Summary
In Stoermer this court found there was not a substantial basis for the issuance of the warrant to search the residence in question because the evidence did not provide a nexus between Knudson's drug use and the property searched.
Summary of this case from State v. KnudsonOpinion
No. 5-524 / 04-1154
Filed October 12, 2005
Appeal from the Iowa District Court for Clay County, Frank B. Nelson (motions to suppress) and Nancy Whittenburg (trial), Judges.
Douglas Stoermer appeals from the district court order overruling his motion to suppress. REVERSED AND REMANDED.
Stanley Munger of Munger, Reinschmidt Denne, L.L.P., Sioux City, and Clark Derrick of Kimerer and Derrick, P.C., Phoenix, Arizona, for appellant.
Thomas J. Miller, Attorney General, Karen Doland, Assistant Attorney General, Michael L. Zenor, County Attorney, and Kelly Kaufman, Assistant County Attorney, for appellee.
Heard by Sackett, C.J., and Mahan and Miller, JJ.
The defendant/appellant, Douglas Stoermer, appeals from the district court order overruling his motion to suppress. He contends the search warrant was issued without probable cause. On de novo review, we reverse and remand.
Factual background.
Michelle Knudson lived in a house with the defendant. A deputy sheriff stopped a van Knudson was driving about 2:30 in the morning after observing it cross the center line of the road two or three times. The deputy walked around the van and looked in the windows with his flashlight, but saw nothing suspicious. He did not think Knudson was suffering from any impairment caused by drugs or alcohol. The deputy asked if he could search the van. There is some dispute about the response. The deputy says he told Knudson he didn't need a warrant if she consented. Knudson says she asked if he needed a search warrant and the deputy responded he could get one but it would be faster if she consented. Knudson consented to the search, although she contends she didn't think she had a choice. The deputy asked Knudson to get out of the van and empty her pockets. About this time another officer arrived. As Knudson was taking her hand out of her front pocket, the second officer saw a brass pipe in her hand and seized it. It contained a small amount of residue the officers believed was marijuana. Knudson said she had not used it in the van, but didn't want to leave paraphernalia around the house. The search of the van revealed no drugs or other contraband, but the officers found several small butane torches. Accounts differ whether they found five or eight. Knudson said she used the torches in her craft business. The officers recognized the torches as the kind used by persons to smoke methamphetamine. The deputy asked Knudson for permission to search her house, but she refused. Knudson was arrested for possession of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia. She was not charged with the driving offense giving rise to the traffic stop.
The State then sought a search warrant to search the place Knudson lived. Although the police had some information the defendant may be involved with drugs, they did not have enough evidence about him to support probable cause for a search warrant. Based on Knudson having the pipe, but no drugs with her, the deputy sheriff reasoned she must have the drugs at her house. An assistant county attorney was contacted and a search warrant application prepared. The application sought to search for
The officer's affidavit in support of the application noted:
Stoermer has past weapon charges, past narcotic charges, and a copy of his criminal history is attached hereto.
Law enforcement intelligence has within the last 6 months received information that Doug Stoermer is buying and selling methamphetamine in large quantities. The house has cameras on its garage for surveillance that I have personally observed. Intelligence has also revealed that Stoermer may store drugs in an outbuilding.
marijuana, ledger books, books of account, scales, seal a meal machines, baggies or other packaging materials, paraphernalia used for the consumption and packaging of drugs or to contain the same, money, electronic devices to record telephone conversations, typewriter ribbons.
The search warrant gave permission to search for
marijuana, ledger books, books of account, scales, baggies or packaging materials used for the consumption of drugs, money, and electronic devices to record telephone conversations, and methamphetamine.
The search of the premises where Knudson and the defendant lived discovered drugs, paraphernalia, cash, scales, and items that could be used in packaging drugs. The State charged the defendant with possession of methamphetamine with intent to deliver and failure to affix a tax stamp. He filed motions to suppress the items found during the search, his statements made before he was given a Miranda warning, and items found because of any statements made.
District court proceedings.
In ruling on the motions to suppress, the district court noted the search warrant was sought "[o]n the basis of the marijuana pipe and surrounding allegations." The court distinguished the Knudson's circumstances from the allegations about Stoermer:
The court held a combined hearing on the motions to suppress filed by Knudson and by Stoermer and issued its ruling denying both defendants' motions.
In addition to alleging a strong belief that marijuana was present in the home, the affidavit supporting the application refers to allegations concerning Stoermer including past weapons charges, past narcotics charges, and alleged methamphetamine buying and selling. The allegations against Stoermer, of course, have nothing whatsoever to do with Ms. Knudson. Even if they are ignored, the fact is that Ms. Knudson had a marijuana pipe in her possession.
The court quoted at length from State v. Gogg, 561 N.W.2d 360, 363-64 (Iowa 1997) concerning the common sense review of a magistrate's decision probable cause existed to issue a warrant. It then concluded:
Here Ms. Knudson had a marijuana pipe in her possession. While she was not smoking the pipe when stopped, it is certainly common sense to conclude that she had smoked it in the past and that she must have access to marijuana. Access to marijuana most likely had to be through a source at her home.
Following the adverse ruling on his motions to suppress, Stoermer waived a jury trial and submitted his case to the district court on the minutes of evidence. The court found him guilty of possession of methamphetamine with intent to deliver, failure to affix tax stamps, and possession of marijuana. The court sentenced him to consecutive prison terms of up to ten, five, and one year on the convictions.
Scope of review.
Our review of a constitutional challenge to a search warrant is de novo. State v. Davis, 679 N.W.2d 651, 656 (Iowa 2004). We do not make an independent determination of probable cause, but determine whether the issuing judge had a substantial basis for concluding probable cause existed to issue the search warrant. State v. Green, 540 N.W.2d 649, 655 (Iowa 1995). Our inquiry is limited to the information, reduced to writing, that was actually presented to the issuing judge at the time the application for the warrant was made. Gogg, 561 N.W.2d at 363.
Analysis.
Timeliness of the motion to suppress.
The State first contends Stoermer's motion to suppress was untimely because he filed it more than forty days after his arraignment. See Iowa R. Crim. P. 2.11. Stoermer responds the State verbally agreed not to object to the late filing so that depositions could be taken before the motion was filed. The State did not object, and the district court ruled on the motions. We conclude the State waived this claim by failing to object. See DeVoss v. State, 648 N.W.2d 56, 63 (Iowa 2002).
Probable cause to support issuing the warrant.
Stoermer claims the district court erred in concluding probable cause supported issuing the warrant. The standard applied when reviewing the issuance of search warrants is well established:
The existence of probable cause to search a particular area depends on whether a person of reasonable prudence would believe that evidence of a crime might be located on the premises to be searched. The task of the judge issuing the search warrant is "to make a practical, common-sense decision whether, given all the circumstances set forth in the affidavit" presented to the judge, there is a fair probability that law enforcement authorities will find evidence of a crime at a particular place. A finding of probable cause depends on "a nexus between criminal activity, the things to be seized and the place to be searched." In making that determination, the judge may rely on reasonable, common-sense inferences from the information presented. Close questions are resolved in favor of the validation of the warrant. In reviewing the court's determination, we draw all reasonable inferences to support a court's finding of probable cause.
Davis, 679 N.W.2d at 656 (citations omitted).
The district court concluded that Knudson's access to marijuana "most likely had to be through a source at her home." Stoermer argues it is illogical to believe Knudson would keep the pipe with her to avoid leaving paraphernalia in the home, yet would leave the marijuana in her home. He argues the affidavit presented to the magistrate contains no evidence indicating Knudson stored the marijuana at the house. The district court relied on an inference that a person currently using marijuana would keep it in a place the person had access to, including the person's home or garage.
The nexus between the items to be seized and the place to be searched necessarily turns on "the type of crime, the nature of the items involved, the extent of the defendant's opportunity for concealment, and the normal inferences as to where the defendant would be likely to conceal the items." State v. Groff, 323 N.W.2d 204, 212 (Iowa 1982). Thus, in certain cases it is reasonable to infer evidence of crime will be found on a defendant's property.
For example, it is reasonable to infer that stolen property will be found at a defendant's residence. State v. Gathercole, 553 N.W.2d 569, 574 (Iowa 1996). Courts have been willing to reach such a conclusion in property-related cases, in part, "because stolen property is not inherently incriminating in the same way as narcotics and because it is usually not as readily concealable in other possible hiding places as a small stash of drugs." Id. (quoting Wayne R. LaFave, Search Seizure § 3.7(d), at 381-82 (3d ed. 1996)) ("LaFave"). In addition, a nexus often will be found between objects used in the commission of a crime, and a suspect's home:
[W]here the object of the search is a weapon used in the crime or clothing worn at the time of the crime, the inference that the items are at the offender's residence is especially compelling, at least in those cases where the perpetrator is unaware that the victim has been able to identify him to the police.
Id. (quoting LaFave § 3.7(d), at 384).
Under certain circumstances, it is reasonable to find a similar nexus between drug-related evidence and a person's property. Warrants to search a person's home or other property generally have been upheld when there is current evidence connecting drug use or drug possession directly to the property to be searched. See, e.g., State v. Padavich, 536 N.W.2d 743, 748 (Iowa 1995) (upholding warrant relying, in part, on the fact drugs and drug use by the defendant were observed at the location to be searched). However, warrants that have been upheld in the absence of such direct evidence were based upon applications indicating more than mere drug possession or use by the owner or possessor of the property to be searched.
For example, in State v. Godbersen, 493 N.W.2d 852, 855 (Iowa 1992), evidence that a person possessed a large quantity of drugs when apprehended led to a reasonable inference the person was involved in drug trafficking and evidence of trafficking, such as drugs, weighing and measuring devices, and packaging supplies would be found at the person's home. A similar result was reached in Groff, 323 N.W.2d at 212, where the warrant application to search the residence of a married couple relied primarily on the fact that a large patch of marijuana plants was located in a farm field in another county, which field was "owned" by the husband. The court noted the quantity of marijuana was indicative of a "large-scale" operation, the person growing the plants would require a location to process them, and the defendants' residence fit the criteria for such a place. Id.
In fact, the field was owned by the husband's father, and was only farmed by the husband. However, the court found the distinction to be "negligible," as the word "farms" would have created a greater nexus than the word "owns." Groff, 323 N.W.2d at 210.
Here, in contrast, the warrant application indicated only that Knudson possessed a marijuana pipe, but no marijuana. It also noted Knudson's statement she didn't want to leave paraphernalia at home. There was no evidence indicating Knudson was currently involved in manufacturing or distributing an illegal substance, or connecting her current drug use to her property. We are mindful of the deputy's opinion, "I strongly believe the marijuana is being kept at her home." While this opinion is a factor for our consideration, see Godbersen, 493 N.W.2d. at 856, we cannot conclude it provides a nexus between Knudson's drug use and the property searched. Knudson's drug consumption could have occurred in a number of places other than her home. Unlike manufacturing, consumption does not require a secure location, or for that matter any enclosed space. The mere fact that Knudson may have smoked marijuana, which is portable, concealable, and disposable, does not give rise to a reasonable inference that drugs and related items would be found in her residence and garage.
The State argues Knudson appeared defensive when asked for consent to search the house. She said the house was not hers and she was moving out. "[A] refusal to submit to a search may not, standing alone, constitute probable cause to believe an offense has been committed. . . ." State v. Green, 540 N.W.2d 649, 656 (Iowa 1995) (citing People ex rel. Roth v. Younger, 42 N.W.2d 120, 122 (Mich. 1950)). In Green the warrant was upheld, in part, because of Green's "extreme reaction" to the search request "when added to the other facts in this case." Id. There is no indication in the record of any extreme reaction by Knudson. We decline to place any weight on Knudson's denial.
The State also argues the information provided to the magistrate concerning Stoermer's criminal history, "law enforcement intelligence" about Stoermer's alleged buying and selling methamphetamine, and intelligence he "may" store drugs in an outbuilding support the magistrate's finding of probable cause. It is clear from the record that law enforcement personnel suspected Stoermer was involved with drugs. The State concedes the evidence available against Stoermer was not sufficient to support a search warrant for his property. The district court correctly indicated, "[t]he allegations against Stoermer, of course, have nothing whatsoever to do with Ms. Knudson." They do not provide a nexus between Knudson's drug use and the property searched.
To support the inference that drugs would be found on Knudson's property, there must be at least some evidence indicating her drug use is somehow linked to her property. Because there is not, we conclude there was no substantial basis for the issuing magistrate's probable cause finding. We therefore reverse the district court's ruling on the motions to suppress. The evidence seized pursuant to that search warrant is suppressed. Accordingly, we reverse Stoermer's convictions and sentences, and remand this matter for further proceedings not inconsistent with this opinion.
EVERSED AND REMANDED.
Mahan, J., concurs specially.
Pipe in car equals drugs in the house! I don't think so and do not believe the other factors in this case create a nexus.