which arguably existed. In Riddick, there was no suggestion of exigent circumstances. In Warden, it was said that neither entry nor search is invalid where the exigencies of the situation make the course of action taken by the police imperative. The fact that the contents of the place to be searched might never be found again is a pertinent consideration in determining the reasonableness of the police action. See Chambers v. Maroney, supra. It is universally recognized that the danger of destruction of evidence, particularly contraband, is one of the most important factors in considering whether the circumstances were sufficiently exigent that action without a warrant is reasonable. See United States v. Santana, 427 U.S. 38, 96 S.Ct. 2406, 49 L.Ed. 2d 300 (1976); Cupp v. Murphy, 412 U.S. 291, 93 S.Ct. 2000, 36 L.Ed. 2d 900 (1973), and cases above cited. There was evidence of exigent circumstances in this case. There was probable cause for the arrest of Haynes. The officers who arranged for the informant to purchase the controlled substance from Haynes proceeded immediately to obtain a search warrant and informed the state trooper, Hutchinson, a specialist in the enforcement of laws governing narcotics. Hutchinson said that he observed that a great many people were involved and many were leaving and he judged that the officers were running the serious risk of losing other evidence and having dangerous drugs get out on the street, so he decided that he and the officers still present should “secure” the area. He said that after he had gone to room 116 and Sgt. Lucas to room 115, he proceeded to room 114, where he found the door ajar, knocked on it, identified himself as a police officer, and said that he wanted to speak to Tommy Haynes and that he was there for a drug investigation. Hutchinson said that, after hearing a voice saying, “I am Tommy Haynes. What do you want?”, he entered the room, identified himself, and asked if the younger of two persons there was Tommy Haynes and, upon receiving an affirmative response, confirmed the identification by asking for the person’s driver’s license. Haynes testified that when he identified himself, Hutchinson asked him to step outside. He said that Hutchinson stated that he was conducting an investigation and had come to secure the area and that he (Haynes) responded, “Okay, go ahead.” According to Hutchinson, he placed Haynes under arrest for sale of a controlled substance and advised him of his rights a few minutes later when Officer Post arrived. Hutchinson said his basic concern was putting the individuals under arrest and preventing any further disposition of the evidence. In Freeman v. State, 258 Ark. 617, 527 S.W. 2d 909, we held that the state had failed to show exigent circumstances to justify the warrantless seizure of an automobile. We said that there was no evidence that there was any danger that people in an automobile, from which the accused was taken when arrested, might remove the vehicle from the premises before a warrant could be issued, but that if that danger did exist, no reason appeared why two officers, other than those who made the arrest but who were present when the arrest was made, could not have maintained a guard sufficient to prevent' the removal of this evidence or why additional officers could not have been summoned to lend assistance in this respect. This was a clear recognition that circumstances that were not exigent might become so by subsequent developments. In a narcotics case, it has been recognized that once the accused, who had recently made a sale to one making a “controlled buy” arranged by an undercover officer, saw the police, there was a realistic expectation that a delay would only result in destruction of the evidence. United States v. Santana, supra. There a warrantless arrest and search were found reasonable. In Michigan v. Tyler, 436 U.S. 499, 98 S.Ct. 1942, 56 L. Ed. 2d 486 (1978), the court pointed out that its decisions had recognized that a warrantless entry by criminal law enforcement officers may be legal where there is compelling need for official action and no time to secure a warrant. The inquiry is a dual one — whether the actions of the officer were justified in their inception and whether it was reasonably related in scope to the circumstances which justified the interference in the first place. Cupp v. Murphy, supra. A warrantless “search” must be strictly circumscribed by the exigencies which justify the intrusion. Mincey v. Arizona, supra. In this case the evidence clearly showed that there were exigent circumstances to support the action of Hutchinson. A rather general exodus from the motel premises among the frequenters of room 116 and its environs commenced after the controlled buy. It became apparent to Hutchinson, whose, expertise as a narcotics officers is not to be ignored, that there was a reasonable probability that Haynes would join the exodus, with or without his remaining inventory of LSD. If he took it, it would undoubtedly surface on the street. If he did not, there was a strong likelihood that it would have “gone down the drain.” There certainly was a reasonable expectation that evidence would be destroyed, or that, in any event, it would never be found if the arrival of a search warrant was awaited. It was certainly reasonable to believe that there was a compelling need for official action in the form of an arrest and “securing the area” of the intended search. There was certainly a basis for finding that the actions of the officer were justified in their inception. Hutchinson carefully limited the intrusion by not actually conducting a search for evidence (contraband) until the search warrant arrived. There was an evidentiary basis for a finding that he did not extend his intrusion beyond the scope reasonably related to the initial intereference. In its totally independent determination of the reasonableness of the officer’s action, the majority has ignored a basic factor of that review. We should give respectful consideration to the findings of the trial court and considerable weight in the resolution of evidentiary conflicts. Harris v. State, 244 Ark. 314, 425 S.W. 2d 293; State v. Osborn, 263 Ark. 554, 566 S.W. 2d 139. We should accord the trial court’s findings such weight that we will not overturn them unless they are clearly against the preponderance of the evidence. Degler v. State, 257 Ark. 388, 517 S.W. 2d 515; State v. Osborn, supra. I respectfully submit that the majority has given no consideration to the findings of the trial court. I do not see how it can be said that the trial court’s finding was clearly against the preponderance of the evidence. This decision will do nothing to counter the growing dissatisfaction with the exclusionary rule. I would affirm the judgment. I am authorized to state that Mr. Justice George Rose Smith and Mr. Justice Stroud join in this opinion.