People v. Ocasio

106 Misc. 2d 138, 430 N.Y.S.2d 971, 1980 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 2653
CourtNew York County Courts
DecidedJuly 25, 1980
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 106 Misc. 2d 138 (People v. Ocasio) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering New York County Courts primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
People v. Ocasio, 106 Misc. 2d 138, 430 N.Y.S.2d 971, 1980 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 2653 (N.Y. Super. Ct. 1980).

Opinion

OPINION OF THE COURT

Donald J. Mark, J.

The defendant is charged with burglary, third degree, and grand larceny, third degree. He has made an application pursuant to CPL 710.20 (subd 1) to suppress evidence upon the ground that it was illegally seized, and CPL 710.20 (subd 5) to suppress identification testimony upon the ground it was the result of an illegal photographic array.

[139]*139The issue of the alleged illegal search will be considered first.

On January 18, 1980, at 6:30 A.M., the Rochester police forcibly entered premises at 41 Evergreen Street, Rochester, New York, to execute a bench warrant for Julio Santiago. The house was rented by Nancy Torrez. Peter Torrez, Ms. Torrez’ brother, had previously informed the police that Mr. Santiago resided at that address, that the defendant stayed there at times, that both had been involved in burglaries at which guns were stolen, that some guns were stored on the premises and that two women and one child also resided there.

Investigator Leo Maring of the New York State Police had investigated a burglary in which the defendant was the suspect. Investigator Maring accompanied the Rochester police for the avowed purpose of arresting the defendant if he were there. No arrest warrant was sought for the defendant’s arrest. Upon gaining entry the Rochester police apprehended Mr. Santiago, Mr. Torrez and the defendant. The police were then instructed to search for weapons, and Investigator Maring visually inspected the open closet in the room where the defendant was arrested. He observed property which had been described to him as that stolen at the time of the burglary, and this formed the basis for the subsequent issuance of a search warrant.

At the time of his arrest the defendant was on parole status. The defendant was obliged to advise his parole officer of his address and of any change. On November 19, 1979 the defendant told his parole officer he was moving from the YMCA to 41 Evergreen Street, but on December 10, 1979 he notified his parole officer his address was 3349 West Ridge Road, Greece, New York. The defendant listed this same address in an office report to his parole officer on January 17, 1980. When arrested the defendant gave his address as 41 Evergreen Street. The defendant testified he had lived at that address since December 22, 1979, and that 3349 West Ridge Road had been a temporary address.

Relying upon Payton v New York (445 US 573) decided by the United States Supreme Court on April 15, 1980, the defendant claims that his warrantless nonexigent [140]*140arrest at his “home” was unconstitutional, and that the search warrant issued thereafter was based upon property observed as a result of such illegal arrest. The People contradict the defendant’s claim that he was arrested at his “home”. They further allege that the police were lawfully at the premises to arrest Mr. Santiago with a bench warrant, so the defendant for whom there was probable cause to arrest could be arrested without a warrant. They then argue that a legitimate search for weapons resulted in the observation which ultimately produced the search warrant.

There is no dispute that 41 Evergreen Street was rented by Nancy Torrez, and that Julio Santiago resided there. There is likewise no dispute that the police had probable cause to arrest the defendant for a felony. It is found that the defendant’s residence was 3349 West Ridge Road, but that he resided at 41 Evergreen Street on a temporary basis.

Initially, it should be noted that based upon prior decisions of the United States Supreme Court (e.g., United States v Peltier, 422 US 531; William v United States, 401 US 646), and the Court of Appeals (e.g., People v Morales, 37 NY2d 262; People v Buia, 34 NY2d 529), two trial courts have refused to give retroactive application to Payton v New York (445 US 573, supra; People v Beckford, 102 Misc 2d 963; People v Coles, 104 Misc 2d 333). However, a consideration of this point is not essential to this opinion.

The defendant makes the claim that he was arrested in his “home”, and therefore Payton v New York (supra), necessitated a warrant for his arrest. This issue of residence was resolved against him. The defendant further claims with some logic that even if he were a temporary resident at Ms. Torrez’ home, Payton v New York (supra) required a search warrant to enable the police to forcibly enter the latter’s home to arrest him. Some courts have required only an arrest warrant prior to entry to arrest in a third person’s home (United States v Harper, 550 F2d 610, cert den 434 US 837; United States v James, 528 F2d 999, cert den sub nom. Austin v United States, 429 US 959; United States v Brown, 467 F2d 419), while other courts have held that the police can enter a third party’s [141]*141home to arrest a suspect if they have an arrest warrant and also have probable cause that the suspect is within (United States v Cravero, 545 F2d 406, cert den sub nom. Miller v United States, 429 US 1100; Rice v Wolff, 513 F2d 1280, revd on other grounds sub nom. Stone v Powell, 428 US 465; Lankford v Gelston, 364 F2d 197), but there is authority that the Fourth Amendment requires a search warrant to enter a third party’s home (Government of Virgin Is. v Gereau, 502 F2d 914, cert den 420 US 909; Fisher v Voltz, 496 F2d 333; Huotari v Vanderport, 380 F Supp 645 [dictum]).

The reasoning behind the requirement that a search warrant rather than an arrest warrant is necessary to arrest a suspect on premises occupied by a third party is that the former would protect both the suspect’s interest in his freedom and the third party’s interest in the privacy of his premises (1078 U Ill L Forum 655, 673, 676). While this question is left unanswered by Payton v New York (445 US 573, 583, supra), this language by the Supreme Court may be indicative: “Nor do these cases raise any question concerning the authority of the police, without either a search or arrest warrant, to enter a third party’s home to arrest a suspect” (emphasis added).

However, the validity of the search in this case does not depend upon the police compliance with Payton v New York (supra), in effecting the arrest of the defendant; rather it depends upon the police compliance with that decision in effecting the arrest of Mr. Santiago.

Although Ms. Torrez rented 41 Evergreen Street, there was no evidence that Mr. Santiago was other than a permanent resident there. So, the police executed the bench warrant at Mr. Santiago’s “home”. A bench warrant is tantamount to an arrest warrant. The definition of arrest warrant (CPL 1.20, subd 28) is quite similar to the definition of bench warrant (CPL 1.20, subd 30). The purpose of an arrest warrant is to bring the defendant before the court (People v Nieke, 53 Misc 2d 872, rev on other grounds 56 Misc 2d 363); a bench warrant is obviously designated to accomplish the same purpose. A warrant of arrest must be based on probable cause (Matter of Butts v Justices of Ct. [142]*142of Special Sessions for Town of Greenburgh, 65 Misc 2d 536), just as a bench warrant gives the police probable cause to arrest (People v Gandio, 95 Misc 2d 47).

The opinion in Payton v New York (445 US 573, 603, supra)

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

Related

People v. Cabral
147 Misc. 2d 1000 (New York Supreme Court, 1990)
People v. Jones
108 Misc. 2d 574 (Syracuse City Court, 1981)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
106 Misc. 2d 138, 430 N.Y.S.2d 971, 1980 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 2653, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/people-v-ocasio-nycountyct-1980.