People v. Joubert

118 Cal. App. 3d 637, 173 Cal. Rptr. 428, 1981 Cal. App. LEXIS 1685
CourtCalifornia Court of Appeal
DecidedApril 30, 1981
DocketCrim. 4520
StatusPublished
Cited by19 cases

This text of 118 Cal. App. 3d 637 (People v. Joubert) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering California Court of Appeal primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
People v. Joubert, 118 Cal. App. 3d 637, 173 Cal. Rptr. 428, 1981 Cal. App. LEXIS 1685 (Cal. Ct. App. 1981).

Opinion

Opinion

FRANSON, Acting P. J.

The People appeal from a judgment dismissing criminal charges against respondents following the granting of a motion to suppress evidence obtained pursuant to a search warrant. *640 Probable cause for the warrant was based on an aerial surveillance of respondents’ land by Madera County law enforcement officers using binoculars to identify a marijuana garden. The trial court granted respondents’ motion to suppress on the theory that the officers’ use of binoculars during the aerial surveillance constituted an unreasonable search under the authority of People v. Arno (1979) 90 Cal.App.3d 505 [153 Cal.Rptr. 624].

As we shall explain, Arno does not compel such a result; we conclude that optically aided aerial surveillances of marijuana patches growing in open fields is constitutionally permissible today. Granting the suppression motion on that basis was error.

We then consider respondents’ alternate argument "that misrepresentations and omissions in the affidavit supporting the search warrant invalidate the warrant under Theodor v. Superior Court (1972) 8 Cal. 3d 77 [104 Cal.Rptr. 226, 501 P.2d 234] and People v. Cook (1978) 22 Cal.3d 67 [148 Cal.Rptr. 605, 583 P.2d 130]. We conclude that respondents should be given an opportunity to litigate this issue in the superior court and accordingly remand the matter for further proceedings.

The Evidence 1

Madera County Deputy Sheriff Albert Hahn, having heard rumors that marijuana was being cultivated on a particular rural parcel of land in Madera County, decided to conduct an aerial surveillance to confirm the rumors. Hahn checked at the assessor’s office to determine the boundaries of the parcel under suspicion. At the assessor’s office he obtained a map of the subject 29-acre parcel, determined that its address was 39900 Road 800, and discovered that it was owned by John and Christina Reed (whom the officer also knew as Christina Joubert).

Hahn arranged for Officer Smith of the California Highway Patrol to serve as pilot. The overflight was conducted on August 24, 1978. Before takeoff, Officer Hahn instructed the pilot that the plane should be flown at an elevation of at least 500 feet. Hahn testified that the airplane did remain above that elevation during the flight. The plane circled the periphery of the subject parcel about 15 to 25 times without flying directly over it.

*641 From that height and distance, Hahn was able to see on the subject parcel a circular-shaped cultivated area approximately 50 feet in diameter. By using “seventeen power” binoculars, the officer was able to see characteristics of the cultivated plants which led him to conclude that they were marijuana. Hahn testified that the type of binoculars he used give a view from 1,000 feet which is equivalent to seeing from a distance of 75 feet with only the naked eye.

Hahn testified that this circular patch was the only place on the 29-acre parcel where he saw something he suspected was marijuana.

Officer Smith, the pilot, also testified regarding his observations during the flight. Smith said that during the time the plane was circling the subject property, it never dropped to an elevation less than 800 feet above the ground. Smith had been advised by Hahn to watch the elevation and keep above 500 feet. 2 However, when studying a map on the morning of the preliminary hearing, Smith figured out that the plane had actually been flying at an elevation of 1,000-1,100 feet. Smith also gave some confusing testimony as to the horizontal distance between the plane and the marijuana garden under observation.

Evidence was also adduced concerning the number of roads and buildings in the vicinity of the marijuana garden. This evidence was introduced to support an attack on the search warrant on the ground that it was overly broad in specifying that the entire 29-acre parcel and buildings thereon could be searched. Officer Smith testified there was more than one building on the parcel in question. Some outbuildings resembling barns were near one “predominant house.” This house was the focus of particular attention during the overflight, but there were also several other buildings in the vicinity. There was also evidence to show that the area was about to be subdivided and that some work had been started on the roads. Officer Hahn testified there were “numerous roads” in the area.

A search warrant for the subject parcel and all buildings thereon was issued in response to an affidavit filed by Officer Hahn the day after the overflight described above.

On August 30, 1978, the search warrant was executed. The officers seized about 100 marijuana plants found growing on the circular field *642 which had been seen from the air. They also seized over 150 marijuana plants from gardens at various other locations on the property. The relationship among the various marijuana growing sites was as follows. The circular garden containing 100 marijuana plants was located approximately 15 feet from a house trailer where respondent Vanderpool was seen during execution of the warrant. There was a footpath from that trailer to the circular garden. Approximately 75 yards from that garden was a cabin where there were 2 more marijuana patches: 1 containing 54 plants and the other containing 82 plants. A third structure which appeared to be a house under construction was located about 400 yards from the circular garden. Just a few feet away from this house there was a fenced in area containing rose bushes as well as about 39 marijuana plants. Near this garden were two bags of fertilizer which were seized, and then later returned to respondent Christina Joubert at her request.

The Binocular Aided Aerial Surveillance Was Lawful

In People v. Edwards (1969) 71 Cal.2d 1096 [80 Cal.Rptr. 633, 458 P.2d 713], the California Supreme Court applied the Katz 3 doctrine that the Fourth Amendment protects people, not places by holding that the appropriate test for determining whether a warrantless search of open fields violates the Fourth Amendment is whether the land possessor has exhibited a reasonable expectation of privacy, and, if so, whether that expectation has been violated by unreasonable governmental intrusion. (People v. Edwards, supra, 71 Cal.2d at pp. 1100, 1103.) The test of reasonableness is dependent upon the totality of facts and circumstances of each case (North v. Superior Court (1972) 8 Cal.3d 301, 308-312 [104 Cal.Rptr. 833, 502 P.2d 1305, 57 A.L.R. 3d 155]).

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Bluebook (online)
118 Cal. App. 3d 637, 173 Cal. Rptr. 428, 1981 Cal. App. LEXIS 1685, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/people-v-joubert-calctapp-1981.