People v. Derry

392 N.E.2d 301, 73 Ill. App. 3d 721, 29 Ill. Dec. 744, 1979 Ill. App. LEXIS 2974
Appellate Court of Illinois·Decided June 26, 1979·No. 78-884·Published·Cited by 4 cases

Opinion

Mr. JUSTICE PERLIN

delivered the opinion of the court:

The State appeals an order of the circuit court of Cook County which sustained a motion to quash a search warrant and to suppress evidence seized pursuant thereto. The sole issue for review is whether the trial court erred in quashing the search warrant based on its finding that the affidavit in support of the warrant was not sufficient to establish the informant’s reliability.

We reverse.

On August 4, 1977, Stephen J. Miller, an agent of the Illinois Department of Law Enforcement, filed a complaint for a search warrant for the person of “Thomas Dault aka TOM” and the premises at 4623 Kenilworth, Apartment 306, Rolling Meadows, Illinois. His affidavit in support of the warrant provided as follows:

“On 8-3-77 at approximately 9 a.m. a confidential source of the Buffalo Grove Police Department, known as Joe Sly, did proceed to apartment 306 located at 4623 Kenilworth, Rolling Meadows, IL and did purchase, as an agent of the Buffalo Grove Police Department, approximately 45 small white double scored tablets for *12.50 U.S.C. from a subject known to the confidential source as Tom LNU who occupies said apartment. Tom LNU purported the said tablets to be amphetamine. Tom LNU stated to Sly that he (Tom) would be able to supply 10,000 identical tablets on 8-4-77. Tom LNU provided Sly with telephone number 394-8174 to enable Sly to contact him (Tom) for setting up another drug transaction. The 45 small tablets were delivered by Joe Sly to Officer Robert Quid, Buffalo Grove Police Department, who designated the said tablets exhibit 1. Quid performed a field drug test (Narcotics Identification System) on a sample of exhibit 1. The test was positive for amphetamine.
On 8-4-77 at approximately 9 a.m. Agent Miller, Illinois Department of Law Enforcement, established through the Illinois Bell Telephone Company (796-9600) that telephone #394-8174 is registered to Thomas Dault, 4623 Kenilworth, Rolling Meadows, IL.
On 8-4-77 at approximately 12:30 p.m. Joe Sly contacted Tom LNU at #394-8174 and confirmed that Tom LNU would have in his possession within his apartment at approximately 3:30 p.m. approximately 10,000 tablets of amphetamine which he would sell to Sly for .15$ per tablet. On 8-4-77 at approximately 3:45 p.m. Joe Sly, acting as an agent of the Illinois Department of Law Enforcement, the Buffalo Grove Police Department and Arlington Heights Police Department, did contact Tom LNU at #394-8174 in the presence of Agent Bertulis, Illinois Department of Law Enforcement. Tom LNU advised Sly that he (Tom) had received the shipment of 10,000 amphetamine and that the said quantity of drugs was in his possession within the above described apartment. Sly agreed to be at the said apartment at approximately 4:30 p.m. to purchase 1,000 tablets for *150.00 U.S.C.
On 8-4-77 at approximately 4:50 p.m., Joe Sly proceeded to said apartment after being strip-searched by Agent Miller and Bertulis. Sly had been furnished *150.00 U.S.C., prerecorded funds to make the purchase of 1,000 tablets. Sly was under surveillance by Agents of the Illinois Department of Law Enforcement and Officers of the above mentioned Police Departments before entering and after exiting said apartment. Sly returned to the company of Agent Miller and surrendered exhibit 2., one brown plastic bottle with white cap containing a quantity of approximately 1,000 white double scored tablets purported to be amphetamine. Sly reported the tablets had been purchased from Tom LNU in Apt. 306 located at 4623 Kenilworth, Rolling Meadows, II. The purchase was made for *100.00 U.S.A. pre-recorded money serial numbers *50.00 Serial #H 02105561A, *20 Serial #B 13884500B, *20 Serial #L 39699767C, *10 Serial #G 792915641D. Sly reported that while in the said apartment he observed a quantity of cmshed green plant material purported to be marijuana and weigh scales in plain open view on a picnic located in the dining room.
Tom LNU advised Sly that he had in his possession within the apartment an additional 9,000 tablets and to call as soon as possible to arrange the second state of the drug transaction which was to occur in a time limit of 2 hours.
Based on above facts and circumstances, Agent Stephen Miller now appears before Judge Fíala and requests a search warrant be issued to search 4623 Kenilworth, Apt. #306, Rolling Meadows, Illinois.”

Based on the affidavit, a warrant was issued to search Thomas Dault and the apartment. Following a search by police pursuant to the warrant, defendant Thomas Dault was arrested and charged with two counts of possession of cannabis (Ill. Rev. Stat. 1975, ch. 56½, pars. 704(d) and 704(e)), four counts of possession of a controlled substance (Ill. Rev. Stat. 1975, ch. 56½, pars. 1401(c), 1402(a) and 1402(b)), and unlawful possession of a firearm (Ill. Rev. Stat. 1975, ch. 38, par. 83—2(a)). Defendant, Frederick Derry, who according to the record on appeal also resided at the apartment in question, was arrested and charged with two counts of possession of cannabis and three counts of possession of a controlled substance.

On September 9,1977, defendants filed a motion to quash the search warrant and suppress any evidence seized at the apartment. The trial court sustained defendants’ motion based on its finding that the affidavit in support of the warrant contained no information to establish the reliability of the informant.

The State contends that the trial court erred in quashing the search warrant because the affidavit contained sufficient corroborating facts which established the informant’s reliability. The State cites the following allegations as corroboration of the informant’s information:

(1) On August 4, 1977, agent Miller verified through the Illinois Bell Telephone Company that the number supplied by the informant was registered to Thomas Dault at apartment 306, 4623 Kenilworth, Rolling Meadows, Illinois;
(2) At 3:45 p.m. on August 4,1977, the informant, in the presence of an agent of the Illinois Department of Law Enforcement, telephoned someone named “Tom” at the above mentioned apartment and was told that he could purchase 1000 amphetamine tablets at 4:30 p.m. that day at the said apartment; and
(3) At approximately 4:50 p.m. the informant was strip-searched by police and he and the affiant then proceeded to the said apartment possessing $150 in pre-recorded bills. The informant was under continuous surveillance by affiant before entering and after exiting the apartment. After informant returned from the apartment he surrendered to affiant 1000 white tablets purporting to be amphetamines, which informant claimed to have purchased in the apartment.

In Aguilar v. Texas (1964), 378 U.S. 108, 114, 12 L. Ed. 2d 723, 84 S. Ct. 1509, the United States Supreme Court announced the criteria for determining the sufficiency of an affidavit for a search warrant which is based on hearsay information supplied by an undisclosed informant.

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People v. Derry, 392 N.E.2d 301, 73 Ill. App. 3d 721, 29 Ill. Dec. 744, 1979 Ill. App. LEXIS 2974 (Ill. Ct. App. 1979).

392 N.E.2d 301 (People v. Derry) — published by Counsel Stack Legal Research, free access to 12M+ legal documents.

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