State v. Coahran

620 P.2d 116, 27 Wash. App. 664, 1980 Wash. App. LEXIS 2463
CourtCourt of Appeals of Washington
DecidedNovember 20, 1980
Docket3646-4-III
StatusPublished
Cited by25 cases

This text of 620 P.2d 116 (State v. Coahran) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Washington primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
State v. Coahran, 620 P.2d 116, 27 Wash. App. 664, 1980 Wash. App. LEXIS 2463 (Wash. Ct. App. 1980).

Opinion

Munson, J.

The State of Washington appeals an order granting the defendant's motion to suppress evidence.

On January 20. 1979, the Pullman police received a phone call from a citizen indicating Donald James had threatened him. An officer went to the citizen's home and discussed the citizen's relationship with James and the nature of the threats. Based upon this discussion, James' parole officer was contacted, and he ordered James' arrest and a search of James' truck and home. Shortly thereafter, the police spotted James in his truck, stopped it and *666 arrested him. Also in the truck was a hitchhiker, defendant Coahran. After James' arrest, Coahran was asked to exit the cab, was patted down for weapons, and was asked if he had anything in the truck. Coahran responded affirmatively, pointing out two sleeping bags. The bags were searched, found free of contraband, and released to Coahran, who was told he was free to go.

Meanwhile, officers searching the sleeping compartment directly behind the passenger seat of the truck found a paper bag; inside was a plastic bag containing marijuana. Based upon the proximity of this marijuana to the passenger seat, the officers arrested Coahran. Upon arrest, he was searched, initially at the scene of the incident and later at the police station. Various controlled substances were found on his person. Coahran later confessed to ownership of the marijuana; that issue is not before the court. He objects, however, to those searches which resulted in finding other controlled substances on his person. The trial court agreed and suppressed that evidence.

The trial court found Coahran had automatic standing under Jones v. United States, 362 U.S. 257, 4 L. Ed. 2d 697, 80 S. Ct. 725, 78 A.L.R. 2d 233 (1960), to object to the search of the truck and the discovery of the marijuana. Jones has been expressly overruled in United States v. Salvucci, 448 U.S. 83, 65 L. Ed. 2d 619, 100 S. Ct. 2547 (1980). We decline the opportunity to decide if "standing" is still a viable concept under article 1, section 7 of the Washington State Constitution, although this court may interpret our constitutional provisions to extend more protection to individuals than under federal constitutional analysis. Cooper v. California, 386 U.S. 58, 62, 17 L. Ed. 2d 730, 87 S. Ct. 788, 791 (1967); State v. Fain, 94 Wn.2d 387, 617 P.2d 720 (1980).

We find the search was valid on other grounds. James, the truck owner, was a parolee. Parolees' homes— and trucks—may be searched by parole officers, or the police as their agents, upon less than probable cause, given well founded suspicion. State v. Simms, 10 Wn. App. 75, *667 516 P.2d 1088 (1973). Here, a citizen-informant provided the necessary well founded suspicion. The entire truck was properly subject to search.

The trial court next found Miranda rights should have been given to Coahran at the scene of the search before any questions were asked. We disagree.

Coahran was removed from the truck and frisked for weapons. This was reasonable, considering the driver of the truck had been arrested for possible parole violations involving ownership of handguns allegedly carried in the truck and for allegedly threatening the life of the informant. Terry v. Ohio, 392 U.S. 1, 20 L. Ed. 2d 889, 88 S. Ct. 1868 (1968). 1

The record indicates Coahran was asked to step from the truck, to walk to the back of the truck, and to lean against it while being frisked. Once the pat-down search resulted in a negative finding, the police were convinced Coahran was not participating in the crime for which the driver had been arrested. He was then asked to come to the front of the truck and identify anything in the truck belonging to him. At this point the police had not yet found the marijuana in the truck and actually had no suspicion Coahran might be involved in anything illegal. Before he was asked about having possessions in the truck, Coahran was not given Miranda warnings. It is permissible to detain a party for a Terry search without giving Miranda warnings. Miranda warnings become necessary when the interrogation becomes "custodial"—when as a result of investigation sufficient information arises to give the questioning officer probable cause to justify an arrest. *668 State v. Hilliard, 89 Wn.2d 430, 573 P.2d 22 (1977); State v. Van Antwerp, 22 Wn. App. 674, 591 P.2d 844 (1979), rev'd on other grounds sub nom. State v. Shipp, 93 Wn.2d 510, 610 P.2d 1322 (1980); State v. Webster, 20 Wn. App. 128, 579 P.2d 985 (1978). No probable cause to arrest arose until after Coahran was released from interrogation and was free to go. Therefore, Miranda warnings were not required prior to asking him to identify his possessions. But see State v. Green, 94 Wn.2d 216, 236, 616 P.2d 628 (1980) (Utter, C.J., concurring).

The remaining issue is whether discovery of marijuana, immediately behind the passenger seat but inside the sleeper and therefore removed from the main section of the truck cab, provided probable cause for the police to arrest Coahran. Probable cause to arrest arises when:

facts and circumstances within the arresting officer's knowledge and of which he has reasonably trustworthy information are sufficient in themselves to warrant a man of reasonable caution in a belief that an offense has been or is being committed.

State v. Gluck, 83 Wn.2d 424, 426-27, 518 P.2d 703 (1974). Here, probable cause existed to arrest Coahran for constructive possession of marijuana. In State v. Mathews, 4 Wn. App. 653, 656, 484 P.2d 942 (1971), the defendant was found guilty of possession of heroin which was beneath the carpet near the back right seat of the car in which he was a passenger. The court said:

Constructive possession is proved when the person charged with possession has dominion and control over either the drugs or the premises upon which the drugs were found. State v. Callahan,

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

Related

State Of Washington, V Joseph Anthony Bonomo
Court of Appeals of Washington, 2021
State Of Washington v. Isiah Martin
Court of Appeals of Washington, 2019
State Of Washington v. Robert Jesse Hill
Court of Appeals of Washington, 2019
State Of Washington, V Shane Christopher Gilbert
Court of Appeals of Washington, 2018
State Of Washington v. Felicia R. Barnes
Court of Appeals of Washington, 2017
State v. Olsen
Washington Supreme Court, 2017
State v. Olson
262 P.3d 828 (Court of Appeals of Washington, 2011)
State v. Reichert
158 Wash. App. 374 (Court of Appeals of Washington, 2010)
State v. McKague
178 P.3d 1035 (Court of Appeals of Washington, 2008)
State v. Winterstein
140 Wash. App. 676 (Court of Appeals of Washington, 2007)
State v. Lucas
783 P.2d 121 (Court of Appeals of Washington, 1989)
State v. Patterson
752 P.2d 945 (Court of Appeals of Washington, 1988)
State v. Mercer
727 P.2d 676 (Court of Appeals of Washington, 1986)
State v. Lampman
724 P.2d 1092 (Court of Appeals of Washington, 1986)
State v. Campbell
691 P.2d 929 (Washington Supreme Court, 1984)
State v. Velasquez
672 P.2d 1254 (Utah Supreme Court, 1983)
State v. Keller
667 P.2d 139 (Court of Appeals of Washington, 1983)
Hocker v. Woody
631 P.2d 372 (Washington Supreme Court, 1981)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
620 P.2d 116, 27 Wash. App. 664, 1980 Wash. App. LEXIS 2463, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-coahran-washctapp-1980.