State v. Dailey

498 P.2d 614, 209 Kan. 707, 1972 Kan. LEXIS 628
CourtSupreme Court of Kansas
DecidedJune 10, 1972
Docket46,685
StatusPublished
Cited by8 cases

This text of 498 P.2d 614 (State v. Dailey) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Kansas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
State v. Dailey, 498 P.2d 614, 209 Kan. 707, 1972 Kan. LEXIS 628 (kan 1972).

Opinions

The opinion of the court was delivered by

Kaul, J.:

This is an interlocutory appeal by the state pursuant to K. S. A. 1971 Supp. 22-3603 from an order of the trial court suppressing certain evidence after an evidentiary hearing under the provisions of K. S. A. 1971 Supp. 22-3216 ( 2). The central issue involves the warrantless search of a private club and the seizure of gambling equipment, which is claimed by the state to have been reasonable and authorized by the provisions of K. S. A. 1971 Supp. Chapter 41, Article 26 “Licensing and Regulation of Clubs” — hereafter referred to as the Private Club Act. Defendant, on the other hand, contends the act authorizes only an entry and search for liquor violations; and thus an entry and search for gambling equipment and the subsequent seizure thereof is unlawful.

The information filed in the district court by the attorney general on November 23, 1971, charged the defendant with two counts of gambling offenses. Count one alleged an offense of setting up gambling devices consisting of five slot machines in violation of K. S. A. 1971 Supp. 21-4304 (e), a class E felony under the provisions of the statute. Count two charged defendant with possession of the five slot machines in violation of K. S. A. 1971 Supp. 21-4307, a class B misdemeanor.

The charges stem from a warrantless entry and search of the American Legion Club in Great Bend on the night of October 2, 1971. The defendant was manager of the club and on duty at the time. At his direction the door to the club was opened by a mem[709]*709ber, Willis Weigel, for the initial entrance of a party of four officers led by special agent Earl Maudlin of the Kansas Rureau of Investigation. It is undisputed that all of the officers involved fall within the category of “peace officers” as the term is used in section 41-2613 of the Private Club Act.

In its memorandum decision the trial court described the entrance in this fashion:

“Their ringing at the locked door of entry was answered by a man authorized to see who was there. When he opened the door, the team leader did not ask permission to enter, but gave his name, said he was ‘with the K. B. I. and this is a raid.’ Without waiting for response, he and his team members rushed into the club. The doorman said he was pushed aside, but this is disputed. The leader said they walked ‘faster than we would walk down the street.’ Witnesses to the ‘walk’ had varying descriptions from ‘rushed on,’ to ‘real fast,’ to ‘wouldn’t say running but letting no grass grow under their feet,’ and to ‘like a trot.’
“The doorman advised this defendant that ‘It’s a raid, it’s the K. B. I.’ The defendant then cooperated with the leader. He testified that he felt compelled to do so. . . .”

After entering tibe club premises the officers proceeded rapidly through the front room, described as a cocktail lounge, and entered a second room, described as a game room. Defendant was asked to unlock several locked closet doors in the game room. Defendant had to go back to the cash register to secure keys. Defendants unlocked what he described as “a roll-up curtain steel door” which revealed the subject slot machines which were then seized by the officers.

The provisions of the act critical to this appeal are found in K. S. A. 1971 Supp 41-2613 which reads:

“The right of immediate entry and inspection at any time of any premises licensed as a club under this act, or of any premises subject to the control of any club licensed under this act by any duly authorized officer or agent of the director, or by any peace officer, shall be a condition on which every club license shall be issued, and the application for, and acceptance of, any club license hereunder shall conclusively be deemed to be the consent of the applicant and licensee to such immediate entry and inspection. Such consent shall not be revocable during the term of the license. Refusal of such entry shah be grounds for revocation of the license.” (Emphasis supplied.)

Following the filing of the information the defendant filed a motion to suppress all of the evidence seized. The gist of the grounds for suppression were alleged as follows:

“2. That this motion is filed to enforce the constitutional protection against illegal search and seizure as provided in the Kansas Constitution, Bill of [710]*710Rights, Section 15, and the U. S. Constitution, 14th Amendment which applies since Mapp v. Ohio, 367 U. S. 643, which denies the admission of illegally seized evidence.
“3. Defendant shows, in support of this motion, that all evidence upon which counts one and two are based was secured as a result of an unlawful search and seizure, all without benefit of a Search Warrant, all contrary to, and in total disregard for the statutory provisions set out in Article 25 — Search and Seizure — K. S. A. (1970 Supp.) 22-2501 through 2513; also in violation of the constitutional guarantees set out in part (2) above.”

Defendant further alleged that the avowed purpose of the entry was to “conduct a raid to find gambling equipment” which defendant claims is not contemplated by K. S. A. 1971 Supp. 41-2613, authorizing warrantless entry of a private club. Defendant alleged that if the statute does in fact authorize peace officers to conduct such a raid and to search and seize without the benefit of a search warrant, the statute is unconstitutional being in conflict with the Fourteenth Amendment to the Constitution of the United States and Section 15 of the Bill of Rights to the Constitution of the State of Kansas.

The trial court heard the testimony of several peace officers, who were involved, and that of defendant and several club members, who were present, concerning the circumstances surrounding the entry of the peace officers and the ensuing search of the club premises.

Following the hearing, the trial court filed a comprehensive memorandum decision in which all of the evidence was reviewed and basic findings of fact relative to the search were set out and enumerated. In substance the trial court found eight officers at one time or another took part in the search of the club; that none of the officers had been instructed that the raid was a liquor violation inspection, nor were any of them knowledgeable concerning liquor violations of the Private Club Act; that all eight officers considered that they were just to conduct a gambling raid; that they expected to find gambling equipment; that no search warrant was obtained even though judicial personnel were readily available for the issuance of a search warrant; and that one could have been obtained without working any substantial inconvenience to the officers. The trial court further found that the simultaneous entry by four of the law officers constituted a show of force; that the lack of resistance by the club doorman and defendant con[711]*711stituted only peaceful submission to a law force and did not amount to permission to enter, and that “The entry was coercive.”

The trial court concluded that the warrantless search was not authorized by the private club entry and inspection statute and that if the statute did authorize an entry and search, such as that shown by the evidence in this case, it would be unconstitutional as measured by both the Federal and Kansas Constitutions.

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State v. Dailey
498 P.2d 614 (Supreme Court of Kansas, 1972)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
498 P.2d 614, 209 Kan. 707, 1972 Kan. LEXIS 628, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-dailey-kan-1972.