State v. Dakin

495 So. 2d 344, 1986 La. App. LEXIS 7596
CourtLouisiana Court of Appeal
DecidedSeptember 12, 1986
DocketNos. KA-3717, KA-3736
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 495 So. 2d 344 (State v. Dakin) 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. Dakin, 495 So. 2d 344, 1986 La. App. LEXIS 7596 (La. Ct. App. 1986).

Opinions

ARMSTRONG, Judge.

Don Dakin pled guilty to illegal possession of stolen things, a violation of LSA-R.S. 14:39, and to possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, a violation of LSA-R.S. 14:95.1. Co-defendant Thomas Deese pled guilty to illegal possession of a stolen thing. Both men reserved the right under State v. Crosby, 338 So.2d 584 (La.1976) to appeal from the trial court’s denial of their motion to suppress the evidence. For the violation of LSA-R.S. 14:95.1. Dakin was sentenced to five years at hard labor without benefit of parole, probation or suspension of sentence and fined $1,000; for the violation of LSA-R.S. 14:69 he was sentenced to five years at hard labor, both sentences to run concurrently. Deese was sentenced to serve five years at hard labor.

The state filed a multiple bill against both defendants on March 14, 1985. The trial judge signed the motion for appeal on June 6, 1985. However, on June 10, 1985 the trial court dismissed the multiple bill as to defendant Deese but found that Dakin was a second offender. Consequently, Da-kin’s original sentence for the R.S. 14:69 conviction was vacated and he was sentenced as a second offender under LSA-R.S. 15:529.1 to five years at hard labor. FACTS:

On August 28, 1984, Officers Austin and Marino were in the Hibernia Bank on Chef Menteur Highway, in New Orleans conducting private business. While standing in line, they saw a van driven by defendant Dakin enter the parking lot. The officers recognized Mr. Dakin, and one of the passengers, defendant Deese, as suspects in burglary investigations they had conducted in the past. Officer Austin was aware that both defendants had prior convictions for burglary and that both had numerous arrests.

Another passenger, Charles McKenney, whom the officers did not recognize, got out of the van and entered the bank holding a yellow pillowcase containing coins. McKenney approached a bank teller, Ms. Lundsgaard, and asked to cash a check and to exchange the coins for paper currency. [346]*346The officers asked their bank teller to question Ms. Lundsgaard about the transaction and Mr. McKenney. After the teller made the inquiry, Mr. McKenney walked out of the bank, spoke with the defendants, then began walking eastbound in the parking lot. The defendants then drove away.

The officers, believing that Mr. McKen-ney was leaving the scene, stopped him, and after asking several questions placed him in the rear seat of the police car. Mr. McKenney told the officers that the defendants might be going to his house.

The police drove to Mr. McKenney’s residence. En route, in response to questioning Mr. McKenney told the officers that the defendants had offered to sell him a color television for $100.00. The defendant’s van arrived at Mr. McKenney’s house as the police car approached.

The officers exited from their car and approached the van. As they reached the defendants they stopped them and observed through the open door of the van two televisions, a shot gun case, tools and a tool case. The officers immediately frisked the defendants, and placed them under arrest. Subsequent to the arrest, the officers searched the van and opened the gun case, finding a weapon inside.

At the hearing on the motion to suppress the evidence Officer Austin stated that these goods are typical of property stolen in residence burglaries. Mr. McKenney identified the television as one Mr. Dakin had offered for sale earlier in the day. At that time, Mr. Dakin told Mr. McKenney that the television was “from a place far away”. Mr. McKenney also told the officers that he had previously purchased two bicycles from defendant Dakin. Mr. McKenney then consented to a search of his house where the bicycles were found. The bicycles were discovered to have been stolen.

Assignment of Error

By the defendants’ only assignment of error, they contend that the trial court erred in denying their motion to suppress the evidence.

Art. I § 5 of the La. Const, of 1974 provides as follows:

Every person shall be secure in his person, property, communications, houses, papers, and effects against unreasonable searches, seizures, or invasions of privacy. No warrant shall issue without probable cause supported by oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, the persons or things to be seized, and the lawful purpose or reason for the search. Any person adversely affected by a search or seizure conducted in violation of this Section shall have standing to raise its illegality in the appropriate court.

(emphasis added).

This provision expands the scope of protection afforded Louisiana citizens by granting standing to contest the illegality of a search or seizure to “any person adversely affected.” Under Louisiana jurisprudence, any defendant against whom evidence is acquired as a result of an allegedly unreasonable search and seizure, whether or not it was obtained in violation of his rights, has standing to challenge the constitutionality of the search or seizure. State v. Gibson, 391 So.2d 421 (La.1980); State v. Walker, 430 So.2d 1327 (La.App. 3rd Cir. 1983). Accordingly, the defendants have standing to exclude the statements made by Mr. McKenney, if his “seizure” is found to be illegal, as his statements may be tainted by the allegedly illegal arrest.

In the present case, the defendants assert that the information obtained from Mr. McKenney, which was used to establish probable cause to arrest them and search the van constitutes the fruit of an unlawful arrest and makes the search and seizure of items in the van illegal and unconstitutional. We must disagree.

In State v. Culotta, 343 So.2d 977 (La.1976), the Louisiana Supreme Court held that the deterrent purpose served by the exclusionary rule does not mandate that illegally seized evidence cannot be considered in support of a finding of probable [347]*347cause. State v. Bearden, 449 So.2d 1109 (La.App. 5th Cir.1984).

Thus, it is apparent that the statements made by Mr. McKenney were correctly used in evaluating whether there was probable cause to stop the appellants and search their vehicle.

A warrantless arrest, no less than an arrest pursuant to a validly issued warrant, must be based on probable cause. State v. Jackson, 450 So.2d 621 (La.App. 4th Cir.1984). Probable cause exists when the facts and circumstances within the arresting officer’s knowledge, and of which he or she has reasonable and trustworthy information, are sufficient to justify a person of average caution in the belief that the person to be arrested has committed or is committing an offense. State v. Ruffin, 448 So.2d 1274 (La.1984); State v. Johnson, 467 So.2d 47 (La.App. 4th Cir.1985). It is to be judged by the probabilities and practical considerations of everyday life on which average persons, particularly average police officers, can be expected to act. State v. Landry, 454 So.2d 313 (La.App. 4th Cir.1984).

Here the crucial inquiry is whether Officers Austin and Marino had probable cause to believe that the defendants were engaged in criminal activity. The officers witnessed Mr. McKenney walk from the defendants’ vehicle and enter a bank carrying a pillowcase full of coins. The officers recognized the defendants as suspects in burglary investigations they had conducted in the past and knew they had been convicted for prior burglaries. Mr.

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

Related

State v. Garner
621 So. 2d 1203 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 1993)
State v. Dakin
498 So. 2d 752 (Supreme Court of Louisiana, 1986)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
495 So. 2d 344, 1986 La. App. LEXIS 7596, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-dakin-lactapp-1986.