Gandreau v. United States

300 F. 21, 1924 U.S. App. LEXIS 2989
CourtCourt of Appeals for the First Circuit
DecidedJuly 15, 1924
DocketNo. 1722
StatusPublished
Cited by30 cases

This text of 300 F. 21 (Gandreau v. United States) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals for the First Circuit primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Gandreau v. United States, 300 F. 21, 1924 U.S. App. LEXIS 2989 (1st Cir. 1924).

Opinions

BINGHAM, Circuit Judge.

Under the warrant an entry was made and a search conducted at the saloon and cellar numbered 578 Social street, in said city of Woonsocket, on the 24th day of July, 1923, between 2 and 3 o’clock in the afternoon of that day, where a large quantity, of liquor containing one-half of 1 per cent, or more of alcohol by volume and fit for beverage purposes was found and seized. At the trial, and before any testimony was taken, the defendant moved that the evidence obtained under the search warrant be suppressed, assigning seven reasons wherein he claimed that the warrant was illegal. This motion was overruled and the defendant excepted.

During the trial Francis W. Pollard, a federal prohibition agent, who executed the warrant and made the return, testified with relation to the seizure, and, subject to the defendant’s exception, a bottle of beer seized at the time, shown to contain 5.18 per cent, of alcohol by volume, was put in evidence, the ground of the exception being that the warrant under which it was taken was invalid.

The particular grounds assigned for the invalidity of the search warrant were:

(1) That it authorized the search of the premises of no certain person.

(2) That it authorized the search of the premises of John Doe, and not of the defendant.

(3) That it did not attempt to describe the person whose premises were searched.

(4) That it did not state that the owner of the premises to be searched was unknown.

(5) That it was not directed to any particular officer to be served.

(6) That it authorized a search in the nighttime, without containing an affidavit that the affiant is positive that the goods to be seized are on the premises.

(7) That it was defective because it did not comply with the provisions of section 12 of the Espionage Act, title 11 (Comp. St. 1918, Comp. St. Ann. Supp. 1919. § 10496%/), in that the return did not show that a copy of the warrant together with a receipt for the property taken was given to the defendant.

Pollard also testified that he gave a copy of the warrant, together with a receipt for the liquor, containers, and property taken, to the [24]*24defendant. The defendant excepted to the receipt of this testimony on the grounds (1) that it was too late to amend the return on the warrant; and (2) because there was no evidence that the officer, at the time he testified, was a federal prohibition officer. It appeared that he was a federal prohibition officer at the time he served the warrant, but had ceased to be such at the time he testified. The court directed the return to be amended by adding the following:

“I, Francis W. Pollard, certify that I am the officer who on July 24, 1923, served the search warrant issued by Archibald O. Matteson, United States commissioner for said district, on July 20, 1923, for' the search of the saloon and cellar at 578 Social street in the city of Woonsocket in said district, on said premises.
“I further certify that a copy of the search warrant, together with a receipt for the property taken under said search warrant, was by me given to the person from whom the property was taken. Francis W. Pollard. .
“Subscribed and sworn to before me this eighth day of January, A. D. 1924.
“Wallace R. Chandler, Notary Public.”

The first four grounds of objection as to the validity of the warrant are in substance the same — that it does not state the name or describe the person who was the owner or in possession of the premises to be searched or that his name was unknown.

The Fourth Amendment to the 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.”

Title 11 of the Espionage Act (40 Stat. 228 [Comp. St. 1918, Comp. St. Ann. Supp. 1919, § 1049614a et seq.]), by section 25, title 2, of the National Prohibition Act (Comp. St. Ann. Supp. 1923, § 1013814m), is made a part of the latter act, and section 3 of title 11 (Comp. St. 1918, Comp. St. Ann. Supp. 1919, § 1049614c) provides:

“Sec. 3. A search warrant cannot be issued but upon probable cause, supported by affidavit, naming or describing the person and particularly describing the property and the place to be searched.”

The contention of the defendant is that, by reason of the provisions of section 3, it is essential that a search warrant, in addition to particularly describing the place to be searched and the property to bé seized, should also name or describe the owner or occupant of the premises to be searched or state that his name is unknown.

We, however, are of the opinion that Congress, in the enactment of section 3, simply restated the requirements for a search warrant made essential by the provisions of the Fourth Amendment to the. Constitution for the searching of persons or places, namely: That a search warrant should not issue (1) but upon probable cause; (2) supported by affidavit; (3) that if a person is to .be searched and property on his person seized, the person to be searched shall be named or described and the thing to be searched for and seized particularly described; and (4) that, if a place is to be searched, the place shall be particularly described as well as the thing there to be searched for and seized. Neither the statute nor the provisions of the Constitution un[25]*25dertake to state how or in what manner the place to be searched shall be particularly described, but it is evident that the description must be such as to enable the officer readily to find it.

Sections 6 and 10, title 11, of the Espionage Act (Comp. St. 1918, Comp. St. Ann. Supp. 1919, §§ 10496%f, 1049614D give support to this construction.

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Bluebook (online)
300 F. 21, 1924 U.S. App. LEXIS 2989, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/gandreau-v-united-states-ca1-1924.