Ex Parte Hicks
Ex Parte Hicks
Opinion of the Court
Certiorari was granted to determine if the Court of Criminal Appeals,
The facts set out by the opinion of the Court of Criminal Appeals are as follows:
"The search warrant in question, which was issued by Judge Peter A. Hall, Judge of the Municipal Court of the City of Birmingham, was directed to `the Chief of Police or any police officer of the City of Birmingham, Alabama,' commanded a daytime search for marijuana of 6305 Crest Club Circle, Birmingham, Alabama, and was returnable to the judge of the *Page 1347 Jefferson County District Court. The search was carried out solely by Birmingham police officers, who were not accompanied by any sheriff or deputy sheriff, and who did not conduct the search at the request of, or in aid of, any sheriff or deputy sheriff. None of the police officers were constables for the county.
"Appellant filed a motion to suppress the evidence obtained as a result of the search on the basis that the search warrant was defective. The trial court denied the motion to suppress."
Petitioner would have this Court find reversible error, arguing that the search warrant in this case is defective because it does not comply with Code 1975, §§
"Section
"The sheriffs of the counties and law enforcement officers of the municipalities of the state of Alabama shall obey the municipal judge having legal authority in faithfully executing the warrants and processes committed to them for service according to their mandates."
"Section
"Municipal judges are authorized to issue arrest and search warrants for municipal ordinance violations returnable to the municipal court and for violations of state law returnable to any state court."
It is true that from 1852 until 1975, those statutes now codified at Title 15, Chapter 5, Code 1975, were the only statutes relating to search warrants in general. In 1975, however, the legislature approved Act No. 1205 (the Judicial Article Implementation Act), codified in Title 12, Code 1975. This Act did not repeal Title 15, Chapter 5 (see Rivers v.State,
As to petitioner's contention that §§
Finally, petitioner contends that the Court of Criminal Appeals is in conflict with the opinion of Rivers v. State,supra. We find no conflict and affirm the opinion below with respect to this issue.
For the reasons stated, the judgment of the Court of Criminal Appeals is due to be, and it is hereby, affirmed.
AFFIRMED.
MADDOX, FAULKNER, JONES, SHORES, EMBRY and ADAMS, JJ., concur.
TORBERT, C.J., dissents.
Dissenting Opinion
I respectfully dissent. The majority holds that §§
General statutes authorizing the issuance and execution of search warrants are strictly construed. United States v.Martin,
Code 1975, §
"A search warrant is an order in writing in the name of the state signed by a judge or by a magistrate authorized by law to issue search warrants and directed to the sheriff or to any constable of the county, commanding him to search for personal property and bring it before the court issuing the warrant."
A judge or a magistrate must issue a search warrant signed by him and directed to the sheriff or to any constable of the county for execution if he is satisfied of either the existence of the grounds of the application or a probable ground to believe their existence. Code 1975, §
One of the express purposes of the Judicial Article Implementation Act is the establishment of municipal courts with uniform jurisdiction, procedures, and costs. Judicial Article Implementation Act, No. 1205, 1975 Ala. Acts 2384. "The provisions of this Act are cumulative and shall not be construed to repeal or supersede any laws not inconsistent herewith." § 18-102. Under this Act, "Municipal judges are authorized to issue arrest and search warrants for municipal ordinance violations returnable to municipal courts and for violations of state law returnable to any state court." Code 1975, §
Alabama Constitution Amendment 328, § 6.065, provides that ". . . municipal courts shall have uniform original jurisdiction limited to cases arising under municipal ordinances as prescribed by law." The Legislature in Code 1975, §
The Legislature has provided specific authorization for the execution of search warrants by any lawful officer of the state in the case of searches for prohibited liquors, Code 1975, §
Reference
- Full Case Name
- Ex Parte Raben James Hicks. (Re Raben James Hicks v. State).
- Cited By
- 5 cases
- Status
- Published