Griffith v. State

386 So. 2d 771
CourtCourt of Criminal Appeals of Alabama
DecidedMay 27, 1980
StatusPublished
Cited by6 cases

This text of 386 So. 2d 771 (Griffith v. State) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Criminal Appeals of Alabama primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Griffith v. State, 386 So. 2d 771 (Ala. Ct. App. 1980).

Opinion

386 So.2d 771 (1980)

Harvey Leroy GRIFFITH
v.
STATE.

4 Div. 734.

Court of Criminal Appeals of Alabama.

May 27, 1980.
Rehearing Denied June 17, 1980.

C. H. Espy, Jr., Dothan, for appellant.

Charles A. Graddick, Atty. Gen., and Sarah Kathryn Farnell, Asst. Atty. Gen., for appellee.

HARRIS, Presiding Judge.

Appellant was indicted and put to trial for the possession of marijuana. He was convicted and sentenced to ten years in the penitentiary. He was represented at all stages of the proceedings in the court below, and on this appeal, by counsel of his choice.

The evidence presented by the State at trial tended to prove that a search warrant was served upon appellant at his residence and subsequently about one-half pound of marijuana was found in the house and about thirty pounds of marijuana were found in his pickup parked in the driveway. Appellant did not testify during the case in chief nor did he present any evidence in his behalf.

The sole issue presented on this appeal concerns the trial court's refusal to suppress the evidence seized from the appellant's truck. He contends that the trial court's failure to suppress this evidence prevented him from arguing to the jury that the smaller amount of marijuana found in his residence was for his personal use.

The warrant in question was obtained after Charles Blount, an ABC Board enforcement agent, received information by telephone from a reliable informer that the appellant had marijuana in his possession at his residence, 1006 Southland Drive, Dothan. The informer conveyed this information to Blount on October 28, 1978, after the informer visited the appellant's residence on that same day. The informer also told Blount that the appellant was supposed to go after another load of marijuana.

After receiving this information Blount and Deputy Sheriff Leroy Wood watched appellant's house from about 10:00 p. m., Saturday, until about 7:00 a. m., Sunday, October 29, 1978. Their main observation *772 post was the ball field at Rip Hewes Stadium, about 200 yards from appellant's residence. Just before daylight a 1978 GMC Sierra Classic pickup pulled in the driveway. Two people, fitting the general description of those allegedly in possession of the marijuana, got out of the truck and entered the house. Around 6:00 or 6:30, Blount left Wood to continue the surveillance while he went to District Court Judge Billy Sheffield to obtain a search warrant.

Blount swore to an affidavit which states:

"Before me Billy J. Sheffield a Judge of the District Court, Houston County personally appeared Charles Blount
who, being duly sworn, deposes and says that he has probable cause to believe and does believe that Harvey Griffith, whose name is to affiant otherwise unknown, has in his possession marijuana, contrary to the law at his residence located at 1006 Southland Drive, Dothan, Houston County, Alabama. Affiant's probable cause for believing the above is as follows: a reliable informer personally told affiant that he was at the above described residence within the past 36 hours and on that occasion personally saw Harvey Griffith, whose name is to affiant otherwise unknown, in possession of marijuana at that residence. Affiant states that this informer is reliable and has given affiant information about drug law violations within the past 6 months which proved to be true and upon which arrests and convictions have been had. Affiant further states that this informer has never given him false information."

The judge duly considered the information contained in the affidavit and issued the following search warrant:

"TO THE SHERIFF OR ANY CONSTABLE OF SAID COUNTY
"Proof by affidavit having this day been made before me by Charles Blount
that he has probable cause to believe and does believe that Harvey Griffith, whose name is otherwise unknown, has in his possession marijuana, contrary to law, at his residence located at 1006 Southland Drive, Dothan.
"You are therefore commanded, in daylight only to make immediate search on the person of Harvey Griffith, whose name is otherwise unknown in and upon the above described premises for the following property:
marijuana
and if you find the same or any part thereof to bring it forthwith before me, at my office at the Houston County Courthouse, Dothan, Alabama."

While obtaining this warrant, Blount called his supervisor, Inspector Kenneth Cherry, and ABC Agent James Lecroy, to inform them of the impending search and to request their assistance.

Blount met the others at the residence and at 7:00 a. m. Deputy Sheriff Wood knocked on the door and was admitted in the house. Upon the officer's entry and search of the residence, about one-half pound of marijuana was found. While the others were inside Blount went to the truck and looked through the rear window of the campershell. From this vantage he stated he could smell the aroma of marijuana. Blount saw, through the window, a dark plastic garbage bag tied at the top. He went inside and obtained the keys from the defendant who owned the truck. When Blount unlocked the campershell and removed the bag he discovered that the bundle was actually two garbage bags, one inside the other, filled with a number of Ziploc plastic bags containing a total of 30.16 pounds of marijuana.

Appellant contends that the trial court committed reversible error by denying his motion to suppress evidence of this large amount of marijuana found in the truck. He contends that the trial court should have suppressed this evidence for two reasons.

Appellant contends:

"The instant search warrant was based upon an affidavit describing the place to be searched as a residence; and said affidavit did not request authorization to search beyond the four walls of the residence. Any authorization in the actual *773 search warrant which permitted the search beyond the residence was invalid as having been an attempt to provide more authorization than was requested by the affiant."

Appellant contends that the word "residence" used in the affidavit means "dwelling" and therefore

"... Officer Blount did not specifically request a search warrant for the premises described as 1006 Southland Drive, Dothan, Alabama, but the residence or dwelling house located there, and the search warrant issued on this affidavit, if held to be valid, only authorized the search of the residence or dwelling house. It did not authorize the search of the yard, the premises, the curtilage or any vehicle situated near this residence."

Appellant relies on a 1924 Mississippi case, Taylor v. State, 134 Miss. 110, 98 So. 459, and he quotes to this court the language which appears on page 460.

"The officers had no right to search any place except that described in the search warrant. In this case both the affidavit and warrant expressly limited the place to be searched to the building occupied by the defendant as a residence. This description does not include the grounds nor the outhouses on the premises."

This case is not sufficient, persuasive authority because the language in the Mississippi warrant is different from that in the instant case. In Taylor the search warrant authorized the search "of a building occupied by Joe Taylor as a residence." When the warrant was executed contraband was found in the house.

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Stubblefield v. State
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Bluebook (online)
386 So. 2d 771, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/griffith-v-state-alacrimapp-1980.