Keith v. State

1925 OK CR 228, 235 P. 631, 30 Okla. Crim. 168, 1925 Okla. Crim. App. LEXIS 232
Court of Criminal Appeals of Oklahoma·Decided April 25, 1925·No. No. A-4358.·Published·Cited by 73 cases

Opinion

DOYLE, J.

Appellant, Charles Keith, was convicted under an information charging that he unlawfully transported and conveyed intoxicating liquor from some point within Canadian county unknown to the lobby of the Southern Hotel, in the city of El Reno, and his punishment fixed at confinement in the county jail for 30 days and a fine of $100. To reverse the judgment rendered on the verdict, he appeals and alleges that the trial court erred in overruling his motions to suppress and to exclude from the consideration of the jury certain evidence obtained by an unlawful .search of his person.

The undisputed facts are that about 10 o’clock in the evening of the day alleged, two policemen entered the *170 lobby of the Southern Hotel; approaching the defendant who was sitting in a chair, one seized his hands and held him while the other searched him, taking from his person a bottle of whisky. Hei was arrested, and this prosecution followed:

Before, the commencement of the trial, counsel made a motion to suppress all of the evidence! which the state seeks to use, on the grounds that it had been obtained by means of an unlawful search of the person of the defendant, and was an unreasonable search and seizure, made in violation of the constitutional rights of the defendant. The prosecution admitted that the search was made without a search warrant and without a warrant for thei arrest of the defendant. The motion was overruled. During thé trial the question was saved for review by timely objections and exceptions.

F. V. Pierce testified that he saw the defendant on the street near the Southern Hotel, and about 80 minutes later saw him from the outside sitting in a chair in the lobby of the hotel, then he called Officer Culp, and they entered the lobby, and while he held the defendant’s hands Officer Culp took a bottle of whisky from his person.

A. W. Culp testified that the defendant was sitting in a chair talking to Mr. Howard, and he could see the print of a bottle in his pocket; when Officer Piercei grabbed his hands he took the bottle out of the defendant’s coat pocket, and it contained whisky. The bottle and its contents were introduced in evidence.

O. R. Howard testified that he was a merchant and had been sitting in a chair talking to the defendant for about 15 minutes when Officer Pierce came in and grabbed his hands, saying, “I am going to search you.” That he had not seen any whisky on the defendant.

At the close of the state’s evidence the defendant made *171 a motion to strike all the evidence, whether by way of exhibit of by testimony, obtained by reason of the search and to withdraw thei same from the consideration of the jury, on the ground that the search was made in violation of his constitutional rights. The motion was overruled. He then moved for a directed verdict on the ground that the statei had failed to establish facts sufficient to constitute a public offense. This was also overruled.

The constitutional provisions particularly relied upon by defendant are as follows:

“No person shall be compelled to give evidence which will tend to incriminate him, except as in this Constitution specifically provided.” Const, art. 2, § 21.
“The right of the people to be securei in their persons, houses, papers, and effects against unreasonable searches or seizures shall not be violated.” Const, art. 2, § 30.

Section 21 corresponds in substance with article 5, and section 30 is identical with article 4, respectively, of the amendments to thei Constitution of the United States.

It is well settled that the Fourth and the Fifth Amendments. to the Constitution of thei United States, apply only to the United States and can only be invoked as against the activities of the agencies of the federal government.

The federal courts hold that evidence, unlawfully obtained by the representatives of the government from the person, or the home, or the office of one suspected of crime, though obtained without force and coercion, is in violation of the Fourth Amendment of the federal Constitution, and that the admission of such evidence over objection would be in violation of thei Fifth Amendment; thus compelling the accused in effect to testify against himself. Boyd v. U. S., 116 U. S. 619, 6 S. Ct. 524, 29 L. Ed. 746; Amos v. U. S., 255 U. S. 313, 41 S. Ct. 266, 658 Ed. 654; Gouled v. U. S., 255 U. S. 298, 41 S. Ct. 261, 65 L. Ed. 647; McKnight v. U. S., 115 F. 972, 54 C. C. A. 358.

*172 Provisions substantially the same as the quoted provisions of our Constitution are found in the Constitutions of all the states. Thei state courts, generally, construe the provisions of section 30 as forbidding a search without a warrant, except when made as an incident to a lawful arrest. A person lawfully arrested may as an incident thereto be searched and articles found in his possession which are the subject of crime, or the means of committing it, or which may be of use as evidence at the trial, or which may be used in committing violence or in effecting an escape, may be seized. 2 R. C. L. 467; 5 C. J. 434.

In the cases in which a person may be lawfully arrested without a warrant, he may also be lawfully searched without a warrant..

The statute provides:

“A peace officer may, without a warrant arrest a person :
“First. For a public offense, committed or attempted in his presence.
“Second. When the person arrested has committed a felony, although not in his presence.
“Third. When a felony has in fact been committed, and he has reasonable cause for believing the person arrested to have committed it.
“Fourth. On a charge, made upon reasonable cause, of the commission of a felony by the party arrested.” Section 2471, C. S. 1921.

The offense charged against the defendant is punishable only by a fine and imprisonment in the county jail, and therefore is not a felony under our statute. Section 1503. Consequently the officers could not lawfully arrest him therefor without a warrant, unless the offense was committed or attempted in their presence.

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Keith v. State, 1925 OK CR 228, 235 P. 631, 30 Okla. Crim. 168, 1925 Okla. Crim. App. LEXIS 232 (Okla. Ct. App. 1925).

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