Bates v. State

1952 OK CR 163, 251 P.2d 810, 96 Okla. Crim. 202, 1952 Okla. Crim. App. LEXIS 249
Court of Criminal Appeals of Oklahoma·Decided December 17, 1952·No. A-11622·Published·Cited by 3 cases

Opinion

BRETT, P. J.

Plaintiff in error, Robert G. Bates, defendant below, was-charged by information in the common pleas court of Tulsa county, Oklahoma, with the offense of unlawful possession of intoxicating liquor, allegedly committed on or about the 3rd day of April, 1950. To this charge the defendant entered, his plea of not guilty. Thereafter he filed his motion to suppress the evidence, alleging that the same was obtained by an unlawful search and seizure. On September 5, 1950, the defendant waived a jury and consented to the trial of the case to the judge, Honorable Stanley C. Edmister. By stipulation it was agreed that the evidence on the motion to suppress might be considered as the evidence on the merits of the case. Upon hearing the evidence, the trial judge overruled the motion to . suppress, and thereafter, on May 29, 1950, adjudged the defendant guilty, fixing his punishment at 30 days in jail and a fine of $100, and entered judgment accordingly. The motion for new trial was overruled on June 1, 1950, and the appeal perfected herein, including briefs by the plaintiff in error and the state on August 14, 1952.

The decisive question necessary for determination of the issues herein is Did the trial court err in overruling the defendant’s motion to suppress the evidence? The evidence discloses that four officers, Whisenhunt, Roy Raines, Bell and Eloyd Jordan, were cruising around Tulsa on November 3, 1950. In their cruise, while driving north, they passed the defendant’s house located at 123-South 68th East Avenue. The defendant was a known bootlegger; his house was located on the east side of the street with a garage and driveway north of the house. The garage was located about 50 or 60 feet from the center of the street. The defendant’s automobile was parked near the garage but slightly north and off of the driveway. The automobile was headed east, and two of the officers testified was turned slightly at an angle to the south. Officers Eloyd Jordan and Roy Raines were the only officers to testify. It is interesting to note in this connection that Officer Whisenhunt who was supposed to have discovered the whiskey did not testify. Officer Eloyd Jordan testified that as they drove by the defendant’s residence and reached a point about even with -the south side of the defendant’s driveway, Officer Whisenhunt said, “There is some whiskey sticking out of Bob’s ear.” Officer Raines testified he believed it was AVhisenhunt who said, “Looks like some lugs of whiskey in there.” Erom where the officers placed their car when the remark about whiskey was made, we are of the belief it would have been impossible to have seen the packages, and if not, certainly impossible to identify them from that position and distance. Both Officers Jordan and Raines testified the right-hand door of the defendant’s car was wide open, and the whiskey was sitting on the front seat. Officer Jordan testified it was “right out on the edge, could have been a little farther out. We could see the front part of the lugs; yes”. He likewise testified he did not know it was whiskey, and repeatedly testified what he saw was wrapped in br'own paper. Notwithstanding, at one place he testified that he could see the necks of the bottles. Officer Raines likewise relied on the sight and remark of Officer Whisenhunt as hereinbefore set forth. He said after they backed up from where he was that from where they were parked he thought what he saw was whiskey. He admitted, however, he did not know it was whiskey. Officer Jordan testified that they drove into the driveway. On this point Officer Raines testified that they did not drive into the driveway but got out and walked into the driveway. Officer Jordan testified that the defendant was around the back painting some boxes and that he came to the front. When he appeared they asked the defendant Bates what he had in the car, whereupon the defendant asked if they had a search warrant, and he was informed *204 that they did not, to which the defendant he said replied, “Do you police have a right to come in here without a search warrant”. Officer Floyd testified that Whisenhunt said in reply to that, “We saw the whiskey from the street”. The whiskey was seized without a search warrant but the defendant, Bates, was not arrested. The officers removed the whiskey to the courthouse, and later filed charges against Bates and told him to report to them for the purpose of arrest.

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Bates v. State, 1952 OK CR 163, 251 P.2d 810, 96 Okla. Crim. 202, 1952 Okla. Crim. App. LEXIS 249 (Okla. Ct. App. 1952).

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