Oscar John Huguez v. United States

406 F.2d 366
CourtCourt of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
DecidedFebruary 12, 1969
Docket21518
StatusPublished
Cited by56 cases

This text of 406 F.2d 366 (Oscar John Huguez v. United States) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Oscar John Huguez v. United States, 406 F.2d 366 (9th Cir. 1969).

Opinions

HAUK, District Judge:

Here raised in this appeal is an issue which is coming before this and other Federal Appellate Courts with increasing frequency- — the validity and constitutionality of border searches conducted without a search warrant by forcible and intrusive invasion of an intimate human body cavity. In this case the appellant’s rectum was searched by forcible digital insertion and manipulation in locating and extracting four narcotic packets which were seized and introduced in evidence at appellant’s trial.

This issue necessarily raises the questions of “reasonableness” of the search and seizure under the Fourth Amendment to the United States Constitution1 and [368]*368the permissibility of the techniques used under the “due process” clause of the Fifth Amendment.2

Appellant Huguez (with a codefendant alleged to have aided and abetted him) was charged in two counts of a four-count indictment with knowingly importing four ounces of heroin into the United States from Mexico, and with concealing and transporting it in violation of 21 U.S.C. § 174.3 The third and fourth counts, charging the codefendant and appellant respectively with failing to register as narcotics addicts or users upon entry into the United States, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1407,4 were both dismissed upon motion of the Government.5

On the day of trial in the District Court, Southern District of California, May 26, 1966, appellant filed a motion to suppress the use of the heroin in evidence, pursuant to Rule 41(e), Fed.R.Crim.P., supporting it with his affidavit [369]*369and claiming that the heroin was inadmissible because:6

(a) It was seized without a search ' warrant;
(b) The heroin was seized in an “unreasonable” search which was constitutionally invalid; and
(c) The heroin was obtained by the use of methods and techniques violative of “due process”.

This motion was impliedly overruled throughout the trial when the Court permitted the introduction of the heroin into evidence and at the end of the trial was formally denied.7

After the non jury trial, the appellant was found guilty of the offenses charged in the first two counts; the Government agreed to and later did dismiss count three as to the codefendant,8 and count four as to appellant.9

A seven-year sentence was then imposed upon appellant on each of the two counts, to be served concurrently.

Jurisdiction below rested on 18 U.S.C. §§ 140710 and 3231,11 and 21 U.S.C. § 174.12 Our jurisdiction is established by 28 U.S.C. §§ 129113 and 1294.14

The substantive error urged on this appeal is the denial of the motion to suppress and the subsequent admission into evidence of the four ounces of heroin seized in the intrusive search of appellant’s rectum. We find that the specification of error is well taken because readily apparent upon close analysis of the facts contained in the record, considering the evidence in the light most favorable to the Government, as we are obliged to do, and disregarding only such testimony as shown by the whole record to be palpably unworthy of belief.

A careful reading of the Transcript of Record in this case leads us chronologically and inevitably to a four-step summary of what occurred from the beginning of the border crossing through the naked strip and skin search on to the final forcible intrusion of the rectal cavity:

1. The border crossing and initial detention by Inspector Teela;
2. The secondary area examination and strip and skin search by Inspectors Teela and Lasher;
3. The forcible and intrusive rectal cavity invasion by Dr. Salerno and the three customs agents — Gates, Maxcy and Spohr.
4. The absence of any emergency or compelling urgency.

[370]*370I. THE FACTS

1. The Border Crossing and Initial Detention by Inspector Teela.

At 8:50 p. m. on the evening of May 13, 1966, appellant Huguez and a companion, codefendant Baros, attempted to enter the United States at the San Ysidro border crossing, San Diego County, California, after traveling by automobile from Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico.15 At the primary inspection point, Customs Inspector Thomas N. Teela approached the automobile and engaged the two men in routine border questioning.16

Huguez responded to the questions by stating that he was 'a citizen of the United States, had been born in Los Angeles, California, and was bringing in some mascara which he had purchased for his wife in Mexico.17 He declared this merchandise but did not declare any narcotics, nor did he register as a narcotic addict or user under 18 U.S.C. § 1407,18 nor did he present any registration certificate as required by this statute.19

Nonetheless, Inspector Teela became “somewhat suspicious” that the two men were under the influence of narcotics when he observed, with the aid of the fluorescent lighting in the inspection area and a flashlight which he focused upon the men during the inquiry, that their eyes appeared to be “glassy and pinpointed”.20

During the trial, Inspector Teela admitted on cross examination that, since he had not seen either of the men on any previous occasion and was not trained or experienced in medical matters, he had “no way of knowing” the normal size of their pupils nor the reflective effect that fluorescent lighting and flashlights would have upon their eyes.21 On this basis Teela reached the conclusion that appellant and codefendant Baros were under the influence of narcotics, and thereupon entered the passenger side of the automobile and directed the suspects to proceed to the secondary area.22

2. The Secondary Area Examination and Strip and Skin Search by Inspectors Teela and Lasher.

Inspector Teela escorted the suspects to the secondary area where the windowless search rooms are located, and after entering one of the rooms Huguez was instructed to take off his clothes.23 With the assistance of Supervisor Inspector Lasher, Teela then conducted a personal clothing and skin search of the' naked Huguez and later of the codefendant Baros.

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

Related

Young v. Gila Reg'l Med. Ctr.
2021 NMCA 042 (New Mexico Court of Appeals, 2020)
United States v. Anzalone
923 F.3d 1 (First Circuit, 2019)
Mara v. Rilling
921 F.3d 48 (Second Circuit, 2019)
Gloria Bustillos v. El Paso County Hospital Dist
891 F.3d 214 (Fifth Circuit, 2018)
Clifford George v. Thomas Edholm
752 F.3d 1206 (Ninth Circuit, 2014)
Miller v. IDAHO STATE PATROL
252 P.3d 1274 (Idaho Supreme Court, 2011)
McGee v. State
105 S.W.3d 609 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Texas, 2003)
United States v. Isabel Rodriguez De Varon
175 F.3d 930 (Eleventh Circuit, 1999)
United States v. De Varon
136 F.3d 740 (Eleventh Circuit, 1998)
In Re Cincinnati Radiation Litigation
874 F. Supp. 796 (S.D. Ohio, 1995)
United States v. Elizabeth Gonzalez-Rincon
36 F.3d 859 (Ninth Circuit, 1994)
DaVee v. Mathis
812 S.W.2d 816 (Missouri Court of Appeals, 1991)
United States v. Edward Chin
934 F.2d 393 (Second Circuit, 1991)
Washington v. United States
594 A.2d 1050 (District of Columbia Court of Appeals, 1991)
Jones v. Edwards
770 F.2d 739 (Eighth Circuit, 1985)
Mary Beth G. v. City of Chicago
723 F.2d 1263 (Seventh Circuit, 1983)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
406 F.2d 366, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/oscar-john-huguez-v-united-states-ca9-1969.