Lindsay v. Commonwealth

500 S.W.2d 786, 1973 Ky. LEXIS 261
CourtCourt of Appeals of Kentucky
DecidedOctober 26, 1973
StatusPublished
Cited by14 cases

This text of 500 S.W.2d 786 (Lindsay v. Commonwealth) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Kentucky primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Lindsay v. Commonwealth, 500 S.W.2d 786, 1973 Ky. LEXIS 261 (Ky. Ct. App. 1973).

Opinion

CATINNA, Commissioner.

John Lindsay was convicted of knowingly receiving stolen property and his punishment fixed at five years’ imprisonment. Upon this appeal he alleges three grounds of error: (1) The trial court erred in refusing to suppress the search warrant on the ground that it was issued without sufficient probable cause; (2) the trial court erred in admitting testimony concerning the seizure of ten cartons of cigarettes which were not mentioned in the search warrant; and (3) the trial court erred in refusing to direct a verdict of acquittal in favor of Lindsay on the ground that there was insufficient evidence to support a conviction.

The affidavit for search warrant which must provide the probable cause necessary to the issual of a search warrant reads as follows:

“The affiant, RUEL HOUCHENS, states that he has reasonable grounds to believe and does believe that stolen S & H green stamps are now in possession of JOHN LINDSAY, at Cave City, Barren County, Kentucky, on the following described premises:
Being a building located and situated on the West side of U.S. 31W in Cave City, Barren County, Kentucky, being the second, third and fourth building North of the intersection of U.S. 31W and Ky. 90, and being operated as a service station, truck stop, restaurant and motel, and known as Cave City Truck Stop, Highway 31W and Ky. 90; the service station building being the second building North of U. S. 31W and Ky. 90 and being a gasoline service station Phillips 66 products ; and the restaurant building being the third building North of the intersection of U.S. 31W and Ky. 90 and operated as a restaurant; and the motel building being the fourth building North of the intersection of U.S. 31W and Ky. 90, and in particular the first room thereof, located on the Southern side of said motel which is used as an office. All of which is in the possession or control of John Lindsay.
“The affiant further states that on September 13, 1972 between the hours of six o’clock and six thirty, a.m., in Glasgow, Barren County, Kentucky, while a truck owned and operated by Houchens Industries was parked in front of Richard’s Cafe, Glasgow, Kentucky, and containing a number of S & H green stamps which were numbered Series HT81, four rolls bearing Nos. 625 to 628; four rolls bearing Nos. 697 to 700; and four rolls bearing Nos. 621 to 624; and four rolls bearing Nos. 761 to 764, all of which were $5.00 denominations, and in addition thereto five rolls bearing series 37YN, Nos. 936 to 940; and five rolls bearing series 37YN, Nos. 931 to 935, being the property of Houchens Industries, Inc., were stolen from said truck.
“The affiant states that on October 6, 1972 at approximately 11:30 A.M., he purchased $7.50 in value of gasoline from the above mentioned service station and was given S & H green stamps se-[788]*788ríes 8T81-700 (sic), being one of the stamps in the series which were stolen. The person waiting on this affiant was a large, heavy set man, wearing a shirt with the name ‘Mike’.
“The affiant states that said above described stamps are now on said premises.”

The search warrant as issued listed the S & H green stamps and described the premises to be searched, which were identical to that in the affidavit. It also stated that the premises were in the possession and control of John Lindsay.

The search warrant was executed, and the sheriff’s return shows that there were found and taken into possession one roll of S & H green stamps, HT 81-627; another roll, HT 81-622; and ¾ of a roll, HT 81-700, the stamps being found at the Phillips 66 Service Station, as described. Although the return does not reflect the fact, there were also confiscated ten cartons of Lucky Strike cigarettes bearing Houchens’ cigarette tax number.

At the time of the search Lindsay delivered to the sheriff the part roll of green stamps, HT 81-700, from the service station cash register and the two full rolls, HT 81-622 and 627, from the station storage room.

We have some difficulty in following an argument that there was not probable cause for the search when an official of the company received one of the stolen stamps at the time he purchased gasoline from the service station operated and under the control of Lindsay. What better evidence could there be upon ,, which a judge might decide that there was probable cause to issue the search warrant? It is true that the stamp was delivered to Ruel Houchens by a man named “Mike,” a service station attendant, who was an employee under the control of Lindsay.

Probable cause for the issuance of a search warrant is a matter to be determined by a judge from a reading of the affidavit. In Berkshire v. Commonwealth, Ky., 471 S.W.2d 695 (1971), this court stated:

“ * * * The requirement is that the affiant must lay before the magistrate underlying facts and circumstances (not merely conclusionary statements of the ‘ultimate fact’) so that the magistrate may impartially form a judgment as to whether probable cause for a search exists.” Cf. Powell v. Commonwealth, Ky., 483 S.W.2d 158 (1972).

In Hopkins v. Commonwealth, Ky., 484 S.W.2d 863 (1971), we held that an affidavit to the effect that intoxicating liquor had been sold by a defendant’s wife satisfied the requirements of probable cause where the affidavit also stated that the alcoholic beverages were then on the premises of the defendant. For an even more remote situation where we upheld the existence of probable cause, see Edwards v. Commonwealth, Ky., 429 S.W.2d 859 (1968).

Day v. Commonwealth, Ky., 465 S.W.2d 304 (1971), cited by Lindsay, is not in point. In Day the affidavit was on a printed form which neglected to identify the contraband located on the described premises. Here the affidavit definitely identifies the subject of the search — S & H green stamps of a certain series and number. There was a plenitude of evidence of probable cause justifying the issuance of the Lindsay search warrant.

In the course of executing the search warrant, in the office used by Lindsay and his wife, the officers found a sack containing ten cartons of Lucky Strike cigarettes. It was testified that the sack was found under a man’s shirt near the office desk. Ruel Houchens identified the cigarettes as being from Houchens Industries, because each package was stamped with the cigarette tax stamp issued only to Houchens Industries. They did not come from one of the Houchens’ retail outlets as [789]*789the number of the outlet was not on the cartons. Lindsay denied any knowledge of the presence of the cigarettes in his office. His wife said that John Bullington, a truck driver for Houchens, left them at their place of business. Upon cross-examination, counsel for Lindsay elicited from Houchens the fact that Bullington had admitted he had taken ten cartons of cigarettes which he sold to “them” for $15. Houchens testified unequivocally at one point that he knew the cigarettes came from Houchens and that they were stolen.

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Bluebook (online)
500 S.W.2d 786, 1973 Ky. LEXIS 261, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/lindsay-v-commonwealth-kyctapp-1973.