State v. Boyer

967 So. 2d 458, 2007 WL 2994637
Supreme Court of Louisiana·Decided October 16, 2007·No. 2007-KK-0476·Published·Cited by 45 cases

Opinion

967 So.2d 458 (2007)

STATE of Louisiana
v.
Harry BOYER.

No. 2007-KK-0476.

Supreme Court of Louisiana.

October 16, 2007.

*460 Eric J. Hessler, for Applicant.

Charles C. Foti, Jr., Attorney General, Camille A. Morvant, II, District Attorney, Joseph Sidney Soignet, Assistant District Attorney, for Respondent.

KNOLL, Justice.[*]

This criminal case comes to us in a pretrial posture after the district court granted the defendant's motion to suppress the evidence seized pursuant to a stop and frisk of defendant, who was standing in the vicinity where a search warrant was to be executed. This set of facts implicates the problematic issues raised in a "search all persons" warrant, as well as the issues concerning the scope of a search pursuant to a Terry stop and frisk.

The court of appeal reversed the district court, implicitly finding the search was valid under the "plain feel" exception to the warrant requirement. For the following reasons, we reverse the court of appeal, finding that although the initial detention and Terry frisk was reasonable, the valid scope of the frisk was exceeded when the officer reached into the defendant's pocket to remove and visually inspect an item whose incriminating character was not immediately apparent and thus, not justified by the plain feel doctrine. Additionally, we hold the warrant did not authorize the search of this defendant, as to find otherwise would violate the Fourth Amendment's prohibition of general warrants. Finally, we find this search was not valid as a search incidental to arrest because probable cause did not exist to arrest defendant for the offense of resisting an officer.

FACTS AND PROCEDURAL HISTORY

From the record, the following facts are discerned. On the evening of July 17, 2006, the Lafourche Parish Drug Task Force, assisted by the Thibodaux Police Department, executed a search warrant at 470 Greenville Street in Raceland. The warrant was acquired on July 11, 2006, based upon an affidavit by Sergeant Paul LaGraize of the Lafourche Parish Drug Task Force.

*461 In the affidavit, Sgt. LaGraize declares the task force had identified Antonio Tillman as a mid to upper level crack cocaine distributor and had made a controlled buy of crack cocaine from him on October 20, 2005. In addition, at the end of May, 2006, Antonio Tillman's brother, Bryan Tillman, was arrested for possession of crack cocaine. Bryan Tillman informed the task force that Antonio was supplied by a source in Lafayette. Through several street operations, task force agents obtained information that a black male known as "Monkey Man" was selling crack cocaine for Antonio Tillman.

Sgt. LaGraize obtained information from several confidential informants that narcotic sales were being conducted from a van parked in the backyard of the property. On July 11, 2006, agents observed several men, including Antonio Tillman, congregating near an illegally parked car in front of 470 Greenville Street. The agents exited their vehicle, and Sgt. LaGraize observed a white female, a white male and a black male near the gray colored van in the backyard. Sgt. LaGraize observed the white male to be a known crack cocaine user, who had been arrested the same night as Bryan Tillman. The white female was also known to Sgt. LaGraize as a crack cocaine user. The black male identified himself as Benny Sanders, aka "Monkey Man." Sgt. LaGraize and Sgt. John Champagne observed, in plain view on the van floor, steel wool commonly used as a filter when smoking crack cocaine. Sgt. LaGraize also located in plain view a broken crack pipe and several plastic sandwich bags with the corners cut off. The plastic sandwich bags are commonly used to package illegal narcotics for sale.

When questioned by Sgts. LaGraize and Champagne, Antonio Tillman gave conflicting answers to the officers' inquiries concerning ownership of the van. Tillman also stated that Sanders lives in the van because he is homeless. Sgt. LaGraize observed an extension cord running from Tillman's residence (a mobile home) to the van. The residence bearing the municipal address of 470 Greenville Street is described in both the affidavit and warrant as a white trailer with maroon brown trim that is parallel to Green Street with a rectangular cement slab in the front yard.

Based upon the information in the affidavit, a search warrant was issued based upon the probable cause to believe that there was a quantity of illegal narcotics, money derived from their sale, drug equipment and records of illegal narcotic sales at 470 Greenville Street. The warrant stated:

This is, therefore, to command you, in the name of the State of Louisiana, with the necessary and proper assistance, in the day or night time [sic], or on Sundays or holidays, to (search the person(s). Curtilidges [sic] vehicles, and residence of 470 Greenville Street, Raceland, LA. At the time of the execution of this search warrant. (enter into or unto or any appurtenances thereto), and there diligently search for Illegal Narcotics, money derived from the sale of illegal narcotics, and narcotic equipment

At the time the warrant was executed, about a dozen officers arrived at the residence in a large Penske truck. The officers, which included SWAT team members in tactical gear, swiftly left the truck in a dynamic fashion to storm the property. Officer Eno Guillot of the Thibodaux Police Department testified that it was his function to ensure that persons found at the scene during the execution of the warrant did not leave. Sgt. LaGraize testified that several officers were instructed to make contact with individuals standing outside on the property to ensure that nobody shoots the officers entering the *462 residence and also to keep anyone from fleeing.

Officer Guillot observed a white male [later identified as the defendant] standing about twenty feet from the front right corner of the mobile home. Unbeknownst to the officers, defendant, an attorney, was there allegedly to meet with his client, Bryan Tillman. Officer Guillot was about thirty feet from the defendant. Officer Guillot testified that the defendant was holding a cell phone up to his ear with his right hand and appeared to be talking. When the defendant observed Officer Guillot, he brought the phone down and begin frantically digging in his left pocket. Officer Guillot ran toward the defendant, shouting "police" and ordering him to get on the ground and remove his hand from his pocket. Officer Guillot made these commands at least four times. In Officer Guillot's experience, weapons are usually involved with drugs, and he believed defendant could have had a small weapon in his pocket.

The defendant did not remove his hand from his pocket or get on the ground as commanded. Officer Guillot then grabbed the defendant's wrist, took the defendant to the ground and handcuffed him. Officer Guillot testified that the defendant was not combative and the defendant allowed him to do what he needed to do. The defendant never said anything to Officer Guillot, did not flee and he cooperated when Officer Guillot removed his hand from his pocket and took him to the ground. Officer Guillot conducted a patdown search of the defendant's clothing for a weapon and detected a large unknown object in defendant's pocket. He pulled the object out and discovered it was a cell phone.[1]

After removing the cell phone from the defendant's pocket, Officer Guillot continued his search. He admitted that he continued to search the defendant after he had recovered

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State v. Boyer, 967 So. 2d 458, 2007 WL 2994637 (La. 2007).

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