State v. Benavidez

2010 NMCA 035, 231 P.3d 1132, 148 N.M. 190
CourtNew Mexico Court of Appeals
DecidedJanuary 29, 2010
Docket28,636; 32,254
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 2010 NMCA 035 (State v. Benavidez) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering New Mexico Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
State v. Benavidez, 2010 NMCA 035, 231 P.3d 1132, 148 N.M. 190 (N.M. Ct. App. 2010).

Opinion

OPINION

CASTILLO, Judge.

{1} Defendant, a parolee, appeals a search of his home that was conducted pursuant to conditions of his parole. We conclude that the Fourth Amendment does not prohibit parole searches that are based on reasonable suspicion of a parole violation and that in the present case the parole officer had reasonable suspicion to conduct the contested search. We do not address Defendant’s state constitutional claim because it was not properly preserved. Lastly, we do not consider whether there was sufficient evidence of constructive possession because Defendant failed to reserve this argument in his plea agreement. For these reasons, we affirm the district court.

I. BACKGROUND

{2} The following facts are derived from the record. On July 11, 2007, Defendant’s parole officer observed Defendant driving a car. A short time later, the parole officer and his supervisor arrived at Defendant’s house to conduct a routine visit. When the parole officer arrived, he saw the same ear that Defendant had been driving earlier. The parole officer knocked on the door and announced himself but received no response. While he was waiting for a response, the parole officer noticed the curtains and blinds moving in the room that he knew to be Defendant’s.

{3} The parole officer called for police back up. During the twenty minutes that it took for the police to arrive, the parole officer continued to knock and announce — and continued to receive no response. When the police arrived, the door was kicked in, and the officers searched the house room by room. Defendant was located in his bedroom, under his bed, and when he came out, the parole officer asked why he had been hiding. Defendant responded that he had missed a parole meeting with the officer. Defendant was taken outside, and the officers continued to search the house. In a set of dresser drawers in the same bedroom where Defendant was found, the parole officer located Defendant’s identification card, a pipe, and a baggie with a small amount of methamphetamine.

{4} Defendant was charged by criminal information in district court for one count of possession of a controlled substance and one count of possession of drug paraphernalia. He filed a motion to suppress the drug evidence, which the district court denied. Defendant then entered into a conditional plea agreement. He pled guilty to one count of possession of a controlled substance, the paraphernalia charge was dropped, and he reserved the right to appeal the legality of the search of his home.

II. DISCUSSION

{5} Defendant makes two basic arguments on appeal. He first contends that the district court improperly denied his motion to suppress the drug evidence because the search of his home was constitutionally unreasonable. He also argues that the evidence should have been suppressed because there was insufficient evidence to submit the issue of constructive possession to a jury. We begin with the validity of the search.

A. Validity of the Search

{6} Defendant raises four challenges to the search. First, he claims that the district court erred in not requiring the parole officer to have reasonable suspicion of criminal activity before conducting the warrantless search. Defendant also contends that it was not reasonable to forcibly enter Defendant’s home under the circumstances of this case. Additionally, Defendant challenges the legality of the continued search of the home after Defendant was located inside. In his last point, Defendant argues that Article II, Section 10 of the New Mexico Constitution requires that parole officers obtain a warrant before conducting a probation or parole search that is based on reasonable suspicion of a probation or parole violation. We will first set out the general standard of review for suppression orders, and then we will address each of Defendant’s points.

1. Standard of Review

{7} “The legality of a search questioned in a suppression hearing is generally tested as a mixed question of law and fact wherein we review any factual questions under a substantial evidence standard and we review the application of law to the facts de novo.” State v. Baca, 2004-NMCA-049, ¶ 11, 135 N.M. 490, 90 P.3d 509 (internal quotation marks and citation omitted). We indulge all reasonable inferences in support of the district court’s factual determination, and we disregard all inferences or evidence to the contrary. State v. Jason L., 2000-NMSC-018, ¶ 10, 129 N.M. 119, 2 P.3d 856.

2. Basis for Warrantless Search

{8} Pursuant to the Fourth Amendment, “[t]he right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.” U.S. Const, amend. IV. “Normally, the search of a home is only reasonable for Fourth Amendment purposes if it is conducted pursuant to a warrant grounded in probable cause.” Baca, 2004-NMCA-049, ¶ 21, 135 N.M. 490, 90 P.3d 509. The warrant requirement protects citizens’ reasonable expectations of privacy in their homes. Chavez v. Bd. of County Comm’rs, 2001-NMCA-065, ¶ 21, 130 N.M. 753, 31 P.3d 1027 (“[T]he Fourth Amendment ... was intended to protect the sanctity of an individual’s home and privacy.”).

{9} The privacy rights of parolees and probationers, however, are subject to limitations which have been addressed by the United States Supreme Court in three cases: Griffin v. Wisconsin, 483 U.S. 868, 107 S.Ct. 3164, 97 L.Ed.2d 709 (1987); United States v. Knights, 534 U.S. 112, 122 S.Ct. 587, 151 L.Ed.2d 497 (2001); and Samson v. California, 547 U.S. 843, 126 S.Ct. 2193, 165 L.Ed.2d 250 (2006). We provide a brief overview of these cases because they provide the basis for much of our analysis.

{10} In Griffin, the Court evaluated a Wisconsin policy and held that a warrantless search of a probationer conducted pursuant to the policy did not violate the Fourth Amendment because the state’s “special needs” — as articulated through its probation policies — “justif[ied] departures from the usual warrant and probable-cause requirements.” 483 U.S. at 873-74, 107 S.Ct. 3164. The Court observed that probationers “do not enjoy ‘the absolute liberty to which every citizen is entitled, but only ... conditional liberty properly dependent on observance of special [probation] restrictions.’ ” Id. at 874, 107 S.Ct. 3164 (alteration in original) (citation omitted). Griffin held that Wisconsin’s policy requiring “reasonable grounds” to search probationers for violations of probation conditions met the minimum standards required under the Fourth Amendment. 483 U.S. at 880, 107 S.Ct. 3164.

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

Related

State of Iowa v. Isaac Andrew Baldon III
829 N.W.2d 785 (Supreme Court of Iowa, 2013)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
2010 NMCA 035, 231 P.3d 1132, 148 N.M. 190, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-benavidez-nmctapp-2010.