State v. Treadway
State v. Treadway
Opinion of the Court
■ Defendant appeals from his conviction of the crime of unlawfully possessing marijuana for sale in violation of Section 58-13a-2, U.C.A.1953, as amended 1969. He urges that the trial court committed prejudicial error in its denial of his motion to suppress certain evidence seized under a search warrant on the ground that the affidavit set forth insufficient facts to support a finding of probable cause for the magistrate to issue the warrant.
Defendant was a transient, who rented a unit in a motel in Wendover, Utah. He experienced car trouble and extended his stay. A motel maid, while cleaning his room, observed a broken-up greenish substance on a magazine placed on the dresser. The maid conferred with two other maids, who were also performing cleaning chores, and queried whether the substance was marijuana. One of the maids, who had observed marijuana on approximately ten prior occasions, responded that the substance appeared to be. The maids went to a soda machine for their rest period and encountered the manager of the motel, Mr. Poulsen; they informed him of the disturbed condition of the room and of their observations of the substance. Mr. Poulsen went to the room and observed the greenish, gray, dry substance on the magazine; he returned to his office and telephoned Deputy Carter to inform him that someone was using marijuana. Subsequently Mr. Poulsen conferred with the deputy twice, and the police placed the room under surveillance.
The magistrate found probable and reasonable cause for issuance of the search warrant as set forth in the affidavit. The warrant commanded immediate search at any time day or night.
Defendant moved to quash the warrant and to suppress the evidence seized thereunder upon the grounds that the warrant was issued without probable cause and the evidence seized thereunder was in violation of his rights under the Fourth Amendment of the Constitution of the United States.
On appeal defendant contends that the affidavit in support of the search warrant was insufficient to establish probable cause because the affidavit was based on hearsay. Specifically, defendant argues that the only allegation in support of probable cause was the hearsay statement of Mr. Poulsen that he had observed marijuana in the room. Defendant urges that this court should hold the affidavit insufficient and the search warrant invalid, if the affi-ant does not have positive knowledge of the facts alleged in the affidavit.
An affidavit may be based on hearsay information and need not reflect the direct, personal observations of the affiant; however, the magistrate must be informed of some of the underlying circumstances from which the affiant concluded that the informant was credible or his information reliable. The probability, and not a prima facie showing, of criminal activity is the standard of probable cause. The magistrate is obligated to render a j udgment based upon a common-sense read
Defendant contends that the affidavit was defective because it contained insufficient facts to support a finding that the information was reliable and that the informant was credible. Defendant emphasizes that there was no allegation that Carter or Poulsen had furnished reliable drug case tips in the past; and, therefore, there was no basis upon which the magistrate could conclude that the informants were reliable and their information could be credited.
In United States v. Harris,
In the instant action, citizen-informer, Poulsen, had no personal interest in defendant’s arrest and he did not expect to receive any personal benefit in exchange for- the
Defendant further asserts that the affidavit was insufficient because it did not set forth the exact time that Poulsen observed the marijuana in the room. Defendant did not urge this ground in the trial court, and this court will not consider this issue for the first time on appeal.
Defendant finally contends that the search warrant was invalid because it did not comport with the requirements of Section 77-54-11, U.C.A.1953. The warrant in the instant action permitted a day or night search.
Section 77-54-11, U.C.A.1953, provides:
The magistrate must insert a direction in the warrant that it be served in the daytime, unless the affidavits are positive that the property is on the person or in the place to be searched; in which case he may insert a direction that it be served at any time of the day or night. [Emphasis added.]
Defendant interprets this provision to mean that the affiant must be positive that the property is in the place to be searched before the magistrate may insert a direction authorizing service day or night. The restrictive construction advocated by the defendant does not conform with the language in the statute, which provides that the affidavit must be positive. The language selected by the legislature indicates an intent that to satisfy the statute the supporting facts in the affidavit must show positively that the property is in the place to be searched. The affidavit in the instant action so indicated this fact.
The judgment of the trial court is affirmed.
. Aguilar v. Texas, 378 U.S. 108, 114, 84 S.Ct. 1509, 12 L.Ed.2d 723, 729 (1964); Spinelli v. United States, 393 U.S. 410, 89 S.Ct. 584, 21 L.Ed.2d 637 (1969).
. United States v. Harris, 403 U.S. 573; 580-581, 91 S.Ct. 2075, 29 L.Ed.2d 723, 732 (1971); 10 A.L.R.3d 359, 363, Anno: Search Warrant-Hearsay; State v. Smelser, 23 Utah 2d 347, 463 P.2d 562 (1970); Allen v. Lindbeck, 97 Utah 471, 93 P.2d 920 (1939).
. Footnote 2, supra.
. State v. Lamb, Kan., 497 P.2d 275, 286 (1972); State v. Paszek, 50 Wis.2d 619, 184 N.W.2d 836, 842-843 (1971); United States v. Mitchell (8 Cir. 1970), 425 F.2d 1353; People v. Bevins, 6 Cal.App.3d 421, 85 Cal.Rptr. 876, 879 (1970).
. Allen v. Holbrook, 103 Utah 319, 330, 135 P.2d 242 (1943).
. Wagner v. Olsen, 25 Utah 2d 366, 370, 482 P.2d 702 (1971); Simpson v. General Motors Corporation, 24 Utah 2d 301, 303, 470 P.2d 399, 401 (1970).
Concurring Opinion
(concurring in the result).
I concur in the result but desire to add that it seems absolutely ridiculous to even think of turning a guilty felon free because some appellate court thinks the magistrate did not have any reason to believe that the facts in the affidavit for a search warrant were true. There is no question but what they were true. A search under the war
It is impossible for me to believe that a guilty felon has been prejudiced by any failure of a magistrate when issuing a search warrant to have grounds to believe that which is absolutely true. The defendant will have his day in court and at the trial the issue will be “is he guilty” and not “was the magistrate imposed upon.”
Reference
- Full Case Name
- The STATE of Utah, Plaintiff and Respondent, v. Larry TREADWAY, Defendant and Appellant
- Cited By
- 16 cases
- Status
- Published