Edwards v. Cady

317 F. Supp. 670, 1970 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 9977
CourtDistrict Court, E.D. Wisconsin
DecidedOctober 6, 1970
DocketCiv. A. No. 69-C-464
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 317 F. Supp. 670 (Edwards v. Cady) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, E.D. Wisconsin primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Edwards v. Cady, 317 F. Supp. 670, 1970 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 9977 (E.D. Wis. 1970).

Opinion

OPINION AND ORDER

REYNOLDS, District Judge.

On October 7, 1969, Jesse J. C. Edwards, a prisoner at the Wisconsin State Prison at Waupun, petitioned this court for a writ of habeas corpus pursuant to § 2241, et seq., Title 28, United States Code of Laws. Because the petition raised substantial constitutional questions, a response was ordered from the defendant Elmer Cady on that same day, October 7, 1969. Attorney Steven R. Dubaek was appointed to represent the petitioner. A hearing was held on the petition on April 9, 1970.

On May 2, 1968, petitioner was convicted in the County Court of Milwaukee County, Wisconsin, of possession of a dangerous drug in violation of § 151.07, Wisconsin Statutes. Thereafter, on May 13, 1968, petitioner was sentenced by said court to an indeterminate term of not more than one year, such sentence to run consecutively to a sentence for an indeterminate term of not more than three years which was imposed by the Circuit Court of Milwaukee County, Wisconsin, on May 10, 1968, upon finding the petitioner guilty of armed robbery. It is the sentence imposed on May 13, 1968, for possession of a dangerous drug which is the subject of this petition for writ of habeas corpus.

FACTS

On Sunday night, July 2, 1967, the petitioner was at a tavern known as Monreal’s Lounge which is located at 16th and National Avenue in the City of Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

On this same evening in July 1967, officers Hanke and Stevens of the Milwaukee Police Department were on duty and riding in their patrol car in the City of Milwaukee. They received a call from police headquarters informing them that there was a man named Jesse Edwards at Monreal’s Lounge who was wanted on an outstanding arrest warrant for delivery of dangerous drugs. Officers Hanke and Stevens proceeded to [672]*672Monreal’s Lounge where, upon arriving, they asked the doorman if Jesse Edwards was present. The doorman directed the officers to the petitioner who was standing at the bar inside Monreal’s Lounge talking with a young woman.

The officers approached the petitioner and asked him to identify himself, stating that there was a warrant outstanding for a Jesse Edwards. The petitioner then produced identification indicating that he was Jesse Edwards. The officers then accompanied the petitioner outside where he was frisked for weapons. The frisk consisted of a pat-down of the petitioner’s outer clothing. No weapons were found during this limited search. The officers, together with the petitioner, then re-entered Monreal’s Lounge and one of the officers, officer Stevens, placed a call from a pay telephone to police headquarters. The purpose of the call was to obtain further information about the individual named in the warrant ; that is, to double-check and assure themselves that they had the right “Jesse Edwards.” Upon completion of the telephone call, the petitioner was placed under arrest, and a more detailed search of his person was conducted by officer Hanke. This new search consisted of searching the pockets of the petitioner’s clothing. Officer Hanke, upon searching the left trouser pocket of the petitioner, found two white pills which were taken from the petitioner. These pills were later to be the subject of an FBI laboratory report which served as the basis for the petitioner’s subsequent conviction for possession of a dangerous drug, which conviction he is challenging by this petition.

ISSUES

There are three principal issues in this case:

1. Was petitioner’s person searched incident to a valid and proper arrest, i. e., was there probable cause to arrest the petitioner?

2. If the petitioner was searched incident to a valid and proper arrest, was the search nonetheless in violation of the Fourth Amendment because of its scope ?

3. Has the petitioner adequately exhausted all possible state court remedies available to him?

The first issue is largely determined by the state of the evidence in the record which formed the basis of the preceding findings of facts. The second issue is the crux of the case and is discussed at length below. The third issue is not reached because of the conclusions with regard to the first two issues.

1. THE ARREST

The petitioner’s contentions with regard to the propriety of the arrest can be briefly stated as follows: Petitioner argues, in effect, that the officers did not receive a call detailing the existence of an outstanding warrant, naming the petitioner as the wanted man, in the patrol car before arriving at Monreal’s Lounge but, rather, received that information later upon telephoning police headquarters from Monreal’s Lounge. The petitioner further contends that he was searched during this telephone call placed by the officers from Monreal’s Lounge. Hence, the petitioner argues that at the time he was searched and the pills discovered, there was, at that time, no probable cause to arrest him and, therefore, the search was not incident to a valid arrest.

“Probable cause to arrest means evidence that would warrant a prudent and reasonable man (such as a magistrate, actual or hypothetical) in believing that a particular person has committed or is committing a crime.” Concurring opinion of Mr. Justice Harlan, Sibron v. New York, 392 U.S. 40, 75, 88 S.Ct. 1889, 1908, 20 L.Ed.2d 917 (1968).

The petitioner has failed to prove that the officers did not receive the call informing them of the outstanding arrest warrant before they arrived at Monreal’s Lounge. It is not disputed that there actually was such a warrant outstanding. Both officers testified un[673]*673der oath that they received such a call while riding in their patrol car. I find that having been informed prior to their arrival at Monreal’s Lounge of an outstanding arrest warrant naming the petitioner, the officers had probable cause to effect the arrest. The fact that the officers took an extra step to assure themselves that they had the right Jesse Edwards does not alter the existence of probable cause to arrest him before that call was made.

Petitioner’s further contentions with regard to the timing of the search, which also involve questions of fact, depend upon a conclusion that no probable cause existed at the time of the search. As indicated above, I find that the search took place after the conclusion of the telephone call made from Monreal’s Lounge. However, even were I to find that the petitioner had been searched during the telephone call made to double-check the petitioner’s identity, the search therefore occurring moments before his arrest rather than moments after, I do not believe such a finding would lead to a different result. The officers had probable cause to arrest the petitioner before placing the telephone call. “Even if the formal arrest was not made until after the search, the search will be upheld so long as there is probable cause for an arrest before the search is begun.” Bailey v. United States, 128 U.S.App.D.C. 354, 389 F.2d 305, 308 (1967). See also United States v. Skinner, 412 F.2d 98, 103 (8th Cir. 1969), and cases cited therein. Regardless of whether the petitioner was searched during or after the telephone call from Monreal’s Lounge, probable cause to arrest existed prior to, and independent of, the search. Hence, I find that petitioner was searched incident to a valid and proper arrest.

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Bluebook (online)
317 F. Supp. 670, 1970 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 9977, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/edwards-v-cady-wied-1970.