State v. Adams

943 P.2d 955, 284 Mont. 25, 54 State Rptr. 717, 1997 Mont. LEXIS 147
CourtMontana Supreme Court
DecidedJuly 15, 1997
Docket96-302
StatusPublished
Cited by13 cases

This text of 943 P.2d 955 (State v. Adams) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Montana Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
State v. Adams, 943 P.2d 955, 284 Mont. 25, 54 State Rptr. 717, 1997 Mont. LEXIS 147 (Mo. 1997).

Opinion

JUSTICE NELSON

delivered the Opinion of the Court.

This is an appeal from the Nineteenth Judicial District Court, Lincoln County. On February 22,1996, the District Court entered its findings of fact, conclusions of law and order denying Defendant Adams’ motion to suppress evidence seized pursuant to a search warrant. From this judgment, Defendant Adams appeals. We affirm.

The sole issue raised on appeal is whether the State conducted a search of Defendant Adams’ home which violated Defendant Adams’ constitutional guarantees of privacy and freedom from unreasonable search and seizure.

FACTUAL AND PROCEDURAL BACKGROUND

This case arose from a search of the rented residence of Defendant Adams (Adams) located in Libby, Montana. The search was conducted pursuant to a search warrant issued based upon information supplied *27 by Michael Dotts (Dotts), a man arrested on September 23, 1995, in Lincoln County for assault and disorderly conduct. Upon his arrest, Dotts gave the police a false name. After his arrest, Dotts advised the police that he had information concerning a marijuana growing operation in Libby.

On September 25,1995, during his first interview with the police, Dotts told Detective Hurtig and Detective Martin he would like to make a deal with them. Although Dotts did not want the charges against him dropped, he wanted to be released on his own recognizance in exchange for his information regarding the marijuana growing operation. The detectives advised Dotts that they could not guarantee him anything. Rather, they told Dotts he should tell them everything he knew and explained that if his information was used, they might be able to help him; but, if the information was not used, he would remain in jail.

Dotts explained, in this first interview, that he had previously lived with Adams’ son, Gary, but that the marijuana growing operation was in Adams’ house in Libby. Because Dotts could not remember the address of Adams’ house, he left the station with the detectives and pointed out a gray house with an off-yellow roof, located on the corner of Quartz Road and Rawlings Road. After returning to the station to complete this first interview, Dotts told the detectives that he had helped to set up the grow operation in Adams’ house. He described the grow operation as a hydroponic system, where the plants are grown in water, with a 1000-watt converter bulb and a 400-watt, two burner bulb used as grow lights.

After this first interview, Detective Hurtig again went to Adams’ residence, without Dotts. He took pictures of Adams’ house and two vehicles parked in front of the house — a brown Mustang and a white Lincoln — vehicles which were not present when Dotts first identified the house. Upon his return to the station, Detective Hurtig learned that the State of Washington had a warrant for Dotts’ arrest. Consequently, only two hours after the first interview, Detective Hurtig conducted a second interview with Dotts. He explained to Dotts that due to the outstanding warrant, he could not release Dotts on his own recognizance. Despite this, Dotts agreed to interview with Detective Hurtig for a second time to describe the marijuana growing operation in Libby.

In the second interview, Dotts again described the hydroponic marijuana growing operation he helped set up and the type of plants that Adams was growing. Dotts explained that only three weeks *28 earlier he had been in Adams’ house which Dotts believed Adams rented under a false name. Additionally, Dotts’ description of the vehicles driven by Adams and his son, Gary, matched the description of the vehicles that Detective Hurtig had previously photographed at Adams’house. Furthermore, Dotts stated that, prior to his arrest that day, he had talked with Gary Adams who informed him that “they were moving the plants” and getting ready to go to Sandpoint, Idaho. Shortly after this second interview, Detective Hurtig corroborated Dotts’ statement by locating in the Clerk and Recorder’s office the name of the owner of the house Adams rented, calling the owner and confirming that Adams was renting the house under his true name.

Based upon Dotts’information, Detective Hurtig prepared a search warrant application that same day (September 25, 1995) using a generic search warrant form that he obtained from the Montana Department of Justice which specifically listed the types of materials commonly used and found in conjunction with a marijuana growing operation. In this application, Detective Hurtig did not use Dotts as a confidential informant, but rather specifically identified him. Detective Hurtig explained that Dotts had provided him with information about a growing operation involving over 100 marijuana plants while Dotts was held in the Lincoln County Jail due to his arrest in Lincoln County for assault and because the State of Washington had issued a warrant for his arrest. Detective Hurtig also explained Dotts’ role in helping to set up the marijuana growing operation in Adams’ house. Furthermore, Detective Hurtig described his personal observations of Dotts and explained how he had corroborated Dotts’ information.

Without consulting the Lincoln County Attorney’s Office, Detective Hurtig presented the search warrant application on September 25, 1995, to the acting district court judge who reviewed the application and signed the search warrant authorizing a search of Adams’ residence. That same afternoon, Detective Hurtig served and executed the search warrant on Adams’ house. The search yielded a sophisticated hydroponic marijuana growing operation and approximately 133 marijuana plants in different stages of growth. Apparently, either a search of the vehicles on the property was not conducted or if a search was conducted, no incriminating evidence was found. Thereafter, Detective Hurtig arrested Adams on the charge of Criminal Production or Manufacture of Dangerous Drugs.

On October 5,1995, Adams was charged with Criminal Production or Manufacture of Dangerous Drugs pursuant to § 45-9-110, MCA. *29 Adams filed a motion to suppress evidence seized pursuant to a search warrant and the District Court heard this motion on February 5,1996. On February 22,1996, the District Court entered its findings of fact, conclusions of law and order denying Adams’ motion to suppress. Subsequently, Adams entered into a plea agreement. Pursuant to the plea agreement, Adams plead guilty to Criminal Possession of Dangerous Drugs pursuant to § 45-9-102, MCA, and the State agreed to dismiss the charge of Criminal Production or Manufacture of Dangerous Drugs. Adams reserved the right to appeal the District Court’s denial of his suppression motion. On April 17, 1996, Adams entered a guilty plea, acknowledging that he had possessed marijuana in his home on September 25, 1995, in violation of the law. On May 23,1996, Adams was given a three-year deferred sentence with a $500.00 fine. Adams now appeals the District Court’s February 22, 1996 Order denying his motion to suppress.

DISCUSSION

Did the State conduct a search of Adams’ home which violated Adams’ constitutional guarantees of privacy and freedom from unreasonable search and seizure?

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Bluebook (online)
943 P.2d 955, 284 Mont. 25, 54 State Rptr. 717, 1997 Mont. LEXIS 147, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-adams-mont-1997.