State v. Edwards

471 P.2d 843, 3 Or. App. 179, 1970 Ore. App. LEXIS 492
CourtCourt of Appeals of Oregon
DecidedJuly 9, 1970
StatusPublished
Cited by11 cases

This text of 471 P.2d 843 (State v. Edwards) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Oregon primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
State v. Edwards, 471 P.2d 843, 3 Or. App. 179, 1970 Ore. App. LEXIS 492 (Or. Ct. App. 1970).

Opinion

FOLEY, J.

Defendant was convicted by a jury of attempted burglary not in a dwelling and was sentenced to five years’ imprisonment. An habitual criminal information was then filed upon which defendant was found by the court to have been previously convicted. The five-year sentence was then vacated and he was sentenced to 10 years’ imprisonment.

Defendant was charged jointly with Floyd Smith with attempted burglary. An occupant of the building alerted police who found Smith on the roof of the building in downtown Portland attempting to gain entry to the Post Office Pharmacy through a skylight. Smith had a brief case containing tools with him and a crowbar was found near him on the roof. Another policeman, Sgt. Schwartz, arrived on the scene and observed the defendant walking away from the pharmacy toward an automobile with Washington license plates ATI 479. The police sergeant recognized this *182 license number as that of a car described in two police bulletins as connected with recent safe burglaries in Washington and noticed that defendant was looking up at the roof of the pharmacy building rather than at the converging police. Defendant got into the car and drove away. Sgt. Schwartz sent two newly arrived officers after defendant to bring him back. They drove after him, caught him on the ramp of the Broadway Bridge and he drove back to the scene between their two police cars. As they got to the Post Office Pharmacy defendant was told by police car loudspeaker to pull over to the curb. He did so, and then suddenly drove off, leaving the police behind. After proceeding a short distance he struck a parked car but drove on for about two blocks and then parked the semi-disabled vehicle in the intersection. He ran from the damaged car but was caught and arrested. Through the open door of the vehicle the police saw a hammer on the front seat and a glove and car keys on the floorboard. On the floor of the back seat was a length of rope knotted at intervals and a pair of service dungarees. The other glove was also in the back. They then searched the car and in the trunk found a large red tool box. The tools were similar to some of those of codefendant Floyd Smith. No search warrant was obtained prior to the search of the automobile.

ASSIGNMENT OF ERROR NO. 1

Defendant’s first assignment of error is the denial of the motion to suppress “all evidence obtained as a result of an unlawful search of an automobile in the possession of Defendant following an illegal arrest.”

Defendant argues that the search was improper as *183 not incident to a lawful arrest. It appears that defendant was initially arrested for eluding an officer and reckless driving, but Sgt. Schwartz testified that he had probable cause to arrest defendant for the burglary attempt. Sgt. Schwartz knew an attempted burglary was in process. The time was about 1 a.m. and defendant was seen leaving the scene of the burglary attempt. The officer recognized the automobile defendant entered by its license number as one recently involved in other burglaries. Defendant acted peculiarly as he left the scene in looking up at the roof of the building where co-defendant Smith was apprehended attempting to break into the pharmacy from the roof. These facts warranted Sgt. Schwartz’s conclusion that he had probable cause to arrest defendant for attempted burglary. This will support an incidental search reasonably related to the burglary. State v. Cloman, 254 Or 1, 456 P2d 67 (1969); State v. Keith, 2 Or App 133, 465 P2d 724 Sup Ct review denied (1970).

Without a search the officer was aware of the hammer on the front seat of the car, which was similar to a hammer taken from Smith, and the length of knotted rope on the floor of the back seat. Looking at the requirements set forth in State v. Keith, supra, with reference to whether to make a warrantless search of an automobile, the officer is first to ask himself:

Do I have probable cause to believe that a search of the automobile will result in the finding of evidence of crime?

With what was before him in the car, obviously the officer had good reason to believe that a search would likely produce additional evidence.

The other question is:

Do I have probable cause to believe that I must *184 immediately search without taking the time to obtain a search warrant in order to avoid the loss of evidence ?

The answer to this question is not as easy as the first. Carroll v. United States, 267 US 132, 45 S Ct 280, 69 L Ed 543, 39 ALR 790 (1925), sets forth the standard for the warrantless search of an automobile as follows: (1) the reasonable cause to believe the automobile contains items subject to seizure, and (2) the automobile must be “movable” in the sense that the officer reasonably believes that it may be moved by someone who is free to do so and it is therefore not “reasonably practicable” to secure a search warrant.

We are not persuaded by the argument that the automobile was not movable because it was disabled. It was parked in the intersection of N.W. Flanders and Fourth Street, and one officer testified it might have been possible to drive it very slowly. It also would have been possible to tow it away. In addition, no one knew exactly the number of burglars involved, and the owner of the car was not present or accounted for. The officer therefore had good reason to believe that the automobile might be removed and its evidence would disappear if he took the time necessary to obtain a search warrant. We hold that the officer had probable cause to search immediately without a warrant in order to avoid the loss of evidence, State v. Keith, supra. Thus the search was reasonable within the constitutional limitations of the Fourth Amendment.

ASSIGNMENT OF EEEOE NO. 2

Immediately prior to the commencement of the trial defendant moved to disqualify the judge, and assigns as error the denial of the motion. No effort *185 was made by defendant to comply with the statutory procedure for change of judge. OES 14.250 to 14.270. The application was not supported by affidavit and no showing of any prejudice was made. This assignment is without merit.

ASSIGNMENT OF EEEOE NO. 3

The defendant claims the court erred in allowing the defendant to waive counsel and conduct his own defense when he became dissatisfied with his counsel. The trial judge clearly' and carefully explained to the defendant the dangers incident to conducting his own defense. It is clear from the record that defendant made a fully informed decision to conduct his own defense despite the presence in court of two court-appointed counsel ready and willing to assist bim if he desired. The Supreme Court said in State v. Delaney, 221 Or 620, 657, 332 P2d 71, 351 P2d 85 (1960):

“* * * So if the one being defended desires to run his own show he must pay the piper.”

There is no merit in this assignment.

ASSIGNMENTS OF EEEOE NO. 4 and NO. 5

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485 P.2d 1126 (Court of Appeals of Oregon, 1971)
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480 P.2d 444 (Court of Appeals of Oregon, 1971)
State v. Robbins
474 P.2d 772 (Court of Appeals of Oregon, 1970)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
471 P.2d 843, 3 Or. App. 179, 1970 Ore. App. LEXIS 492, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-edwards-orctapp-1970.