State v. Bonolo

270 P. 1065, 39 Wyo. 299, 1928 Wyo. LEXIS 92
CourtWyoming Supreme Court
DecidedOctober 16, 1928
Docket1490
StatusPublished
Cited by6 cases

This text of 270 P. 1065 (State v. Bonolo) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Wyoming 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. Bonolo, 270 P. 1065, 39 Wyo. 299, 1928 Wyo. LEXIS 92 (Wyo. 1928).

Opinion

*302 Blume, Chief Justice.

John Bonolo, the defendant, was convicted of having in his possession a still for the manufacture of intoxicating liquor and was sentenced by the court, and from this conviction and sentence he has appealed to this court.

On May 24, 1927, one J. W. Thompson filed an affidavit before E. H. Fourt, Judge of the District Court, to the effect that one Rudolph Yisco was the occupant of the Bonolo ranch, described as the W½NE¼, NW¼SE¼, NW¼SE¼, Sec. 34, Twp. 1, Range 3, East W. R. M., in Fremont County, Wyoming; that on May 17, 1927, a person known to affiant as a person engaged in the liquor traffic, and who had had trouble with Rudolph Yisco and other persons, and in whom affiant had confidence as to his truth and veracity, told affiant that a still for the manufacture of intoxicating liquor was being operated on the foregoing premises by Rudolph Yisco, and affiant asked that a search warrant be issued for the search of the premises. Such warrant was thereupon issued and delivered to a deputy sheriff, who, together with Ray Ivester, a Federal prohibition officer, proceeded to the Bonolo ranch. When close to the residence on that place, they noticed at one corner of the house some twenty to twenty-five sugar sacks and two copper boilers, one an ordinary one frequently used for washing, and another round boiler, usable, perhaps, for various purposes. Ives-ter further testified that he smelled the odor of some mash. His testimony, however, is somewhat uncertain as to whether he noticed this odor previous to the time of entering upon the Bonolo premises or subsequent thereto'. He was not corroborated in that regard by the deputy sheriff, *303 wbo testified that be noticed no odor till they went onto tbe Bonolo place. Armed with the search warrant above mentioned, without, however, using or disclosing it, they went to the house on the ranch, where the defendant, together with his wife and children, were living. The defendant was not there, and the officers found only the defendant’s wife and daughter at home, who were apparently outside of the house. The deputy sheriff asked for Rudolph Visco, but was told that he was not there, but had left. Ivester testified that he informed Mrs. Bonolo that he was an officer and asked her if she had any. objection to a search of the premises, to which she responded something like this: “No, go ahead, I can’t help it.” This statement of Mrs. Bonolo is not corroborated by the deputy sheriff, and is denied by the daughter. In any event, the two men searched the basement of the house and a cellar close by, and found some mash and a still. About an hour later, when defendant returned home, he was placed under arrest, and was subsequently charged with the possession of a still. Before the case came on for trial, the defendant made a motion to suppress the evidence obtained in connection with the search. The court overruled the motion, and upon the trial of the case, admitted such evidence over the objection of the defendant. These rulings of the court are assigned as error here. The jury apparently hesitated to convict the defendant, for while deliberating, they asked the court the following question: “Is it essential for the officers to produce a search warrant or obtain permission to search, and from whom?” Thereupon the court gave the following instruction, numbered 12:

i!The Court instructs the jury that it is not essential for the officers to produce a search warrant if they see evidence which leads them to believe that a felony is being committed and if any other of their natural senses, such as the sense of smell, conveys such information to the officers, they may arrest without a warrant and make a *304 search of the premises where they know the offense is being committed. The jury are further instructed that any person who owns or has control of a house or landed estate may consent to a search thereof, and when such consent is given the officers are at liberty to go ahead and make such search as they may deem proper. ’ ’

1. To the motion to suppress the evidence the county attorney filed an answer admitting, among other things, that the deputy sheriff and Ray Ivester, when searching the Bonolo ranch as above set forth, were not in possession of a search warrant authorizing the search at the time it was made. The motion to suppress and the main case seem to have been heard and tried by the State upon the theory that while the search warrant issued in the case was invalid, the search was authorized to be made without reference to the possession of a search warrant. The state makes no contention in this court that the search warrant was sufficient, and we may therefore, for the purposes of this opinion, assume the invalidity thereof. See, in this connection, State v. Peterson, 27 Wyo. 185, 194 Pac. 342, 13 A. L. R. 1284, which contains a thorough discussion on the subject. See also Jackson v. State, 153 Tenn. 431, 284 S. W. 356; Coleman v. Commonwealth, 219 Ky. 139, 292 S. W. 771; Hammond v. Commonwealth, 218 Ky. 791, 292 S. W. 316; Derefield v. Commonwealth, 221 Ky. 173, 298 S. W. 382; Taylor v. Commonwealth, 221 Ky. 216, 298 S. W. 685; Matlock v. State, 155 Tenn. 624, 299 S. W. 796; Cole v. State, (Ok. Cr.) 262 Pac. 712; Cornelius on Search and Seizure, Sec. 85.

2. The state makes no contention in this court that any valid consent was given to the search above mentioned by Mrs. Bonolo, and seems to have abandoned the position that apparently was taken, at least by the trial judge. Inasmuch, however, as the point might arise again in the further disposition of this case, it is, perhaps, proper to mention it briefly. We need not decide as to whether a *305 wife can ever waive the constitutional rights of her husband in this respect, though the Kentucky cases hereafter cited seem to decide in the negative. We do not believe that any valid consent was given, and that the testimony at most shows acquiescence in and non-resistance to the action of officers of the law. The subject was discussed at length in the case of Tobin v. State, 36 Wyo. 368, 255 Pac. 788, and it was there held that evidence obtained by a search, where consent is claimed, can only be used where the testimony shows clearly that the consent was really voluntary and with a desire to invite search, and not done merely to avoid resistance. Quoting part of the opinion, it was said:

“First of all we believe that a waiver of the citizen’s fundamental constitutional rights must appear by clear and positive testimony, and if the search and seizure are based upon the proposition that consent was given to the officers, there should be no question about it in the evidence submitted.”

In the case of United States v. Rembert, 284 Fed. 996, it was held that in order to constitute consent, the submission to the officers of the law must be really voluntary, and with a desire to invite search. The case of Amos v. United States, 255 U. S. 313, 41 Sup. Ct. 266, 65 L. Ed.

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Bluebook (online)
270 P. 1065, 39 Wyo. 299, 1928 Wyo. LEXIS 92, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-bonolo-wyo-1928.