People v. Gonzales

97 N.W.2d 16, 356 Mich. 247
CourtMichigan Supreme Court
DecidedJune 5, 1959
DocketDocket 47, Calendar 47,632
StatusPublished
Cited by129 cases

This text of 97 N.W.2d 16 (People v. Gonzales) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Michigan Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
People v. Gonzales, 97 N.W.2d 16, 356 Mich. 247 (Mich. 1959).

Opinions

Edwards, J.

This case poses 2 important questions. The first is: May police who stop an automobile on a Michigan highway to issue a traffic ticket also routinely search the automobile under Michigan law? We answer this question in the negative. The second is: Are certain amendments to the Michigan Constitution authorizing admission into evidence of concealed weapons, however seized outside the cur-tilage of a dwelling house, repugnant to the United States Constitution? Under controlling decisions of [251]*251the United States supreme court, we answer this question in the negative also.

Defendant Louis Gonzales was a passenger in an automobile driven by one Jose Leal on October 18, 1955, at 4 o’clock in the morning, in the vicinity of Flint, Michigan. The automobile in which defendant was riding was stopped by 2 Michigan State police officers, 1 of whom subsequently testified that their attention had been called to the car by the fact that it had only 1 headlight burning. State Trooper Samonek advised Leal of the defective light and told him a summons would, be issued for the violation. The trooper then took Leal back to the State police car and the summons was issued.

Subsequently Trooper Samonek went back to the car and asked the 2 occupants (1 of whom was defendant) to get out of the car so he “could check it.” Under the circumstances outlined, the police, of course, had no search warrant. Trooper Samonek then saw the butt of a pistol sticking out of the front seat, and picked it up.

Upon being questioned, defendant admitted ownership of the gun ánd, on a search of defendant’s person, the' officers found a .38 caliber cartridge in defendant’s pocket. Defendant had no permit to carry the weapon.

Trooper Samonek’s testimony indicated that “we always check cars quite thoroughly at that time,” apparently referring to the early hours of the morning. But he also testified pertaining to the issuance of the summons, “at that moment, we didn’t have any further suspicion.”-

Defendant was arrested and charged with a felony, carrying a concealed weapon. CL 1948 and CLS 1956, § 28.421 et seq., § 750.227 (Stat Ann and Stat Ann 1957 Cum Supp § 28.91 et seq., § 28.424). Prior to trial in Genesee county circuit court defendant filed a motion to suppress evidence, claiming that the [252]*252search and seizure of the weapon were unreasonable under the 4th amendment to the United States Constitution, and that the 1936 and 1952 amendments to article 2, § 10, of the Michigan Constitution (1908), authorizing admission of evidence seized in an unconstitutional search, were repugnant to the 4th and 14th amendments to the United States Constitution.

The trial judge granted the motion and the people sought, and were granted, leave to appeal. On original consideration of this case, this Court remanded for furnishing a factual record pertaining to the search. People v. Gonzales, 349 Mich 572.

This having been certified, leave to appeal was again granted. On resubmission of the case, in view of the serious nature of the questions involved, this Court requested briefs amici curiae from the attorney general of the State of Michigan and from the State Bar of Michigan. The 2 questions posed were (1) whether or not the search and seizure related were “unreasonable” in a constitutional sense; and (2) if so, whether or not the 1936 and 1952 amendments to article 2, § 10, of the Michigan Constitution (1908) were repugnant to the 4th. and 14th amendments to the United States Constitution. We acknowledge our debt for excellent briefs from the attorney general and from the civil liberties committee of the Michigan State Bar which have been of material assistance to the Court in resolving the problems concerned.

This case involved originally a misdemeanor for which 2 police officers stopped an automobile and issued the driver a traffic ticket. (See CLS 1956, § 257.683 [Stat Ann 1952 Rev § 9.2383].)

We are urged by the brief filed by the civil liberties committee of the Michigan State Bar to hold that the officer’s actions in relation to Leal did not constitute an arrest. Failure on the part of the officers to use words of arrest is cited to justify this position.

[253]*253The distinction, however, does not appear to us to he crucial since the officers saw the traffic violation and plainly had authority to arrest. CLS 1956, §§ 257.727, 257.728 (Stat Ann 1952 Rev and Stat Ann, 1955 Cum Supp §§ 9.2427, 9.2428).

American Jurisprudence defines “arrest” in these terms:

“An arrest is the taking, seizing, or detaining of the person of another, either by touching or putting: hands on him, or by any act which indicates an intention to take him into custody and subjects the person arrested to the actual control and will of the person making the arrest. The act relied upon as constituting an arrest must have been performed with the intent to effect an arrest and must have been so understood by the party arrested.” 4 Am Jur, Arrest, § 2

We prefer to examine this search on the assumption that the officers had made a lawful, if brief, arrest by stopping Leal and holding him until the summons was issued.

This does not, however, answer all our problems. A lawful arrest is not a necessary condition precedent to a lawful search and-seizure without warrant. Facts which indicate probable cause to believe a felony is being committed have many times been held to render “reasonable” within constitutional terms a search and seizure without warrant. People v. Licavoli, 245 Mich 202; People v. Miller, 245 Mich 115; People v. Orlando, 305 Mich 686; Scher v. United States, 305 US 251 (59 S Ct 174, 83 L ed.151); CL 1948, §764.15 (Stat Ann 1954 Rev § 28.874).

On the other hand, the fact of a lawful arrest does not, in our view, automatically render constitutional any contemporaneous search and seizure. The constitutional test is still whether or not under all the circumstances the search is “unreasonable.”

[254]*254“In general, the courts have recognized that officers who, as an incident to a lawful arrest, make a reasonable search of the premises of the person arrested for the means or instruments of the crime committed, may seize the instruments or means of committing another crime which that incidental search uncovers; at least that is true where the articles seized were of a contraband nature, the possession of which was illegal per se, or where another crime is discovered being committed in the presence of the officers.” 169 ALR 1419, 1420, 1421.

The question of whether or not there was a preceding lawful arrest bears upon the purpose of the search and, of course, in many instances does serve to justify it. Harris v. United States, 331 US 145 (67 S Ct 1098, 91 L ed 1399); People v. Cona, 180 Mich 641; People v. Conway, 225 Mich 152.

The United States supreme court has stated the applicable principles thus:

“The right without a search warrant contemporaneously to search persons lawfully arrested while committing crime and to search the place where the arrest is made in order to find and seize things connected with the crime as its fruits or as the means by which it was committed, as well as weapons and other things to effect an escape from custody, is not to be doubted.” Agnello v. United States,

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Bluebook (online)
97 N.W.2d 16, 356 Mich. 247, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/people-v-gonzales-mich-1959.