Defendant had no standing or reasonable expectation of privacy in a stolen vehicle he took in a car jacking, and that includes a bag he carried to the car before the chase. United States v. Goldstein, 2012 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 189234 (D. Nev. October 26, 2012)*; United States v. Goldstein, 2013 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 137568 (D. Nev. September 25, 2013).*
The officer’s statement in support of the search warrant was false but not intentionally so. Even without it, there was probable cause for the search warrant so no suppression. United States v. Jimenez, 2013 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 136227 (D. Kan. September 24, 2013).*
Defendant’s vehicle had to be towed from the scene, and it was searched for inventory, validly finding a gun. United States v. Gibson, 2013 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 136692 (S.D. Ohio September 24, 2013).*
Defendant’s only argument on the search was asking the court to review whether there was PC for the warrant under the four corners of the affidavit. There was. United States v. Petruk, 2013 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 136622 (D. Minn. September 4, 2013).*
Defendant’s wife consented, and her revocation of consent came after firearms were found and seized, and revocation doesn’t stop seizure of that which was found. United States v. Assante, 979 F. Supp. 2d 756 (W.D. Ky. 2013).*
Posted inUncategorized|Comments Off on D.Nev.: No standing in items left in a carjacked SUV
The description of the place to be searched was slightly off, but the officer who prepared the affidavit was there and the right house was searched per the “four corners” of the affidavit. This is not a case where the wrong house was searched: there “was no reasonable probability that the officers would search any place other than the intended house.” Bonds v. State, 403 S.W.3d 867 (Tex. Crim. App. 2013), rev’g Bonds v. State, 355 S.W.3d 902 (Tex. App. – Fort Worth 2011).
One officer observed defendant committing a gross misdemeanor of loitering for drugs, and he radioed to another to make the arrest. The one arresting did not observed the crime, and the arrest was invalid under state law. State v. Ortega, 171 Wn.2d 116, 297 P.3d 57 (2013).*
Not signaling a left turn when already in a “left turn only” lane is still a traffic offense justifying a stop. Commonwealth v. Brown, 2013 PA Super 60, 64 A.3d 1101 (2013).*
Comments Off on TX: Description of house in SW was slightly off, but no reasonable likelihood wrong house was searched
There was probable cause for plaintiff’s arrest, so the police couldn’t be sued for false arrest. The police don’t have to put in the affidavit for arrest and search warrant everything in the investigation. Their unreasonable search claim of unnecessary destruction of property fails for not being specific enough. Badillo v. Stopko, 519 Fed. Appx. 100 (3d Cir. 2013):
The juvenile left the school grounds and went to his truck across the street and came back to the school. He was searched when he came back on the school grounds, and nothing was found. School officials then searched his truck across the street. That search exceeded their authority, and drug paraphernalia was found. The student’s 19 day suspension was reversed (already served) and ordered purged from his record. J.P. v. Mlllard Pub. Schs, 285 Neb. 890, 830 N.W.2d 453 (2013).
Defendant’s stop was not prolonged to get consent, particularly because defendant consented within about four minutes of the stop. Powell v. State, 2013 Ark. App. 322, 2013 Ark. App. LEXIS 335 (May 15, 2013).*
The district court disbelieved that defendant effectively withdrew his consent to search his computer for child pornography. The evidence supports that. United States v. Schaefer, 519 Fed. Appx. 71 (2d Cir. 2013).*
Comments Off on NE: Search of student’s truck across the street and off school grounds was unreasonable
The claim of inventory fails because of possible standing. The vehicle was impounded because it could not be determined who the owner was, and defendant had three names he was using. United States v. Akinlade, 519 Fed. Appx. 529 (11th Cir. 2013).*
Defendant validly consented to a search of his house. A consent is not involuntary just because the police tell the defendant that they will get a search warrant if he doesn’t consent when they have probable cause. United States v. Aguilar, 519 Fed. Appx. 541 (11th Cir. 2013).*
Defendant consented to a search of his truck [with no more findings of fact]. United States v. Molina, 2013 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 72160 (W.D. Tex. May 22, 2013).*
In this anticipatory search warrant case, the package of drugs was on a “sure course” to defendant’s hands [as used in pre-Grubbs] cases, and the triggering event was specified in the warrant, so the search is valid. United States v. Barnett, 2013 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 72365 (E.D. Mich. May 22, 2013).*
Comments Off on CA11: Impoundment proper where owner of vehicle was in question
Defendant’s intoxicated rocking back and forth did not give any reasonable justification or suspicion for a frisk. No words or hand movement suggested he was armed, so his handgun is suppressed. Robinson v. United States, 2013 D.C. App. LEXIS 643 (September 26, 2013):
“[W]e conclude that there existed such a nexus, which was created by law enforcement officers’ personal observation of the Defendant exiting and freely reentering the residence before and after the drug sale.” State v. Boone, 2013 Tenn. Crim. App. LEXIS 489 (June 10, 2013)* (concurrence).
Defendant denied ownership or a privacy interest in 40 boxes in a truck that were found to contain marijuana. He was held to have no standing as a mere bailee of the boxes, and the issue wasn’t appealed. “Defendant has not shown how [defense counsel] could have argued the issue differently, or that if he had done so, the result would have been different. Likewise, defendant has not shown that [defense counsel’s] performance was deficient for failing to raise the issue on appeal or that if she had done so, the result of the proceeding would have been different.” United States v. Robles, 2013 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 81736 (D. Kan. June 11, 2013).*
Defendant was a suspect in a home invasion and he fled to his apartment. Police had probable cause to arrest, and the entry in hot pursuit was valid. Ahmed v. State, 322 Ga. App. 154, 744 S.E.2d 345 (2013).*
Comments Off on TN: Defendant leaving his house to go to a drug sale was nexus for search of the house
Defendant was behaving bizarrely in jail, so he was examined in the mental health section of the jail. He had a much diminished expectation of privacy in those records. When he filed a NGBRI defense, he waived it all. There was no Fourth Amendment violation by getting the records. Armstead v. State, 293 Ga. 243, 744 S.E.2d 774 (2013).
The officers had reasonable suspicion the defendant was patronizing a prostitute when they approached his car and talked to him. He was still free to leave when he was talking to them. Holmes v. State, 293 Ga. 229, 744 S.E.2d 701 (2013).*
Defendant’s stop was based on a concededly valid window tint violation, so his subjective intent to find drugs was irrelevant. The trial court’s findings the stop was not stalled were supported by the record. Walker v. State, 2013 Ga. App. LEXIS 478 (June 12, 2013).*
The traffic stop here was valid, and consent was obtained during the normal time of the stop. Defense counsel was not ineffective because any other ground of a motion to suppress would have been futile. Betancourt v. State, 322 Ga. App. 201, 744 S.E.2d 419 (2013).*
Comments Off on GA: No reasonable expectation of privacy in jail mental health records
A search warrant for child pornography on the premises permitted a search of a digital camera found there. State v. Gurule, 2013-NMSC-025, 303 P.3d 838 (2013), revg State v. Gurule, 150 N.M. 49, 256 P.3d 992 (2011), posted here.
Defendant was clearly in custody for Fourth Amendment purposes, arrested on outstanding warrants, when he was interrogated without Mirandizing him. United States v. Andrade, 2013 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 84728 (D. Nev. May 3, 2013).*
Officers surveilling a drug house watched a car leave, and they pulled it over when traffic offenses were committed. The officer could immediately smell methamphetamine when the window was rolled down. That was probable cause to search the vehicle. Instead, the officer called a drug dog which took 50 minutes to get there. Because there was probable cause, the delay was not unreasonable. Westmoreland v. State, 322 Ga. App. 299, 744 S.E.2d 822 (2013).*
Comments Off on NM: SW for CP on the premises permitted a search of a digital camera
The FBI told defendant she might as well consent because New Hampshire Probation and Parole was going to order a search anyway (and did). Was this a reasonable mistake of fact that the good faith exception will overlook? Regretfully, an inadequate record was made on all of this, so the court orders a remand. United States v. Vázquez, 724 F.3d 15 (1st Cir. 2013):
An officer had a tip of a DUI driving on a resort parking lot, and he saw the driver go into a condo. He went to the door and said “I need to talk to the person that just ran in.” The entry was by consent. State v. Briggs, 257 Ore. App. 738, 307 P.3d 564 (2013):
A “bra lift” search at school without any individualized suspicion was unreasonable. The entire school was going through a shakedown for drugs. [The court also cites numerous cases disapproving of strip searches at school without individualized suspicion.] In re T.A.S., 713 S.E.2d 211 (N.C. App. 2011), Vacated by, Remanded by In re T.A.S., 366 N.C. 269, 732 S.E.2d 575 (2012):
Where the blanket search of the entire school lacked any individualized suspicion as to which students were responsible for the alleged infraction or any particularized reason to believe the contraband sought presented an imminent threat to school safety, the search of T.A.S.’s bra was constitutionally unreasonable and we reverse the trial court’s order denying her suppression motion.
. . .
While certain aspects of the search here may have been reasonable based on the general suspicion that pills were coming into the school—possibly by concealment in some students’ undergarments—the search of T.A.S.’s bra, without individualized grounds for suspecting that she had the pills on her person, was excessively intrusive. Once the search extended to such intimate places, the generalized suspicion upon which the trial court relied was no longer sufficient to justify the heightened intrusion. Thus, in light of T.L.O. and Redding, the search was not reasonable under the circumstances.
Comments Off on NC: “Bra lift” search at school without individized suspicion was unreasonable
The exclusionary rule does not apply to state termination proceedings, assuming a Fourth Amendment violation, which here there wasn’t. California Science Center v. State Personnel Bd., 218 Cal. App. 4th 1302, 160 Cal. Rptr. 3d 765 (2d Dist. 2013):
In seven consolidated cases, the court concluded that the blood draw in each case was reasonable under the Fourth Amendment. All the defendants chose to have a blood test. In each case, a police officer witnessed blood draws performed by a person the officer believed to be a trained phlebotomist or blood technician. None of the defendants exhibited any signs of pain or discomfort during the blood draw procedure; indeed, the testimony reflected these were routine blood draws consistent either with the officer’s own experience of having blood drawn or with the officer’s observation of other arrestee blood draws. Moreover, the testimony reflected the blood draws were conducted in a cooperative manner, utilizing needles from sealed packages and ensuring the blood extraction area was cleaned prior to inserting the needle and cleaned and bandaged after the blood was drawn. Under the totality of the circumstances presented, in each case the officer’s un-rebutted testimony showed the blood draw did not expose the defendant to an unjustified element of personal risk of infection or pain. People v. Cuevas, 218 Cal. App. 4th 1278, 160 Cal. Rptr. 3d 773 (1st Dist. 2013).
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"If it was easy, everybody would be doing it. It isn't, and they don't." —Me
"Life is not a matter of holding good cards, but of playing a poor hand well." –Josh Billings (pseudonym of Henry Wheeler Shaw), Josh Billings on Ice, and Other Things (1868) (erroneously attributed to Robert Louis Stevenson, among others)
“I am still learning.” —Domenico Giuntalodi (but misattributed to Michelangelo Buonarroti (common phrase throughout 1500's)).
"Love work; hate mastery over others; and avoid intimacy with the government."
—Shemaya, in the Thalmud
"It is a pleasant world we live in, sir, a very pleasant world. There are bad people in it, Mr. Richard, but if there were no bad people, there would be no good lawyers."
—Charles Dickens, “The Old Curiosity Shop ... With a Frontispiece. From a Painting by Geo. Cattermole, Etc.” 255 (1848)
"A system of law that not only makes certain conduct criminal, but also lays down rules for the conduct of the authorities, often becomes complex in its application to individual cases, and will from time to time produce imperfect results, especially if one's attention is confined to the particular case at bar. Some criminals do go free because of the necessity of keeping government and its servants in their place. That is one of the costs of having and enforcing a Bill of Rights. This country is built on the assumption that the cost is worth paying, and that in the long run we are all both freer and safer if the Constitution is strictly enforced." —Williams v. Nix, 700 F. 2d 1164, 1173 (8th Cir. 1983) (Richard Sheppard Arnold, J.), rev'd Nix v. Williams, 467 US. 431 (1984).
"The criminal goes free, if he must, but it is the law that sets him free. Nothing can destroy a government more quickly than its failure to observe its own laws, or worse, its disregard of the charter of its own existence." —Mapp v. Ohio, 367 U.S. 643, 659 (1961).
"Any costs the exclusionary rule are costs imposed directly by the Fourth Amendment."
—Yale Kamisar, 86 Mich.L.Rev. 1, 36 n. 151 (1987).
"There have been powerful hydraulic pressures throughout our history that bear heavily on the Court to water down constitutional guarantees and give the police the upper hand. That hydraulic pressure has probably never been greater than it is today." — Terry v. Ohio, 392 U.S. 1, 39 (1968) (Douglas, J., dissenting).
"The great end, for which men entered into society, was to secure their property." —Entick v. Carrington, 19 How.St.Tr. 1029, 1066, 95 Eng. Rep. 807 (C.P. 1765)
"It is a fair summary of history to say that the safeguards of liberty have frequently been forged in controversies involving not very nice people. And so, while we are concerned here with a shabby defrauder, we must deal with his case in the context of what are really the great themes expressed by the Fourth Amendment." —United States v. Rabinowitz, 339 U.S. 56, 69 (1950) (Frankfurter, J., dissenting)
"The course of true law pertaining to searches and seizures, as enunciated here, has not–to put it mildly–run smooth." —Chapman v. United States, 365 U.S. 610, 618 (1961) (Frankfurter, J., concurring).
"A search is a search, even if it happens to disclose nothing but the bottom of a turntable." —Arizona v. Hicks, 480 U.S. 321, 325 (1987)
"For the Fourth Amendment protects people, not places. What a person knowingly exposes to the public, even in his own home or office, is not a subject of Fourth Amendment protection. ... But what he seeks to preserve as private, even in an area accessible to the public, may be constitutionally protected." —Katz v. United States, 389 U.S. 347, 351 (1967)
“Experience should teach us to be most on guard to protect liberty when the Government’s purposes are beneficent. Men born to freedom are naturally alert to repel invasion of their liberty by evil-minded rulers. The greatest dangers to liberty lurk in insidious encroachment by men of zeal, well-meaning but without understanding.” —United States v. Olmstead, 277 U.S. 438, 479 (1925) (Brandeis, J., dissenting)
“Liberty—the freedom from unwarranted intrusion by government—is as easily lost through insistent nibbles by government officials who seek to do their jobs too well as by those whose purpose it is to oppress; the piranha can be as deadly as the shark.” —United States v. $124,570, 873 F.2d 1240, 1246 (9th Cir. 1989)
"You can't always get what you want / But if you try sometimes / You just might find / You get what you need." —Mick Jagger & Keith Richards, Let it Bleed (album, 1969)
"In Germany, they first came for the communists, and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a communist. Then they came for the Jews, and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a Jew. Then they came for the trade unionists, and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a trade unionist. Then they came for the Catholics and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a Catholic. Then they came for me–and by that time there was nobody left to speak up."
—Martin Niemöller (1945) [he served seven years in a concentration camp]
“Children grow up thinking the adult world is ordered, rational, fit for purpose. It’s crap. Becoming a man is realising that it’s all rotten. Realising how to celebrate that rottenness, that’s freedom.” – John le Carré, The Night Manager (1993), line by Richard Roper
"The point of the Fourth Amendment, which often is not grasped by zealous officers, is not that it denies law enforcement the support of the usual inferences which reasonable men draw from evidence. Its protection consists in requiring that those inferences be drawn by a neutral and detached magistrate instead of being judged by the officer engaged in the often competitive enterprise of ferreting out crime." —Johnson v. United States, 333 U.S. 10, 13-14 (1948)
The book was dedicated in the first (1982) and sixth (2025) editions to Justin William Hall (1975-2025). He was three when this project started in 1978.