Court Opinion

ID: 6472353
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2022-06-26 14:22:56.61512+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T09:11:36.816258
License: Public Domain

SERNA, Justice (dissenting). {31} I respectfully dissent. I would affirm the district court and the unanimous Court of Appeals panel. As a preliminary matter, I prefer the State v. Gomez interstitial analysis in adjudicating overlapping state and federal constitutional claims. 1997-NMSC-006, ¶¶ 19-22, 122 N.M. 777, 932 P.2d 1. “Under the interstitial approach, the court asks first whether the right being asserted is protected under the federal constitution. If it is, then the state constitutional claim is not reached. If it is not, then the state constitution is examined.” ¶ 19. Applying independent and adequate state law to a defendant’s motion to suppress could likely create a different outcome than applying federal law (such as the application of the good faith exception to the exclusionary rule), which is why a separate analysis and conclusion regarding these two distinct approaches is important. Even in the context of the majority’s combined state-federal analysis and outcome, I ultimately agree with the trial court and the Court of Appeals that the affidavit presented by law enforcement satisfied the probable cause standard and that there was a sufficient nexus between the affidavit’s allegations and the house searched. {32} The first issue is whether the affidavit presented to the magistrate satisfied probable cause for a search. The affidavit detailed how Defendant took all four 1-ounce bottles of iodine available at the store off the shelf and hid it under something else in her cart before purchasing it. Defendant then went to another store to purchase hydrogen peroxide, even though hydrogen peroxide was available at the first store very near the iodine. The majority states that this highlights the ordinary; I cannot agree that this is ordinary behavior, especially given the fact that the law enforcement affiant knew through training and experience that “most people purchasing tincture of iodine generally buy only one bottle” and “persons shopping for methamphetamine precursors often buy the items at more than one store in order to avoid detection by law enforcement.” {33} The Majority Opinion, ¶ 16, states, “[t]he distinction between ingredients and precursors is directly relevant to the probable cause analysis in this ease.” • It is too formalistic to argue that a judge’s probable cause determination should be affected by the fact that tincture of iodine and hydrogen peroxide are ingredients to create an immediate precursor, but are not formally listed as immediate precursors. It goes against common sense and the facts presented to the magistrate. State v. Donaldson, 100 N.M. 111, 116, 666 P.2d 1258, 1263 (Ct.App.1983). Law enforcement presented the magistrate with the following information: Affiant knows through training and experience that tincture of iodine is used to make iodine crystals, which are a main ingredient used in the manufacture of methamphetamine ____ Affiant knows through training and experience that hydrogen peroxide is a main ingredient used to crystallize iodine from tincture of iodine. Affiant also knows through training and experience that iodine cannot be used in the tincture form for the manufacturing of methamphetamine, rather it must first be crystallized using hydrogen peroxide. The affidavit is clear that law enforcement knew that tincture of iodine and hydrogen peroxide are ingredients that easily become iodine crystals, a main ingredient for methamphetamine. Iodine crystals are formally called an immediate precursor in New Mexico’s administrative code. 14 NMAC 16.19.21.35. How are we advancing state and federal constitutional protections by concluding that tincture of iodine and hydrogen peroxide, which are combined to create the immediate precursor of iodine crystals, are in a totally different category from the already-formed iodine crystals, and do not give rise to probable cause even when bought on the same day by a suspect? Perhaps the Legislature ought to consider amending the Drug Precursor Act to clarify its intent regarding whether multiple ingredients that combine to become immediate precursors bought by a suspect on the same day should be treated differently than immediate precursors per se. {34} In addition to the inferences that can be drawn from the affidavit, our courts have previously decided this issue in Donaldson, 100 N.M. at 111, 666 P.2d at 1258. The police in Donaldson acted on an informant’s tip and observed suspicious but legal activities by the defendants, such as paying cash for airplane tickets to Las Vegas, Nevada; boarding the plane under fictitious names; returning home to Albuquerque a few days later; and transferring packages between two cars while outside the residence to be searched. Id. at 114, 666 P.2d at 1261. Law enforcement obtained a search warrant and seized drug contraband from the residence. Id. The Donaldson defendants moved to suppress the evidence on the basis that the affidavit did not support probable cause. The trial court and the Court of Appeals disagreed and found that the affidavit sworn to by a narcotics agent was sufficiently detailed to support probable cause. Id. at 115— 16, 666 P.2d at 1262-63. In the pending case, law enforcement observed Defendant’s suspicious purchase of known methamphetamine ingredients and delivery of the contraband to the house. Law enforcement had direct evidence so an informant’s tip regarding illegal substances was not necessary to complete the inference. Because law enforcement and the judge had just as much if not more incriminating information, I would follow Donaldson and also find that the affidavit merited issuance of the search warrant. {35} The second issue is whether the information in the affidavit created a sufficient nexus to the home to be searched. The Majority Opinion, ¶ 19, states a proposition and uses the term “sufficient nexus” without any citation to case law authority to support the proposition or explain the term so that it can be consistently applied in future cases. The facts are that Defendant delivered the methamphetamine ingredients to the house that was searched on the same day as her purchase. The female subject returned to her vehicle and Affiant along with Agent Suggs followed her to a residence located at 18 Sage, Boles Acres, Otero County, New Mexico, as described above. Affiant and Agent Suggs observed the female, believed to be Heather Nyce, along with Peter Cook unload the shopping bags from the vehicle and carry them inside the residence. Common sense tells me this is sufficient nexus. Common sense is also a controlling consideration in determining if probable cause existed. Donaldson, 100 N.M. at 116, 666 P.2d at 1263. Furthermore, in People v. Kazmierski 25 P.3d 1207 (Colo.2001) (en banc), the out-of-state case upon which the majority relies to argue that lack of nexus between the alleged criminal activity and house to be searched is fatal to the probable cause determination, is not applicable. The Kazmierski court, in finding a lack of nexus to the house searched, stated “not only did the investigator not see the items transported into the home, but more importantly, the investigator did not recite any other facts____”25 P.3d at 1212-13. In the pending case, the affidavit details that law enforcement did witness Defendant deliver the methamphetamine ingredients to the house searched, which renders Kazmierski unpersuasive for the nexus reasoning. {36} Defendant has convinced a majority of this Court to apply the exclusionary rule and suppress the evidence against her on the basis that the evidence was illegally obtained. Because I conclude that probable cause existed and Defendant’s constitutional rights were not trampled upon, I consider the rationale for the exclusionary rule. A purpose of the exclusionary rule is to deter police misconduct by excluding evidence that law enforcement acquired through unconstitutional means. In discussing the scope of the exclusionary rule, the United States Supreme Court stated “the exclusionary rule is designed to deter police misconduct rather than to punish the errors of judges and magistrates.” United States v. Leon, 468 U.S. 897, 916, 104 S.Ct. 3405, 82 L.Ed.2d 677 (1984). See also Stone v. Powell, 428 U.S. 465, 486, 96 S.Ct. 3037, 49 L.Ed.2d 1067 (1976); State v. Gutierrez, 116 N.M. 431, 447, 863 P.2d 1052, 1068 (1993) (“deterrence of future constitutional violations is a critical state interest that is a by-product of the exclusionary rule”). Defendant has not alleged egregious law enforcement behavior nor alleged that the judge reviewing the affidavit for the warrant did not perform as a detached and neutral judicial officer. In considering the affidavit in light of the motion to suppress, the district court judge even struck certain portions, which would indicate a thoughtful review rather than a rubber stamp. This case does not compel invocation of the exclusionary rule, as the lower courts have previously determined. What more does the judiciary want from law enforcement besides peaceable, constitutionally compliant observation of suspicious behavior, coupled with approval from a detached and neutral judge? The Majority Opinion, ¶ 23, suggests different approaches law enforcement could have taken. Aside from the fact that as a court it is not within our power to advise law enforcement officials as to how they should conduct an investigation, the suggestions are unrealistic given the circumstances. If law enforcement officers spoke with neighbors or performed a “knock and talk” at the suspected residence to gain information, law enforcement would be just as likely to tip off criminals to the fact that they were being investigated and therefore hinder the interdiction. It is not our role to concoct requirements beyond what the constitutions demand. {37} Instead, we have an opinion that relies upon non-binding precedent that the parties did not argue to the Court in order to come to a conclusion that will hamper law enforcement’s efforts in eradicating methamphetamine from New Mexico’s communities. Ironically, we do so in a case in which the Defendant pled no contest to manufacturing methamphetamine, which suggests that law enforcement’s suspicions were right on target. It is a pyrrhic victory for the constitutional protections against unreasonable search and seizure and for the exclusionary-rule.