Neuhoff v. State

708 N.E.2d 889, 1999 Ind. App. LEXIS 562, 1999 WL 223082
CourtIndiana Court of Appeals
DecidedApril 9, 1999
Docket82A01-9806-CR-213
StatusPublished
Cited by17 cases

This text of 708 N.E.2d 889 (Neuhoff v. State) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Indiana Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Neuhoff v. State, 708 N.E.2d 889, 1999 Ind. App. LEXIS 562, 1999 WL 223082 (Ind. Ct. App. 1999).

Opinions

OPINION

RUCKER, Judge

Appellant-Defendant David A. Neuhoff was charged with dealing in marijuana as a Class C felony. A jury found him guilty of the included offense of attempted dealing in marijuana, also a Class C felony. Neuhoff now appeals raising three issues for our review which we rephrase as: (1) did the trial court err in denying Neuhoffs motion to suppress the evidence, (2) was the trial court’s instruction on attempted dealing in marijuana erroneous, and (3) was the evidence sufficient to sustain the conviction.

We affirm.

On June 10,1997, postal inspectors in Texas intercepted a package being mailed from Brownsville, Texas to an address in Evansville, Indiana. The addressee was Robert Nelson. The inspectors were suspicious of the package because of its size, weight, and city of origin. Wfiien the package was presented to a drug sniffing dog in Texas, the dog alerted to the presence of drugs. The package was forwarded to Indiana and the Texas authorities notified Indiana postal inspector Steven Sadowitz. When the package arrived Sadowitz shook it and believed it contained narcotics. A trained dog from the Indianapolis Police Department sniffed the package and alerted to the presence of drugs. Thereafter Sadowitz sought and received a search warrant for the package, and as a result discovered therein over eleven pounds of marijuana.

Disguised as a mail earner, Sadowitz delivered the package to the Evansville address. [891]*891The only person present at the time was Michelle Brown who ultimately gave the inspector the names of her roommates: Har-monie Culbertson and David Neuhoff. Sa-dowitz placed the package inside the door of the apartment. With Brown’s cooperation, Sadowitz and a uniformed officer hid inside the apartment. When Neuhoff and Culbertson arrived, Neuhoff asked Brown when the package arrived and whether she had signed for it. Acting nervously and commenting that the police were watching, Neuhoff moved the package from its position inside the door and toward the middle of the room. Shortly thereafter Sadowitz and the uniformed officer revealed their presence and arrested both Neuhoff and Culbertson. The State charged Neuhoff with dealing in marijuana as a Class C felony. Prior to trial Neuhoff filed a motion to suppress which the trial court denied after a hearing. At trial the marijuana was introduced into evidence over Neuhoffs objection. Ultimately a jury convicted Neuhoff of the included offense of attempted dealing in marijuana as a Class C felony. This appeal followed.

I.

Neuhoff first contends the trial court erred in denying his motion to suppress because there was insufficient probable cause for the issuance of the search warrant. According to Neuhoff the only justification for authorizing the search was the alert by the two dogs. Continuing, Neuhoff argues the affidavit in support of the search warrant was deficient because it did not specify the dogs’ reliability as drug detectors.

We first observe that smell testing by a trained dog is not a search within the meaning of the Fourth Amendment. Kenner v. State, 703 N.E.2d.1122, 1125 (Ind.Ct.App.1999), reh’g denied; State v. Watkins, 515 N.E.2d 1152, 1154-55 (Ind.Ct.App.1987). Rather, the alert of a trained dog can provide the probable cause necessary to obtain a search warrant. Kenner, 703 N.E.2d at 1125. In this case we disagree with Neu-hoffs assertion that the probable cause affidavit was deficient because it did not specify the dogs’ reliability. It is true there was nothing in the affidavit concerning the reliability of the Texas drug sniffing dog. However that is not true concerning the Indiana drug sniffing dog. We find sufficient the affiant’s representation that the Indiana dog was recertified on June 6,1997, by the Indianapolis Police Department as a Narcotic Detective Canine; that the dog has participated in approximately 250 searches both in the field and in training situations; that the dog and its handler are certified yearly by the Indianapolis Police Department as a Dog Handler and Narcotics Canine team; and that the dog and its handler have received specialized training in the detection of the odor of marijuana, cocaine, heroin, and meth-amphetamines. R. at 279.

The smell testing by the Indiana dog was sufficient in itself to support the issuance of the search warrant. However there was additional information in the affidavit to justify the warrant in this case. The package contained several indicia enumerated in the drug smuggling profile utilized by postal inspectors in determining the suspiciousness of parcels sent through the United States mail. The profile contains the following elements: 1) the source city is known for its illegal drug trade; 2) the package is an unusual size and shape; and 3) the return addressee is fictitious. People v. May, 886 P.2d 280, 282 n. 2 (Colo.1994).1 In his affidavit supporting the issuance of a search warrant inspector Sa-dowitz represented that Brownsville, Texas, the package’s origin, “is a major source city for narcotics in the United States.” R. at 279. He also represented that the package’s size of twelve inches by twelve inches by thirteen inches and weight of sixteen pounds contributed to its suspicious character. Although the return address did not appear fictitious, the alleged sender, Anthony Page, could not be located at the return address. Based on these circumstances, the package [892]*892was removed from shipment for investigation.

Probable cause has never been capable of precise definition, and its existence is fact sensitive to each ease. Figert v. State, 686 N.E.2d 827, 830 (Ind.1997). When deciding whether to issue a search warrant, “[t]he task of the issuing magistrate is simply to make a practical, common sense decision whether, given all the circumstances set forth in the affidavit ... there is a fair probability that contraband or evidence of a crime will be found iñ a particular place.” Jaggers v. State, 687 N.E.2d 180, 181 (Ind.1997) (quoting Illinois v. Gates, 462 U.S. 213, 238, 103 S.Ct. 2317, 2332, 76 L.Ed.2d 527 (1983), tram, denied). On appeal we must decide whether there was a substantial basis for concluding the existence of probable cause. Figert, 686 N.E.2d at 830. “[S]ubstantial basis requires the reviewing court, with significant deference to the magistrate’s' determination, to focus on whether reasonable inferences drawn from the totality of the evidence support the determination” of probable cause. Houser v. State, 678 N.E.2d 95, 99 (Ind.1997). In the ease before us there was sufficient probable cause for the issuance of the search warrant. Accordingly the trial court did not err in denying Neuhoffs motion to suppress and entering the marijuana into evidence over Neuhoffs objection.

II.

Neuhoff next complains the trial court’s jury instruction on attempted dealing in marijuana was erroneous. The instruction dictates in pertinent part:

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

Jesse R. Bunnell v. State of Indiana
Indiana Court of Appeals, 2020
Jonah Long v. State of Indiana (mem. dec.)
Indiana Court of Appeals, 2018
Will Thomas v. State of Indiana
65 N.E.3d 1096 (Indiana Court of Appeals, 2016)
John F. Vandevanter, Jr. v. State of Indiana
Indiana Court of Appeals, 2014
State v. Hobbs
933 N.E.2d 1281 (Indiana Supreme Court, 2010)
Hoop v. State
909 N.E.2d 463 (Indiana Court of Appeals, 2009)
Collier v. State
846 N.E.2d 340 (Indiana Court of Appeals, 2006)
State v. Rabb
920 So. 2d 1175 (District Court of Appeal of Florida, 2006)
Rios v. State
762 N.E.2d 153 (Indiana Court of Appeals, 2002)
Prewitt v. State
761 N.E.2d 862 (Indiana Court of Appeals, 2002)
Murrell v. State
747 N.E.2d 567 (Indiana Court of Appeals, 2001)
Desloover v. State
734 N.E.2d 633 (Indiana Court of Appeals, 2000)
Carter v. State
734 N.E.2d 600 (Indiana Court of Appeals, 2000)
Neuhoff v. State
708 N.E.2d 889 (Indiana Court of Appeals, 1999)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
708 N.E.2d 889, 1999 Ind. App. LEXIS 562, 1999 WL 223082, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/neuhoff-v-state-indctapp-1999.