State v. Johnny K. Pinder
State v. Johnny K. Pinder
Opinion
*426
¶1 This case is before the court on certification from the court of appeals, pursuant to
If a search warrant issued underWis. Stat. § 968.12 for the placement and use of a GPS tracking device on a motor vehicle is not executed within five days after the date of issuance perWis. Stat. § 968.15 (1) is the warrant void under § 968.15(2), even if the search was otherwise reasonably conducted?
*574
In short, this question requires the court to decide if an otherwise reasonably conducted search warrant issued for the placement and use of a Global Positioning System ("GPS") tracking device on a motor vehicle is subject to
*427
¶2 We conclude that a search warrant issued for the placement and use of a GPS tracking device on a motor vehicle, but not executed within five days after the date of issuance per
I. FACTUAL BACKGROUND
¶3 In February of 2015, multiple businesses were burglarized in Mequon, Wisconsin. Detective Cory Polishinski of the Mequon Police Department *428 ("Detective Polishinski") was in charge of investigating these burglaries. The burglar stole laptop computers, a "SimCube testing device," a stereo, a company MasterCard credit card, and cash. Surveillance cameras near one business captured footage of a potential suspect and his car, a silver Chevrolet Impala. The license plates appeared to be missing. MasterCard confirmed that the stolen credit card "had five ATM attempts to get cash advances" and that it was used on or about February 14, 2015, at multiple gas stations in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Surveillance cameras at two of these gas stations captured footage of the suspect burglar, in what appeared to be the same silver Chevrolet Impala, filling up other vehicles with gasoline.
¶4 On February 19, 2015, Detective Polishinski received an e-mail from Detective Brad Mellenthein of the Milwaukee Police Department ("Detective Mellenthein"). In his e-mail, Detective Mellenthein provided pertinent information he received from a confidential informant. According to Detective Mellenthein, the informant said that a man named "JP," who is "a really good lock picker," was "using his skills to get into locked areas of hospitals and businesses to steal computers, credit cards, and money ... to support his crack habit."
*575 JP bragged to the informant that he would "pick the lock of a business and enter to take the items he wanted, then leave things like they were prior to the burglary, giving him time to move the product or use the credit or gas cards." The informant described JP as having "a bunch of gas cards and [using the cards to] fill up vehicles," as well as having "10 to 15 computers available at one time to sell." In fact, JP sold one of the stolen computers to the confidential informant's aunt (the computer had one of the burglarized company's stickers on it) and, after it stopped *429 working, JP agreed to "get her another one." The informant also stated that JP just "got out [of prison] about two months ago" after serving 18 years.
¶5 Detective Mellenthein was able to identify JP as Johnny K. Pinder ("Pinder"). According to Detective Mellenthein, Pinder was the known owner of a "2008 Chevrolet Impala LT, silver in color with tinted windows and ... a WI temp plate (L6019F) in the front window," VIN 2G1WT58N089144205 (hereinafter "Pinder's vehicle"); Pinder had been in prison for burglary and was released in December of 2014; Pinder was currently on probation; and the Milwaukee Police Department confirmed Pinder was a suspect in other similar burglaries using the Chevrolet Impala. In addition, surveillance footage of these other similar burglaries showed Pinder and an unknown female "inside an office taking items."
¶6 On February 27, 2015, Detective Polishinski applied to the Ozaukee County circuit court for an order to covertly place and monitor a GPS tracking device on Pinder's vehicle "for a period of time not to exceed 60 days from the date the order is signed." Detective Polishinski's affidavit in support of the GPS warrant articulated the above-referenced details of the investigation and outlined his training and experience with respect to criminal investigations. In his affidavit, Detective Polishinski acknowledged that, "Wisconsin has no explicit statute under chapter 968 that addresses the issue of installing tracking devices on private property." Detective Polishinski nonetheless detailed how the device would be installed and monitored, and that "the use of power to run the [GPS] tracking device [would] be taken from [Pinder's vehicle] in order to extend the useful monitoring of [Pinder's vehicle]," and enable police "to identify locations *430 and associates currently unknown ... as to the location of the fruits or accomplices of this violation." Detective Polishinski further explained in his affidavit that a GPS tracking device "periodically records, at specified times, the latitude, longitude, date and time of readings and stores these readings until they are downloaded to a computer ... for analysis." Detective Polishinski further stated:
[T]here is probable cause to believe, based upon information [contained in his affidavit] that [Pinder's vehicle] is presently being utilized in the commission of a crime, to wit, Burglary in violation of Chapter 943.10 of the Wisconsin Statutes [and] that there is probable cause to believe that the installation of a [GPS] tracking device on [Pinder's vehicle] in conjunction with the monitoring, maintenance and retrieval of information from that [GPS] tracking device, will lead to evidence of the aforementioned criminal violations, as well as the location where the fruits of the violations are being stored and the identification of associates assisting in the aforementioned violations.
¶7 On the same day, the Ozaukee County circuit court 5 granted Detective Polishinski's application with a signed warrant *576 entitled "Order" (hereinafter "Warrant"). The circuit court concluded that there was "probable cause to believe that the installation of a tracking device in [Pinder's vehicle] is relevant to an ongoing criminal investigation and that the vehicle is being used in the commission of the crime of Burglary." The circuit court authorized the State (the Mequon Police Department) to
place an electronic tracking device on [Pinder's vehicle], and ... surreptitiously enter and re-enter the *431 vehicle and any buildings and structures containing the vehicle or any premises on which the vehicle is located to install, use, maintain and conduct surveillance and monitoring of the location and movement of a mobile electronic-tracking device in the vehicle and any and all places within or outside the jurisdiction of Ozaukee County, including but not limited to private residences and other locations not open to visual surveillance; to accomplish the installation agents are authorized to obtain and use a key to operate and move the vehicle for the required time to a concealed location and are authorized to open the engine compartment and trunk areas of the vehicle to install the device.
¶8 The Warrant did not require the Mequon Police Department to install the GPS tracking device within a certain time period, but rather mandated that the tracking device be removed "as soon as practicable after the objectives of the surveillance are accomplished or not later than 60 days from the date the order is signed."
¶9 On March 9, 2015, ten days after the circuit court signed the Warrant, Detective Polishinski installed the GPS tracking device on Pinder's vehicle. 6 The GPS tracking device was programmed to alert the Mequon Police Department when the vehicle entered Mequon. 7
*432 ¶10 On March 14, 2015, Detective Polishinski received an alert that Pinder's vehicle had entered Mequon. Detective Polishinski logged onto the GPS website and monitored the GPS tracking device's signal. 8 The signal indicated that Pinder's vehicle had stopped at a business office complex in Mequon.
¶11 Detective Polishinski requested that police officers respond to the business office complex to investigate a possible burglary there. Police officers arrived at the business office complex and ascertained that someone had broken into one suite of offices. Shortly thereafter, the officers confirmed that a wallet and two laptops were missing, including a new computer that was still in the original box.
¶12 Mequon police officers also stopped the suspect vehicle (Pinder's vehicle) on the highway. The occupants of the vehicle were identified as Pinder and Darnelle Polk ("Polk"). Officers obtained consent to *577 search the vehicle. The officers found gloves, screwdrivers, "portfolio items," 9 items stolen from the burglary scene including a laptop computer box, a wallet, and drug paraphernalia.
¶13 Pinder and Polk, as well as Pinder's vehicle, were then transported to the Mequon Police Department. 10 At the station "lock-picking style tools" were found on Pinder.
*433 ¶14 Surveillance video footage from the business office complex provided further evidence that Pinder was likely the burglar. The footage reflected that Pinder's vehicle was at the business office complex, that Pinder was dressed like and fit the description of the suspect, and that the suspect was carrying "a portfolio" much like the one found in Pinder's vehicle which contained burglarious tools.
II. PROCEDURAL POSTURE
¶15 On March 16, 2015, the State filed a criminal complaint charging Pinder with one count of burglary of a building or dwelling - as a party to a crime, contrary to
¶16 On September 14, 2015, Pinder filed a motion to suppress on the basis that the "Order obtained by the State in this case [was] not a search warrant and thus, the attachment of a GPS device to [Pinder's vehicle] was a warrantless search." Pinder further argued that, if the order is a warrant, the Warrant was not properly executed pursuant to
(1) prior authorization of by (sic) a neutral and detached magistrate, (2) a demonstration upon oath or affirmation that there is probable cause to believe the evidence sought will aid in a particular conviction for [a] particular offense, and (3) a particularized description of the place to be searched and the items to be seized.
¶17 On November 9, 2015, the circuit court held a hearing on Pinder's motion to suppress.
12
On November 23, 2015, the circuit court denied the motion to suppress, concluding that
Sveum
13
is "on point," and that
Sveum's
reasoning "controls" in this case. In applying
Sveum's
test to determine whether the Warrant was valid, the circuit court found that the court "qualif[ied] as a detached and neutral magistrate in issuing the warrant" and that the probable cause standard was satisfied based on the facts in Detective Polishinski's
*578
affidavit. The circuit court added that Pinder's vehicle was "[k]ind of the linchpin" of the "rash of burglaries," and that the Warrant allowed the Mequon Police Department to "[observe] the vehicle when it was in the area where these burglaries had been committed." While the circuit court acknowledged that
¶18 On November 30, 2015, Pinder and Polk were tried before a jury. Before both sides rested, Pinder moved for a directed verdict on the burglary charge arguing that the State had charged Pinder under the wrong paragraph of
*436 ¶19 On December 1, 2015, the circuit court sentenced Pinder to five years of initial confinement and five years of extended supervision on count 1, and one year of initial confinement and one year of extended supervision on count 2, to be served concurrently to the sentence imposed on count 1. Both sentences were to be served consecutively to a sentence Pinder was serving at the time.
¶20 On August 24, 2016, Pinder filed a motion for postconviction relief seeking a new jury trial on the ground that his "trial attorney ... was prejudicially ineffective." On January 19, 2017, the circuit court issued its decision denying the motion. After noting that Pinder "might be able to meet the first prong of the test [of an ineffective assistance of counsel claim]," the circuit court concluded that "[i]t is clear beyond a reasonable doubt that the jury would have convicted [Pinder] ... if proper instructions had been given." The circuit court reasoned that "the quantum of evidence was [so] overwhelming that the jury would have convicted [Pinder] of the charges" and that the "jury didn't seem to have any confusion."
¶21 On February 2, 2017, Pinder filed a notice of appeal, challenging both the judgment of conviction and the circuit court's denial of his postconviction motion. On December 13, 2017, the court of appeals certified the case to this court regarding the *579 application of provisions of Chapter 968 to this Warrant. On March 14, 2018, we accepted the court of appeals' certification.
III. STANDARD OF REVIEW
¶22 The certified issue concerns whether the Warrant in this case is governed by
*437
Wisconsin Statutes Chapter 968. Accordingly, we are called upon to consider various provisions of Chapter 968 including
¶23 Statutory interpretation is a question of law that we review de novo but benefiting from prior courts' analyses.
C. Coakley Relocation Sys., Inc. v. City of Milwaukee
,
¶24 We are then called upon to review whether this Warrant complied with the Fourth Amendment to the United States Constitution and Article I, Section 11 of the Wisconsin Constitution. "Whether the language of the warrant satisfies the requisite constitutional requirements is a question of law. We review such issues of constitutional guarantees de novo."
State v. Meyer
,
*438
¶25 When we analyze whether police conduct violated the Fourth Amendment to the United States Constitution's and Article I, Section 11 of the Wisconsin Constitution's guarantees against unreasonable searches, "[w]e independently review 'whether police conduct violated the constitutional guarantee against unreasonable searches,' which presents a question of constitutional fact."
Tate
,
¶26 Finally, with respect to Pinder's ineffective assistance of counsel argument, review of "[w]hether a defendant was denied effective assistance of counsel is a mixed question of law and fact."
State v. Breitzman
,
*580
IV. ANALYSIS
A. Wisconsin Statutes Chapter 968 Does Not Apply.
¶27 The crux of the issue before the court begins with an analysis of certain provisions of Chapter 968 of the Wisconsin Statutes. We are first called upon to determine whether this Warrant must be issued, executed, and returned pursuant to the provisions of Chapter 968. Because the plain language of the provisions of Chapter 968 neither addresses nor includes such a GPS warrant, we conclude that this Warrant cannot be subject to the statutory limitations and requirements therein.
See
¶28 This court begins statutory interpretation with the language of the statute.
*440
Kalal
,
¶29 Context and structure of a statute are important to the meaning of the statute. Id. , ¶46. "Therefore, statutory language is interpreted in the context in which it is used; not in isolation but as part of a whole; in relation to the language of surrounding or closely-related statutes; and reasonably, to avoid absurd or unreasonable results." Id. Moreover, the "[s]tatutory language is read where possible to give reasonable effect to every word, in order to avoid surplusage." Id. "A statute's purpose or scope may be readily apparent from its plain language or its relationship to surrounding or closely-related statutes--that is, from its context or the structure of the statute as a coherent whole." Id. , ¶49.
¶30 "If this process of analysis yields a plain, clear statutory meaning, then there is no ambiguity, and the statute is applied according to this ascertainment of its meaning." Id. , ¶46. If statutory language is unambiguous, we do not need to consult extrinsic sources of interpretation. Id.
¶31 This case requires us to begin with an interpretation of
¶32 Wisconsin Stat. § 968.12, "Search warrant," provides, in pertinent part:
(1) Description and issuance. A search warrant is an order signed by a judge directing a law enforcement officer to conduct a search of a designated person, a designated object or a designated place for the purpose of seizing designated property or kinds of property . A judge shall issue a search warrant if probable cause is shown.
§ 968.12(1) (emphasis added).
¶33 Initially, under the plain language interpretation of
¶34 Further support for the conclusion that
¶35 Wisconsin Stat. § 968.13, "Search warrant; property subject to seizure," provides:
*443 A search warrant may authorize the seizure of the following: ...
(d) Documents which may constitute evidence of any crime, if probable cause is shown that the documents are under *582 the control of a person who is reasonably suspected to be concerned in the commission of that crime under s. 939.05(2).
§ 968.13(1)(d) (emphasis added). Subsection (2) of
¶36 Pinder argues that GPS warrants authorize the seizure of "[d]ocuments," specifically "electronic data," under
¶37 Simply stated,
¶38 To the extent that Pinder's argument that a future electronic transmission from a GPS tracking device is "electronic data" under his control as the term
*444
is used in
¶39 Finally, the parties argue about how, if at all,
Sveum
,
¶40 The facts of
Sveum
were different and the parties' arguments were other than they are here. In
Sveum
the parties neither briefed nor argued whether the warrant was a common law warrant. Sveum in part argued that the "[t]he court order also failed requirements of Ch. 968 of the Wisconsin Statutes," and the court determined that to the extent there was a departure from
¶41 As a result, Sveum is far from precedent that GPS warrants are controlled by Chapter 968. Instead, Sveum supports the conclusion that courts have the authority to issue GPS warrants even though a technical irregularity is present under the statute.
*446
¶42 Therefore, we conclude that the plain meaning of
*447 B. Fourth Amendment
¶43 We now turn to the court's authority to issue a GPS warrant and whether this Warrant complies with Fourth Amendment principles. Because no statutes control the issuance of a GPS warrant, a court is left to rely on its inherent authority.
See
Tate
,
*584
Meek v. Pierce
,
¶44 Pinder makes little, if any, argument that a court lacks such authority. His argument instead focused on this Warrant's failure to comply with the above-referenced search warrant statutes. Furthermore, Pinder's counsel at oral argument conceded that common law warrants are valid "in certain situations." 18 However, because we have concluded that Wisconsin Statutes Chapter 968 does not control the *449 issuance of a GPS warrant and we rely on the inherent authority of courts to issue such warrants, we now turn to whether the Warrant complies with Fourth Amendment protections.
¶45 The "touchstone of the Fourth Amendment is reasonableness."
State v. Faust
,
¶47 Pinder's argument focuses on this Warrant's lack of compliance with the warrant statutes. The State argues that the search 20 pursuant to the Warrant complied with Fourth Amendment requirements. We agree with the State.
1. Warrant Clause
¶48 "The Fourth Amendment's warrant clause provides ... particularized protections governing the manner in which search and arrest warrants are issued."
Henderson
,
¶49 First, the warrant must have "prior authorization by a neutral, detached magistrate."
*451
¶50 Second, there must be "a demonstration upon oath or affirmation that there is probable cause to believe that evidence sought will aid in a particular conviction for a particular offense."
¶51 Third, the Fourth Amendment requires that there be "a particularized description of the place to be searched and items to be seized."
Sveum
,
¶52 We conclude that the Warrant authorizing the installation and monitoring of a GPS tracking device on Pinder's vehicle satisfied all three requirements of the Warrant Clause and thus was a validly issued search warrant.
2. Police conduct
¶53 "Even if a court determines that a search warrant is constitutionally valid, the manner in which the warrant was executed remains subject to judicial review."
Sveum
,
¶54 First, there is essentially no argument that the installation of the GPS tracking device did not comply with the terms of the Warrant. Instead, Pinder's argument focuses on noncompliance with the statute. In the case at issue, Detective Polishinski obtained the Warrant from the issuing judge to "install and monitor a [GPS] tracking device on [Pinder's vehicle]." The Warrant was subject to three restrictions: that the installation and monitoring be of a "tracking device," that the installation of the GPS tracking device be done by the Mequon Police Department, *587 and that the GPS tracking device be "remove[d] ... as soon as practicable after the objectives of the surveillance are accomplished or not later than 60 days from the date the order is signed." The execution of the Warrant was well within the confines of the authority granted by the Warrant and did not violate any of the three restrictions. Initially, the Mequon Police Department installed and monitored a GPS tracking device on Pinder's vehicle. Further, the GPS tracking device was removed within 60 days, or alternatively "as soon as practicable after the objectives of the surveillance [were] accomplished." The surveillance was completed within 20 days of the Warrant's issuance--well within the 60-day limit--and the surveillance concluded "as soon as practicable" considering the objectives of the surveillance were to find evidence of Pinder committing burglaries, the location of evidence, and the identity of associates. The monitoring concluded after less than a week of surveillance *454 of Pinder's vehicle and on the same day as when the GPS tracking device's alert and subsequent monitoring led the Mequon Police Department to obtain evidence that Pinder had committed a burglary of a suite of offices, to find stolen items from the suite of offices in Pinder's car, and to determine the identity of an individual, Polk, riding in the car with Pinder.
¶55 Second, Pinder has the "burden of proving the dissipation of probable cause."
Edwards
,
¶56 Third, the installation and monitoring of the GPS tracking device was reasonable under the totality of the circumstances. The Warrant was obtained, installed, and monitored in compliance with the court order. The GPS tracking device in this case was in use for only six days, and the surveillance was stopped the same day the Mequon Police Department obtained evidence that Pinder had committed a burglary of a suite of offices, found stolen items from the suite of offices in his car, and determined the identity of one of his potential criminal associates. Further, as the circuit court noted, investigating the crime of burglary typically necessitates prolonged surveillance because of the unpredictability of when the burglary will occur. Therefore, this is not a case where the use of a GPS tracking device became "unreasonable" under the Fourth Amendment.
See
Brereton
,
*455 ¶57 Therefore, the State's conduct in the execution of the Warrant complied with the Fourth Amendment.
C. Ineffective Assistance Of Counsel
¶58 Pinder additionally seeks review of the denial of his ineffective assistance of counsel claim. Pinder argues that his trial counsel was ineffective for failing to object to the Burglary jury instructions because, instead of using the word "building" or "office," the court should have used the phrase "room within a building." In this case, this is a distinction without a difference. 22 This wording choice was not error but even if it were to be deemed error, it was not prejudicial. In short, Pinder's ineffective assistance of counsel claim fails.
*588 ¶59 Pinder argues that the Burglary jury instructions were erroneous. He argues "this present fact situation did not involve the Burglary of a Building ... [because] the entry ways into the building were open at the time of the alleged entry" and thus the "instruction referred to a situation that, under the facts, was not a violation of the law." He argues that "the jury instruction's references to convicting someone for entering an 'office,' as an element of Burglary, was also legally incorrect" because an " 'office' is not one of the places indicated in Wis. Stats. 943.10(1m)(a) through (f)," and the term "does not describe, or qualify as, any of the statutory examples cited in Wis. Stats. 943.10(1m)." Pinder argues that the first two errors in the Burglary jury instructions were not harmless because "the instruction[s *456 ] advised the jury that it could, and should, convict the Defendant improperly." Pinder argues that "the Burglary jury instruction was materially erroneous" because it created a "reasonable issue, and concern, of juror confusion and error" by "allow[ing] the jury to convict [him] of entry into a building or entry into an office." Pinder's arguments do not demonstrate that counsel's performance was deficient in not so objecting.
¶60 At the outset, we acknowledge that the circuit court is entitled to some latitude in crafting jury instructions to comport with the evidence of the case.
Dakter v. Cavallino
,
¶61 In sum, Pinder has failed to demonstrate that his trial counsel's performance was ineffective.
V. CONCLUSION
¶62 We conclude that a search warrant issued for the placement and use of a GPS tracking device on a motor vehicle, but not executed within five days after the date of issuance per
By the Court. -The judgment of the circuit court is affirmed.
*458 ¶63 I join the court's opinion, except to the extent it "urge[s] the legislature to consider enacting a specific statutory grant of authority to define parameters and requirements with respect to GPS warrants." Majority op., ¶42.
¶64 As a general rule, I think it is inappropriate for the judiciary to request the legislature to legislate. And in this specific instance, I think we would have been wise to heed the old proverb that one should be careful about one's wishes, because they just might be granted. I have no idea what the legislature might do with the court's request, and neither does the court.
¶65 In any event, this is now the third time we have asked the legislature to adopt a GPS-warrant statute. It didn't answer the phone the last two 1 times 2 we called, and it isn't particularly likely it will find our latest overture more charming. Indeed, we're starting to look a wee bit desperate. Maybe the legislature is being standoffish because it just doesn't want to go on this date with us. Rapid technological advances make obsolescence a regular feature of modern life. The legislature may have concluded that a GPS-warrant *459 statute would be a mere stop-gap measure that would require constant updating to keep pace with the latest developments.
¶66 Or maybe the legislature quizzically quirks its collective eyebrow whenever we bring this up because our requests are always accompanied by proof we don't need its help. Our opinion correctly concluded that our courts have the inherent authority to issue GPS warrants. It also deftly considered the warrant's fidelity to constitutional constraints and correctly concluded there was no violation. Those were the only two issues we needed to address, and we confidently and competently resolved them without any input from the legislature whatsoever. Our work in this case, Brereton , and Sveum all prove that we don't need the legislative branch's help in evaluating GPS warrants. As the legislature glances back and forth between our several requests and the accompanying opinions, it would certainly be justified in wondering what, exactly, we want it to do.
¶67 I wonder, too. Our opinion says: "Had the legislature enacted such a statute, we may very well not be confronted with the issues now present." Majority op., ¶42. Maybe. Maybe not. A GPS-warrant *590 statute might have saved us the effort we expended in this case, but it will do nothing when the next case brings us a different type of warrant that does not fit within a statutory classification. We will have to determine then, just as we did today, whether our inherent authority justifies such an exercise of authority. Will we include in that future opinion a request that the legislature adopt another statute to cover the new type of warrant? Will we do this every time we encounter a warrant for which there is no specific statutory authorization? If so, then our request is really that the *460 legislature completely supplant our inherent authority to issue warrants. If we made a practice of bungling the exercise of this authority, there might be good justification for the request. But we haven't, so this can't be the reason we need a GPS-warrant statute.
¶68 Perhaps the court believes such a statute will reduce our workload, saving us from having to consider whether a challenged GPS warrant complies with constitutional requirements. However, a warrant that violates one of our constitutions doesn't become less offensive just because a statute authorized it. If the legislature adopts a GPS-warrant statute, we will have plenty of opportunities to consider its constitutional bona fides in minute detail, most likely in a long succession of cases. And when we have finally and fully vetted the requested statute, we will still entertain claims that the statutorily-authorized warrant was executed unconstitutionally. So asking the legislature for a GPS-warrant statute cannot be justified as a labor-saving device for the judiciary.
¶69 It is possible that our constitutions allow for warrants that offend certain prudential sensibilities. But prudence is the realm of public policy, and the people of Wisconsin have entrusted public policy to the legislative branch. It is not the judiciary's role to opine on the wisdom of any given policy, or even its absence. It is merely to decide whether the parties before us have honored their lawful obligations. Today's opinion could have fulfilled that role without asking for new public policy. That is where we should have stopped, and I join the opinion up to that point.
¶70 I am authorized to state that Justice REBECCA GRASSL BRADLEY joins this concurrence.
All subsequent references to the Wisconsin Statutes are to the 2015-16 version unless otherwise indicated.
Wisconsin Stats. § 968.15, "Search warrants; when executable," provides: "(1) A search warrant must be executed and returned not more than 5 days after the date of issuance" and "(2) Any search warrant not executed within the time provided in sub. (1) shall be void and shall be returned to the judge issuing it."
Wisconsin Stats. § 968.17(1), "Return of search warrant," states, in relevant part, that "the return of a search warrant shall be made within 48 hours after execution."
We recognize Pinder also argued that his trial counsel was ineffective for other reasons.
Strickland v. Washington
,
The Honorable Paul V. Malloy presided.
The record does not contain details about how the GPS tracking device was installed.
Detective Polishinski explained:
Once the GPS is placed on the vehicle a geofence is established. In this case the geofence was surrounding the City of Mequon. So if a vehicle would enter or cross the geofence, an alert would be active; and myself, along with other detectives and our captain would receive a text message and an e-mail stating that the vehicle had crossed at a specific point on that geofence.
Detective Polishinski explained:
[Once he] logged onto the GPS website ... [he] was able to view a representation of that vehicle. On that website a map of the area will pop up; and the GPS is a little dot, and you're able to follow the dot as it is driving along the roadway; or if it stops, you're able to find out exactly where on the map it is.
The portfolio contained "a hammer-type device," a "metal tool with an orange handle," and a laptop.
Detective Polishinski then applied for and received a search warrant under
Pinder, along with Polk, were both charged in the initial criminal complaint. The subsequent information, charging Pinder with the same two charges and using the same charging language, only contained the counts against Pinder. The initial criminal complaint charged Polk with one count of burglary of a building or dwelling - as a party to a crime, contrary to
At the hearing, the State and Pinder stipulated that the GPS tracking device was installed ten days after the Warrant was signed.
State v. Sveum
,
Wisconsin Stat. § 943.10, "Burglary," in relevant part, provides:
(1m) Whoever intentionally enters any of the following places without the consent of the person in lawful possession and with intent to steal or commit a felony in such place is guilty of a Class F felony:
(a) Any building or dwelling; or
...
(f) A room within any of the above.
§ 943.10(1m)(a), (f).
The jury, however, found Polk "not guilty of burglary of an office as a party to the crime as charged in ... the information." He, nonetheless, was found guilty of possession of drug paraphernalia, contrary to
Although Chapter 968 of the Wisconsin Statutes describes several categories of warrants, in this opinion, we use "statutory search warrant" to refer only to warrants issued pursuant to
Rule 41, Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure, "Search and Seizure," in relevant part, provides:
(C) Warrant for a Tracking Device. A tracking-device warrant must identify the person or property to be tracked, designate the magistrate judge to whom it must be returned, and specify a reasonable length of time that the device may be used. The time must not exceed 45 days from the date the warrant was issued. The court may, for good cause, grant one or more extensions for a reasonable period not to exceed 45 days each. The warrant must command the officer to:
(i) complete any installation authorized by the warrant within a specified time no longer than 10 days;
(ii) perform any installation authorized by the warrant during the daytime, unless the judge for good cause expressly authorizes installation at another time; and
(iii) return the warrant to the judge designated in the warrant.
Fed. R. Crim. P. 41(e)(2)(C).
Pinder's counsel's full statement was: "They are trying to create a new kind of warrant, a common law warrant, which they can do in certain situations, but is not necessary in this situation." He further conceded that this authority was used in Tate :
In Tate , there was-they got the information from somebody, AT&T, who was not suspected of a crime, okay, which is not what is provided in Wisconsin Statutes. Because you have to have someone suspected of a crime in order to have a valid warrant. So they couldn't go through the warrant provisions, so they created this common law situation to avoid having to go through the statutory procedures for a warrant. You don't have to do that in this case.
The Fourth Amendment to the United States Constitution provides:
The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.
The Wisconsin Constitution's search and seizure provision is "interpret[d] ... consistent[ly] with the United States Supreme Court's interpretation of the Fourth Amendment."
State v. Tullberg
,
The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects against unreasonable searches and seizures shall not be violated; and no warrant shall issue but upon probable cause, supported by oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched and the persons or things to be seized.
The installation and monitoring of the GPS tracking device on Pinder's vehicle constituted a Fourth Amendment "search."
United States v. Jones
,
The Warrant signed by the issuing judge on February 27, 2015, authorized the Mequon Police Department to install and monitor a GPS tracking device on Pinder's vehicle. On March 9, 2015, Detective Polishinski attached the device on Pinder's vehicle. Accordingly, the Warrant has prior judicial authorization from a neutral detached magistrate.
Pinder acknowledges as much, recognizing that "the facts of this present matter indicate essentially that the office was a room inside of the building."
"We suggest that the legislature address the constantly evolving nature of electronic incursions."
State v. Brereton
,
"Second, I echo my colleagues' requests,
see
Justice Ziegler's concurrence, ¶¶79, 84; Chief Justice Abrahamson's dissent, ¶126, that the Wisconsin legislature weigh in on this issue and enact legislation governing the proper procedures for issuing a warrant, executing that warrant, and other procedural concerns related to police searches using GPS, such as time limits and return on the warrant requirements."
State v. Sveum
,
Reference
- Full Case Name
- STATE of Wisconsin, Plaintiff-Respondent, v. Johnny K. PINDER, Defendant-Appellant.
- Cited By
- 15 cases
- Status
- Published