Court Opinion

ID: 9711091
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-26 04:24:24.523832+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:23:02.299299
License: Public Domain

SPAETH, Judge,
concurring and dissenting:
I join Judge PRICE’S analysis, that Rule 2003 proscribes consideration of evidence outside the four corners of the warrant only on the issue of probable cause. Thus, the lower court was free to make, and should have made, a finding of fact on whether the issuing authority had, or had not, misdated the warrant. The difficulty is that the lower court did not realize this, thinking it was bound by what appeared to be the date on the warrant, and therefore made no finding. This does not trouble Judge PRICE, who makes the finding himself — saying that there is no reason to reject Officer Carroll’s testimony, and that the “only explanation” must be “that the issuing authority inadvertently affixed the wrong date.” Majority Opinion at 172, 389 A.2d at 656. I have very little doubt that Judge PRICE’S finding is right, but it is not our business to make findings.
I should therefore remand for further proceedings.
HOFFMAN, J., joins in this opinion.