People v. Hale

242 A.D.2d 112, 673 N.Y.S.2d 700, 1998 N.Y. App. Div. LEXIS 6059
CourtAppellate Division of the Supreme Court of the State of New York
DecidedMay 26, 1998
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 242 A.D.2d 112 (People v. Hale) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of the State of New York primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
People v. Hale, 242 A.D.2d 112, 673 N.Y.S.2d 700, 1998 N.Y. App. Div. LEXIS 6059 (N.Y. Ct. App. 1998).

Opinion

OPINION OF THE COURT

Goldstein, J.

At issue here is whether a condition of the defendant’s sentence of probation on a prior conviction, which authorized the warrantless search of the defendant’s “place of abode”, violated the defendant’s constitutional or statutory rights. We hold that it did not.

Upon his conviction of criminally negligent homicide and violating Navigation Law § 49-a (2), the defendant was sentenced on March 5, 1996 to five years’ probation with alcohol and narcotics conditions, pursuant to a negotiated plea agree[114]*114ment. These additional conditions of probation included, in pertinent part:

“(b) That you permit search of your vehicle and place of abode where such place of abode is legally under your control, and seizure of any narcotic implements and/or illegal drugs found, such search to be conducted by a Probation Officer or a Probation Officer and his agent.

“(c) When ordered by the Probation Department, you are to submit to any recognized tests that are available to the Probation Department to determine whether you have been using drugs”.

The defendant signed an acknowledgment that he read and understood the above conditions.of probation and agreed to abide by them, which was co-signed by a witness and the sentencing Judge. Thereafter, on March 11, 1996, the defendant’s probation officer explained the conditions to the defendant. The defendant appeared to understand the conditions and agreed to abide by them.

As part of his probation, the defendant submitted to several urine tests which were positive for the presence of cocaine derivatives. The defendant was advised by his probation officer, at first orally and then by letter dated December 11, 1996, that he was required to enter an in-patient treatment center.

On January 8, 1997, the mother of the homicide victim informed the defendant’s probation officer that the defendant was dealing in drugs, and that her son had purchased drugs at the defendant’s house. After consultation with his supervisor, the defendant’s probation officer decided to search the defendant’s home with the aid of the Southampton Town Police.

On January 9, 1997, the probation officer went to the defendant’s place of employment and informed him that “under the conditions of your probation, we have to search your house right away”. The defendant accompanied his probation officer to his home and opened the front door for the officer and Southampton Town Police. Guns and cocaine were recovered from the defendant’s home, and the defendant made a written statement. The defendant was arrested and charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance in the third degree (two counts), criminal possession of a weapon in the fourth degree, and criminally using drug paraphernalia in the second degree.

The defendant moved to suppress the physical evidence and his statement on the ground that the search of his residence [115]*115was a violation of his rights under the United States and New York State Constitutions, and his statutory rights pursuant to CPL 410.50. The defendant contended that the search was invalid “regardless of his prior execution of a consent to search as a condition of probation”.

After a hearing, the Supreme Court granted the defendant’s application, holding that the condition authorizing a search of the defendant’s home without a warrant was contrary to law and the intent of the Legislature expressed in CPL 410.50. We disagree.

In Griffin v Wisconsin (483 US 868, 873-874), the United States Supreme Court noted that “A State’s operation of a probation system, like its operation of a school, government office or prison, or its supervision of a regulated industry * * * presents ‘special needs’ beyond normal law enforcement that may justify departures from the usual warrant and probable-cause requirements”.

Probationers enjoy only “ ‘conditional liberty properly dependent on observance of special [probation] restrictions’ ” (Griffin v Wisconsin, supra, at 874, quoting Morrissey v Brewer, 408 US 471, 480). Such conditions could include warrantless searches based upon less than probable cause (see, Griffin v Wisconsin, supra). Therefore, that the search of the defendant’s premises was effected without a warrant did not violate the defendant’s rights under the United States Constitution.

Similarly, the New York Court of Appeals has held that the test for determining where a search “was unreasonable and thus prohibited by constitutional proscription must turn on whether the conduct * * * was rationally and reasonably related to the performance of * * * duty” of the parole officer or probation officer in the particular circumstances (People v Huntley, 43 NY2d 175, 181; see, People v Jackson, 46 NY2d 171, 175). In the instant case, where the probation officer had reasonable cause to believe that the defendant had violated the conditions of his probation, this test was clearly satisfied (see, People v Johnson, 63 NY2d 888; People v Fridell, 81 AD2d 869).

The primary issue before us is whether the warrantless search deprived the defendant of his statutory rights pursuant to CPL 410.50 (3). Pursuant to CPL 410.50 (1), the probationer is in the “legal custody” of the court which imposed sentence. The Probation Department serves the court which imposed sentence by “supervising the defendant during the period of such legal custody” (CPL 410.50 [2]). CPL 410.50 (3) provides: [116]*116“If at any time during the period of probation the court has reasonable cause to believe that the defendant has violated a condition of the sentence, it may issue a search order. Such order must be directed to a probation officer and may authorize such officer to search the person of the defendant and/or any premises in which he resides or any real or personal property which he owns or which is in his possession”. This subdivision was drafted in recognition that “the right to order a search of the person and property of a probationer can be an important element in supervising his [or her] activities and protecting the public” (State of NY Temp Commn on Rev of Penal Law and Criminal Code, Proposed New York Criminal Procedure Law, Staff Comment, § 210.30, at 278).

In People v Jackson (supra), the Court of Appeals held that, in the absence of any exigent circumstances, the search of a probationer without a court order violated his statutory rights pursuant to CPL 410.50 (3). However, in that case, the sentencing court had not made permission to search a condition of probation. In the instant case, the sentencing court determined, in advance, at sentencing, that authorizing the Probation Department to conduct searches of the defendant’s place of abode for drugs or narcotics implements was necessary to supervise his activities.

The Appellate Division, Fourth Department, has generally concluded that imposition of such a search condition is “contrary to law” (People v Braun, 177 AD2d 981; see, People v Grisanti, 126 AD2d 938; People v Suttell, 109 AD2d 249; but see, People v Baer, 158 AD2d 1002; People v Fortunato, 50 AD2d 38).

Determining whether a condition of probation is “contrary to law” requires analysis of another statutory provision: Penal Law § 65.10, relating to conditions of probation.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
242 A.D.2d 112, 673 N.Y.S.2d 700, 1998 N.Y. App. Div. LEXIS 6059, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/people-v-hale-nyappdiv-1998.