State v. Doust

173 N.W.2d 337, 285 Minn. 336, 1969 Minn. LEXIS 986
CourtSupreme Court of Minnesota
DecidedDecember 19, 1969
Docket41402
StatusPublished
Cited by11 cases

This text of 173 N.W.2d 337 (State v. Doust) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Minnesota primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
State v. Doust, 173 N.W.2d 337, 285 Minn. 336, 1969 Minn. LEXIS 986 (Mich. 1969).

Opinion

Frank T. Gallagher, Justice.

This is an appeal from a judgment of the district court adjudging defendant guilty of the crime of felonious theft.

Sometime late Saturday night, July 8, or early Sunday morning, July 9, 1967, King’s Sport Store in Brainerd was burglarized. The owner, Ellis King, and his wife discovered the burglary later in the morning of the 9th. They called the Brainerd police, and Officer Robert Fitzsimmons investigated. He obtained a list from King of the stolen merchandise, which included several rifles, pistols, holsters, some clothing, and lesser items. Where it was possible, serial numbers were provided. Officer Fitzsimmons circulated the descriptions and serial numbers to surrounding law-enforcement agencies.

On July 17, Officer Fitzsimmons received a phone call from the sheriff of Crow Wing County. The sheriff told him that five rifles had been turned in at the office of the sheriff of Mille Lacs County and that the serial numbers of these rifles checked with some stolen from King’s store. Fitzsimmons and two other officers went to Milaca the following day and picked up the weapons. The guns had been turned in by Dan Boyd, who, on July 9, 1967, had taken them from the back of a station wagon owned by his son-in-law, the defendant, Raymond Doust. Fitzsimmons returned to Brainerd and that same day obtained a search warrant, on his affidavit, to search 518 N. W. Third Street in Brainerd, which he knew to be the home of Raymond Doust. At 5:30 p. m. Fitzsimmons and three other officers searched the Doust home and cars. They discovered additional items taken in the King’s store burglary. Doust and George Payne, who was staying at the Doust home, were arrested on July 18 and taken to the city jail. They were given a Miranda warning and booked.

*338 The next day at 2 p. m. Fitzsimmons went to Doust’s cell and Doust told him he wanted to make a statement. Doust was taken to an interrogation room and again given the Miranda warning. He agreed to waive his rights and signed a form to that effect. No stenographers were present, but Fitzsimmons took notes. Doust said that he had not stolen the property; that he was not in town when the store was burglarized; that he and his wife were out camping; and that the items found in his car and home belonged to another, whom he did not name. Fitzsimmons then accompanied Doust back to his cell. On the way back Doust made a number of incriminating statements which Fitzsimmons later wrote down.

Doust was tried on a charge of theft on December 6, 1967. The state’s evidence established the burglary; that five rifles were found later that same day (July 9) in Doust’s car; and that the search of the Doust home disclosed more of the stolen items. The state produced a used-car dealer who testified that Doust gave him a pistol as part payment for a car he had purchased. The serial number of the pistol was the same as one of those taken from King’s store.

Defendant took the stand in his own behalf and testified that he, his wife, and his children went to a drive-in movie on July 8 and did not get home until very late. He could not remember what movie he saw, but he was sure there were at least two, and probably three. He said that he allowed George Payne, an old friend, to stay at his home during this time; that the stolen property found in his home was left there by George Payne; and that the pistol he gave to the used-car dealer was given to him by Payne in payment for letting him stay in his home. Doust’s wife corroborated his story and remembered that they saw “Way Way-Out” and “Think Young” that evening.

George Payne, who had previously pleaded guilty to the charge of burglary of King’s store, testified that he alone broke into the store and carried off, on foot, some 320 pounds of merchandise. On rebuttal the state produced Mr. King again, who implied that *339 he did not believe one man could have loosened the bolt locking the store’s back door. Paul Mans, part owner of the drive-in. defendant said he attended, testified that on July 8 they were showing “Tobruk” and “Gambit,” and that “Way Way Out” and “For Those Who Think Young” did not start until the next day.

The jury found defendant guilty as charged. On appeal defendant raises four issues. He contends (1) that the search warrant was defective in that it listed his address incorrectly and that the items to be seized were not listed with particularity; (2) that the evidence is not sufficient to sustain the verdict; (3) that the statements made by him on July 19 were not voluntary; and (4) that the statements made by him on July 19 were not admissible because the state gave insufficient notice of its intent to use such statements as evidence.

1. The Fourth Amendment to the United States Constitution, Minn. Const, art. 1, § 10, and Minn. St. 626.08 require that before a search can be conducted a warrant must be issued upon probable cause, particularly describing the place to be searched and the items to be seized. See, State v. Campbell, 281 Minn. 1, 161 N. W. (2d) 47. Defendant contends that because the search warrant listed his address as 518 N. W. Third Street and the city engineer of Brainerd testified that the correct number should be 528, while in fact the number on the house was 524, the warrant did not describe with particularity the place to be searched.

At the Rasmussen hearing, held on September 12, 1967, Officer Fitzsimmons testified that he knew where Doust lived; that he used an old city directory to get the 518 number; that there was only one building in the block where Doust lived; and that that was the Doust house. The city engineer testified that people in that section of Brainerd often put on their houses the numbers they wanted without regard to what they should be.

In State v. Campbell, 281 Minn. 1, 9, 161 N. W. (2d) 47, 53, this court stated that it will “view the warrant in a ‘common sense and realistic fashion’ rather than a ‘grudging or negative *340 attitude’ that otherwise ‘will tend to discourage police officers from submitting their evidence to a judicial officer before acting.’ ” United States v. Ventresca, 380 U. S. 102, 85 S. Ct. 741, 13 L. ed. (2d) 684. In Steele v. United States No. 1, 267 U. S. 498, 45 S. Ct. 414, 69 L. ed. 757, the Supreme Court stated that the place to be searched is sufficiently described if the officer to whom the warrant has been issued can with reasonable effort ascertain and identify the place intended.

In Hanger v. United States (8 Cir.) 398 F. (2d) 91, the court held that where the warrant listed the address of the place to be searched as 1419 and 1421 North Park, St. Louis, and in fact 1419a, 1421, and 1421a had been searched, the warrant was not defective. The officers knew which apartments were to be searched and the addresses they put down were particular enough so that they could ascertain where they were to search. This case is much stronger than that presented in Hanger. Here there was only one house in the block, so there was no chance of the police officers searching the wrong place through error. Officer Fitzsimmons, like the officers in Hanger and Steele, knew which building was to be searched.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
173 N.W.2d 337, 285 Minn. 336, 1969 Minn. LEXIS 986, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-doust-minn-1969.