State v. Erickson

225 P.3d 948
Washington Supreme Court·Decided January 21, 2010·No. 81594-1·Published·Cited by 2 cases

Opinion

225 P.3d 948 (2010)

STATE of Washington, Respondent,
v.
Anthony Jay ERICKSON, Petitioner.

No. 81594-1.

Supreme Court of Washington, En Banc.

Argued October 27, 2009.
Decided January 21, 2010.

*949 Oliver Ross Davis, Washington Appellate Project, Seattle, WA, for Petitioner.

Mary Kathleen Webber, Snohomish County Prosecutors Office, Everett, WA, for Respondent.

CHAMBERS, J.

¶ 1 Anthony Erickson received probation after he was convicted of fourth degree assault. Upon receiving a report that Erickson had violated the terms of his probation, the Lynnwood Municipal Court issued a summons ordering him to appear at a probation violation hearing. When Erickson failed to appear, the court issued a bench warrant for his arrest. Erickson was subsequently arrested, and a search revealed he possessed cocaine. We are asked whether the arrest warrant was valid under the federal and state constitutions, given that the court never made a formal finding of probable cause on the probation violation allegations. We conclude that the warrant was valid because it was supported by a well-founded suspicion that Erickson had violated the terms of his release. We affirm the Court of Appeals, though on slightly different grounds.

FACTS AND PROCEDURAL HISTORY

¶ 2 Erickson was convicted of fourth degree assault for domestic violence in August 2005. According to the Lynnwood Municipal Court docket, Erickson was sentenced to a year of confinement with 335 days suspended. Additionally, Erickson was required to undergo an alcohol assessment, enroll in alcohol treatment, have no contact with the victim, notify the court of any address changes, and was placed on two years of active supervised probation. He was released on personal recognizance.

¶ 3 In August 2006, the Lynnwood Municipal Court received notice from the Lynnwood Probation Department that Erickson had violated the terms of his release. The notice alleged that Erickson had failed to report to the probation department and had failed to enroll in treatment. In response, the court scheduled a probation violation hearing and sent a summons to Erickson informing him that he was required to appear and that failure to respond would result in a warrant. Erickson never received the summons, and it was returned to the court on September 7, 2006, indicating that Erickson had moved and had left no forwarding address. Erickson failed to appear at the scheduled probation violation hearing, and the court issued a bench warrant for his arrest.[1] The bench warrant was issued by a judge pro tempore who checked two boxes on the warrant indicating "Failure to Appear at Hearing" and "Failure to Comply with Court Order" as the reasons for issuance. State's Ex. 1.

¶ 4 On November 16, 2006, Officer Jason Valentine was on patrol when he spotted Erickson walking down Highway 99 in Lynnwood. It was 1:30 a.m., Erickson was walking fast and was very animated, which Valentine associated with drug use. As he drove by, Valentine saw Erickson waving at him. Valentine turned his vehicle around and made contact with Erickson. The two engaged in a short conversation in which Erickson told Valentine his name, handed over his identification, and volunteered that he had no outstanding warrants. When the conversation ended, Erickson left on foot and *950 Valentine returned to his vehicle and ran Erickson's name through his computer. When Valentine discovered the outstanding bench warrant, he found Erickson and arrested him. A strip search at the jail revealed that Erickson was carrying a bag of cocaine. He was charged with possession of a controlled substance.

¶ 5 Prior to trial, Erickson moved under CrRLJ 3.6 to suppress all evidence seized following his arrest. He argued, among other things, that the arrest was unlawful and in violation of the Fourth Amendment to the United States Constitution and article I, section 7 of our state constitution because the arrest warrant was not supported by probable cause. The trial court found that the bench warrant was valid because it was supported by a previous finding of probable cause on the underlying fourth degree assault conviction in conformity with State v. Parks, 136 Wash.App. 232, 148 P.3d 1098 (2006). The court also concluded that, because the issuing judge had personally witnessed Erickson's failure to appear at the scheduled hearing, the warrant was properly issued "without further documentation of probable cause." Clerk's Papers (CP) at 30. After a bench trial on stipulated facts, Erickson was found guilty of possession of a controlled substance. The Court of Appeals affirmed. State v. Erickson, 143 Wash.App. 660, 179 P.3d 852 (2008).

ANALYSIS

¶ 6 Generally, the issuance of a warrant is reviewed for abuse of discretion. State v. Neth, 165 Wash.2d 177, 182, 196 P.3d 658 (2008). However, Erickson asks us to determine whether a court may issue a bench warrant without a formal finding of probable cause on the underlying allegations after the probationer fails to appear at a probation violation hearing. This poses a question of law, which we review de novo. State v. George, 161 Wash.2d 203, 207, 164 P.3d 506 (2007).

¶ 7 "[E]very person accused of a crime is constitutionally endowed with an overriding presumption of innocence." State v. Crediford, 130 Wash.2d 747, 759, 927 P.2d 1129 (1996) (citing Morissette v. United States, 342 U.S. 246, 275, 72 S.Ct. 240, 96 L.Ed. 288 (1952)). It has been established that the Fourth Amendment provides a minimum level of protection against searches and seizures and that article I, section 7 generally provides greater protection. State v. Walker, 157 Wash.2d 307, 313, 138 P.3d 113 (2006). Our state constitution states that "[n]o person shall be disturbed in his private affairs, or his home invaded, without authority of law." Const. art. I, § 7. "Authority of law" may be provided by the existence of a valid warrant. City of Seattle v. McCready, 123 Wash.2d 260, 272, 868 P.2d 134 (1994). A court rule may also provide the authority of law necessary. See id. at 273, 868 P.2d 134. Additionally, the Fourth Amendment states that "no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized." U.S. Const. amend. IV. In general, accused individuals may not be haled into court on arrest warrants not supported by probable cause. State v. Klinker, 85 Wash.2d 509, 516, 537 P.2d 268 (1975) (striking down a filiation statute authorizing a warrant for arrest based upon the complaint of an unmarried woman accusing a man of being the father of her child). Any evidence obtained from an illegal search or seizure is subject to the exclusionary rule. Mapp v. Ohio,

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