Heaslet v. State

74 S.W.3d 242, 77 Ark. App. 333, 2002 Ark. App. LEXIS 331
CourtCourt of Appeals of Arkansas
DecidedMay 15, 2002
DocketCA CR 01-230
StatusPublished
Cited by12 cases

This text of 74 S.W.3d 242 (Heaslet v. State) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Arkansas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Heaslet v. State, 74 S.W.3d 242, 77 Ark. App. 333, 2002 Ark. App. LEXIS 331 (Ark. Ct. App. 2002).

Opinion

Sam Bird, Judge.

Pursuant to Ark. R. Crim. P. 24.3(b), Charles Heaslet entered conditional guilty pleas in Lonoke County Circuit Court to charges of possession of methamphetamine, possession of drug paraphernalia, and conspiracy to manufacture methamphetamine in case number CR 99-543 and second-degree forgery in case number CR 99-554, after the trial court denied his motions to suppress the evidence found during the execution of two search warrants at his mobile home. On appeal, Heaslet argues that the trial court erred in: (1) denying his motion to suppress the evidence seized in CR 99-543 because the affidavit in support of the search warrant failed to provide a factual basis for authorizing a nighttime search; (2) denying his motion to suppress evidence seized in CR 99-543 because the trial court took improper judicial notice of the location and surroundings of his residence and violated the requirements of Ark. R. Crim. P. 13.2; (3) denying his motion to suppress evidence seized in CR 99-554 because the affidavit in support of the search warrant failed to provide sufficient facts to find probable cause. We agree that the trial court erred in refusing to suppress the evidence, and we reverse and remand.

On October 12, 1999, Deputy Steve Rich of the Lonoke County Sheriff s Office swore out an affidavit for a search warrant of Charles Heaslet’s residence. The warrant authorized a nighttime search, and the search was conducted on the same date the warrant was approved. As a result of the search, Heaslet was charged in CR 99-554-543 with conspiracy to manufacture a controlled substance, possession of drug paraphernalia, and possession of a controlled substance.

On November 10, 1999, Chief Brent Cole of the Carlisle Police Department swore out an affidavit for a second search warrant of Heaslet’s residence. After the warrant was issued and the search conducted, Heaslet was charged in CR 99-554-554, as a habitual offender, with five counts of forgery in the second degree.

1. CR 99-543

A. Nighttime Search

When this court reviews a trial court’s denial of a motion to suppress evidence, it makes an independent determination based on the totality of the circumstances, but will only reverse if the trial court’s decision was clearly against the preponderance of the evidence. Simmons v. State, 72 Ark. App. 238, 34 S.W.3d 768 (2000).

As a prerequisite to the issuance of a warrant for a nighttime search, the affidavit or other evidence presented in support thereof must set forth a factual basis that justifies a nighttime search. Langley v. State, 66 Ark. App. 311, 990 S.W.2d 575 (1999). Arkansas Rule of Criminal Procedure 13.2(c) provides that before a warrant authorizing a nighttime search is issued, the issuing judicial officer must have reasonable cause to believe that:

(i) the place to be searched is difficult of speedy access; or
(ii) the objects to be seized are in danger of imminent removal; or
(iii) the warrant can only be safely or successfully executed at nighttime or under circumstances the occurrence of which is difficult to predict with accuracy.

Our supreme court has invalidated nighttime search warrants when the evidence presented in support of the nighttime search lacked facts supporting one or more of these exigent circumstances. See, e.g., Fouse v. State, 337 Ark. 13, 989 S.W.2d 146 (1999); Richardson v. State, 314 Ark. 512, 863 S.W.2d 572 (1993); Garner v. State, 307 Ark. 353, 820 S.W.2d 446 (1991); State v. Martinez, 306 Ark. 353, 811 S.W.2d 319 (1991); Hall v. State, 302 Ark. 341, 789 S.W.2d 456 (1990); State v. Broadway, 269 Ark. 215, 599 S.W.2d 721 (1980). In Richardson v. State, supra, the supreme court stated:

We have consistently held that a factual basis supporting a nighttime search is required as a prerequisite to the issuance of a warrant authorizing a nighttime search. . . . We have held conclusory language . . . unsupported by facts is insufficient to justify a nighttime search. . . . Given that there was nothing to give reasonable cause to believe the items specified in the search warrant would be disposed of, removed, or hidden before the next morning, issuance of the nighttime search warrant was in error.

Id. at 518-19, 863 S.W.2d at 576. In State v. Broadway, 269 Ark. 215, 218, 599 S.W.2d 721, 723 (1980), the supreme court held that “[a]n affidavit should speak in factual and not mere con-clusory language. It is the function of the judicial officer, before whom the proceedings are held, to make an independent and neutral determination based upon facts, not conclusions, justifying an intrusion into one’s home.”

In this case, the officers merely checked off the conclusory statements to establish reasonable cause. It is obvious that the affidavit form was drafted to reflect the requirements for reasonable cause as set out in Rule 13.2 because the language is basically the same. However, there were no specific facts presented to show that the place to be searched was difficult of speedy access, that the objects to be seized were in danger of imminent removal, or that the warrant could only be safely or successfully executed at nighttime. The affidavit only contained three statements in addition to the three checked conclusory statements. These statements provided merely that confidential informants had stated that Heaslet was making methamphetamine.

In Garner v. State, supra, the judge issued a nighttime search warrant and checked two boxes on the warrant that stated: “the place to be searched is difficult of speedy access” and “the warrant can only be safely or successfully executed at night time or under circumstances the occurrence of which is difficult to predict with accuracy.” In reversing the trial court’s denial of appellant’s motion to suppress, the Garner court stated:

[Cjonclusory statements [do] not suffice to establish the requisite factual basis for reasonable cause. . . . We, therefore, hold that the two statements “checked” were conclusory and unsupported by sufficient facts and, accordingly, did not establish reasonable cause for a nighttime search. Without sufficient factual premises, it was impossible for the municipal judge to make an intelligent finding of reasonable cause to justify a nighttime search.

Id. at 357-58, 820 S.W.2d at 449.

It is our duty as a reviewing court to ensure that the magistrate had a substantial basis for concluding that probable cause existed. U.S. Const. amend. IV; Yancey v. State, 345 Ark.

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Bluebook (online)
74 S.W.3d 242, 77 Ark. App. 333, 2002 Ark. App. LEXIS 331, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/heaslet-v-state-arkctapp-2002.