State v. Camp

459 So. 2d 53
CourtLouisiana Court of Appeal
DecidedOctober 31, 1984
Docket16443-KA, 16444-KA
StatusPublished
Cited by13 cases

This text of 459 So. 2d 53 (State v. Camp) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Louisiana Court of Appeal primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
State v. Camp, 459 So. 2d 53 (La. Ct. App. 1984).

Opinion

459 So.2d 53 (1984)

STATE of Louisiana, Appellee,
v.
Jack Hudson CAMP, Appellant.

No. 16443-KA, 16444-KA.

Court of Appeal of Louisiana, Second Circuit.

October 31, 1984.
Rehearing Denied November 29, 1984.
Writ Denied January 7, 1985.

*54 Johnson & Johnson by Neal G. Johnson, Monroe, for appellant.

William J. Guste, Jr., Atty. Gen., Baton Rouge, Johnny Parkerson, Dist. Atty., Joseph T. Mickel, Bruce G. Whittaker, Asst. Dist. Attys., Monroe, for appellee.

Before JASPER E. JONES, SEXTON and NORRIS, JJ.

SEXTON, Judge.

Jack Hudson Camp was convicted of the offenses of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and attempted possession of marijuana with intent to distribute. In these consolidated appeals, he advances four arguments which he asserts warrant reversal of his convictions and sentences.

The contraband which forms the basis of these charges was seized in connection with the execution of two search warrants on October 27, 1982. One warrant authorized the search of defendant's residence, and the other, his automobile.

On the date of execution of the warrant, the authorities arrived at the residence described therein at approximately 8:40 p.m. The defendant looked out his window and saw the officers approaching. Two officers entered the house from the rear while another officer forcefully entered the front. Defendant was confronted and read his Miranda rights. After indicating that he understood these rights, defendant was asked to declare the whereabouts of any controlled dangerous substances in the house. Defendant indicated that there were drugs under a green chair in the corner of the living room. A round plastic container containing a plastic bag of marijuana was retrieved from that location. Subsequently, the house was searched and a number of items were seized including smoking paraphernalia, controlled dangerous substances in capsule form, plastic baggies, partially smoked marijuana cigarettes, containers filled with marijuana, *55 hashish and hashish oil, scales, and cash. Additionally, three pistols and ammunition were found in the master bedroom and seized. The officers also seized a key ring from defendant's pocket. One of the keys unlocked a motorcycle trailer, of the variety designed to be hitched to and pulled by a motorcycle, located in the back yard. After unlocking the storage-type trailer, the officers discovered a blue travel bag containing a substantial amount of marijuana. From the right front floorboard of Camp's automobile, the narcotics officer seized one round tin container holding loose marijuana. Camp was subsequently charged in a single bill of information with possession of marijuana with intent to distribute, possession of codeine, and possession of flurazepam. In a separate bill, Camp was charged with unlawful possession of a firearm. After two separate jury trials, defendant was convicted of the offenses of which he now complains.

Sufficiency of the Warrant

Defendant contends that the affidavits in support of the search warrants were insufficient to establish probable cause to search his residence and automobile.

Probable cause may be provided by an informant's tip if the underlying credibility of the informant is established. State v. Burton, 416 So.2d 73 (La.1982); State v. Morace, 446 So.2d 1274 (La.App. 2d Cir.1984). Illinois v. Gates, 462 U.S. 213, 103 S.Ct. 2317, 76 L.Ed.2d 527 (1983) abrogated the rule of Aguilar/Spinelli for determining whether an informant's tip establishes probable cause for issuance of a warrant and substituted a "totality of the circumstances" approach. The court explained that the task of the issuing magistrate is simply to make a practical, common sense decision whether, given all the circumstances set forth in the affidavit before him, there is a fair probability that contraband or evidence of a crime will be found in a particular place. The duty of a reviewing court under Gates is to ensure that the magistrate had a substantial basis for concluding that probable cause existed.

Prior to the Gates decision, the Supreme Court adhered to a two-prong test for determining an informant's credibility. The reliability of both the informant and his information had to be shown. Aguilar v. Texas, 378 U.S. 108, 84 S.Ct. 1509, 12 L.Ed.2d 723 (1964); Spinelli v. United States, 393 U.S. 410, 89 S.Ct. 584, 21 L.Ed.2d 637 (1969). Reliability of the reported information may be supported by, among other factors, direct personal observation by the informant or, if the information came indirectly to the informant, detailed reasons with which to evaluate the reliability of both the source and the information. Factors to support the credibility of an unidentified informant include prior accurate reports or any specific independent corroboration of the accuracy of the instant report. State v. Bible, 389 So.2d 42 (La.1980), vacated on other grounds, 453 U.S. 918, 101 S.Ct. 3153, 69 L.Ed.2d 1001, dissented 401 So.2d 966 (La.1981), on remand, 406 So.2d 138 (La.1981); State v. Tassin, 343 So.2d 681 (La.1976); State v. Green, 437 So.2d 302 (La.App. 2d Cir.1983).

In the instant case, the informant who provided the information for both affidavits was known to Detective Bryan Boney, the affiant. Both affidavits state that past information received from the confidential informant has directly resulted in at least four marijuana arrests with convictions obtained. The affidavit in support of the issuance of the search warrant authorizing the search of Camp's residence recites that the confidential informant contacted the affiant and stated that within a forty-eight hour period the confidential informant had been in the above-described residence, and had observed approximately one pound of marijuana in the possession of Jack Camp. The affidavit further states that "Jack Camp represented the substance as being marijuana to the confidential informant and the marijuana was for sale." The affidavit in support of the search warrant authorizing a search of defendant's vehicle indicates that the confidential informant contacted the affiant within a seventy-two hour period and had observed approximately *56 two ounces of marijuana in hashish form in the vehicle described in the affidavit. The affidavit continues that the hashish was in the possession of a white male known to the confidential informant as Jack Camp.

Therefore, under the statements asserted in the affidavits, reliability of the reported information was supported by the direct personal observation of the informant. Additionally, the credibility of the unidentified informant was supported by the references to his prior accurate reports, in the form of four previous tips which led to marijuana convictions. Under the totality of the circumstances, we conclude that the issuing magistrate had a substantial basis for concluding that probable cause to search Jack Hudson Camp's automobile and residence was well established. This assignment lacks merit.

Unlawful Seizure of Firearms

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

Related

State v. Reyes
114 So. 3d 547 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 2013)
State v. Thompson
894 So. 2d 1268 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 2005)
State v. Lincoln
794 So. 2d 56 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 2001)
State v. Raborn
771 So. 2d 877 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 2000)
State v. Davis
684 So. 2d 17 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 1996)
State v. Lee
637 So. 2d 656 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 1994)
State v. Hill
618 So. 2d 568 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 1993)
State v. Haynes
514 So. 2d 1206 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 1987)
State v. Morgan
493 So. 2d 755 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 1986)
State v. Owens
480 So. 2d 826 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 1985)
State v. Burns
471 So. 2d 949 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 1985)
State v. Ray
471 So. 2d 831 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 1985)
State v. Camp
462 So. 2d 212 (Supreme Court of Louisiana, 1985)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
459 So. 2d 53, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-camp-lactapp-1984.