State v. Foster

2019 Ohio 2580
Procedural entryThis page is a short order in State v. Foster. Read the opinion of the Court — 121 N.E.3d 76
Ohio Court of Appeals·Decided June 27, 2019·No. 18AP-319 18AP-328·Published

Opinion

[Cite as State v. Foster, 2019-Ohio-2580.]

IN THE COURT OF APPEALS OF OHIO

TENTH APPELLATE DISTRICT

State of Ohio, :

Plaintiff-Appellee, : No. 18AP-319 v. : (C.P.C. No. 16CR-7241)

Paul Foster, III, : (REGULAR CALENDAR)

Defendant-Appellant. :

Plaintiff-Appellee, : No. 18AP-328 v. : (C.P.C. No. 16CR-7240)

Jimmy Todd, : (REGULAR CALENDAR)

D E C I S I O N

Rendered on June 27, 2019

On brief: Ron O'Brien, Prosecuting Attorney, and Barbara A. Farnbacher, for appellee. Argued: Barbara A. Farnbacher.

On brief: Timothy R. Dougherty, for appellant Paul Foster; Gerald G. Simmons, for appellant Jimmy Todd. Argued: Gerald G. Simmons.

APPEALS from the Franklin County Court of Common Pleas McGRATH, J. {¶ 1} Defendants-appellants, Jimmy Todd and Paul Foster, III, each filed appeals from judgments of conviction entered by the Franklin County Court of Common Pleas pursuant to a plea of no contest after the trial court denied their motions to suppress. For the following reasons, we affirm the trial court's judgments. No. 18AP-319 and 18AP-328 2

I. Facts and Procedural History {¶ 2} Jimmy Todd was indicted on December 29, 2016 on one count of possession of marijuana, a violation of R.C. 2925.11, and one count of illegal cultivation of marijuana, a violation of R.C. 2925.11. Paul Foster, III, was indicted on December 29, 2016 on one count of possession of cocaine, a violation of R.C. 2925.11, one count of aggravated possession of drugs, a violation of R.C. 2925.11, a felony of the third degree, one count of aggravated possession of drugs, a violation of R.C. 2925.11, a felony of the fifth degree, and one count of possession of marijuana, a violation of R.C. 2925.11. Each of those four counts carried a firearm specification. {¶ 3} The cases were consolidated. On July 16, 2017, appellant Todd filed a motion to suppress all the evidence seized as a result of a search of his residence conducted by law enforcement officers pursuant to a search warrant. Appellant Foster filed a motion to disclose the informant's identity. The appellants joined in each other's motions. The trial court held a joint hearing on January 3, 2018 and the trial court indicated that the motion to disclose the informant's identity was either moot or withdrawn. (Jan. 3, 2018 Tr. at 7.) The trial court overruled the motion to suppress. On February 20, 2018, both defendants entered a plea of no contest. Appellant Todd was found guilty and sentenced to 3 years of community control with conditions. Appellant Foster was found guilty and sentenced to a non-mandatory period of prison of 36 months as to Counts 1 and 2, plus 9 months as to Counts 3 and 4, and 1 year for the firearm specification. All counts were to be served concurrent with each other but consecutive to the mandatory one year for the firearm specification conviction. II. Assignments of Error {¶ 4} Appellants filed timely appeals which were consolidated and filed a joint brief, assigning the following two assignments of error for our review: [I.] Did the court abuse its discretion in finding the detective credible during the Franks v. Delaware hearing?

[II.] The trial Court should have continued to hear the motion to suppress after it ruled against the Appellants on the Franks v. Delaware issue. No. 18AP-319 and 18AP-328 3

III. Standard of Review {¶ 5} "Appellate review of a motion to suppress presents a mixed question of law and fact." State v. Burnside, 100 Ohio St.3d 152, 2003-Ohio-5372, ¶ 8. In ruling on a motion to suppress, the trial court is the trier of fact and is in the best position to resolve questions of fact and evaluate the credibility of witnesses. State v. Quintero, 10th Dist. No. 18AP-102, 2018-Ohio-5145, ¶ 19. Therefore, this court "must accept the trial court's findings of fact if they are supported by competent, credible evidence." Burnside at ¶ 8, citing State v. Fanning, 1 Ohio St.3d 19, 20 (1982). "Accepting these facts as true, the appellate court must then independently determine, without deference to the conclusion of the trial court, whether the facts satisfy the applicable legal standard." Id., citing State v. McNamara, 124 Ohio App.3d 706, 710 (4th Dist.1997). IV. Analysis {¶ 6} In their first assignment of error, appellants contend that the trial court abused its discretion in finding that the detective was credible during the hearing. In the motion to suppress, appellants argued the affidavit in support of the search warrant was not supported by probable cause because it contained false statements that were deliberately or recklessly made. The trial court noted that the parties agreed to limit the hearing to the accuracy and truthfulness of the information contained in the search warrant pursuant to Franks v. Delaware, 438 U.S. 154 (1978). {¶ 7} Pursuant to the Fourth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, a search warrant must be supported by probable cause. Article I, Section 14 of the Ohio Constitution contains nearly identical language as the Fourth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution and provides the same protection as the Fourth Amendment. Quintero at ¶ 22, citing State v. Banks-Harvey, 152 Ohio St.3d 368, 2018-Ohio-201, ¶ 16. {¶ 8} Crim.R. 41 provides that a prosecuting attorney or a police officer establishes probable cause for a search warrant through an affidavit. Probable cause involves a fair probability that criminal activity exists, not a prima facie demonstration of criminal activity. State v. Ingold, 10th Dist. No. 07AP-648, 2008-Ohio-2303, ¶ 6-7. Thus, if the totality of the circumstances establish a "fair probability that contraband or evidence of a crime will be found in a particular place," a judge may properly issue a search warrant. Illinois v. Gates, 462 U.S. 213, 238 (1983). No. 18AP-319 and 18AP-328 4

{¶ 9} The totality-of-the-circumstances analysis of Gates not only addresses the original probable cause determination of the magistrate but limits the role of a reviewing court to that of "simply to ensure that the magistrate had a 'substantial basis for * * * [concluding]' that probable cause existed." Id. at 238-39. The court stated: "[W]e have repeatedly said that after-the-fact scrutiny by courts of the sufficiency of an affidavit should not take the form of de novo review. A magistrate's 'determination of probable cause should be paid great deference by reviewing courts.' Spinelli [v. United States, 393 U.S. 410, 419 (1969)]." Gates at 236. A reviewing court should give great deference to the issuing judge's determination and " 'doubtful or marginal cases' " should be resolved in favor of upholding the search warrant. Gates at 237, fn. 10, quoting United States v. Ventresca, 380 U.S. 102, 109 (1965). {¶ 10} If an affidavit in support of a search warrant contains false or misleading information, no deference is owed to the issuing magistrate. "To successfully attack the veracity of a facially sufficient search warrant affidavit, a defendant must show by a preponderance of the evidence that the affiant made a false statement, either 'intentionally, or with reckless disregard to the truth.' " State v. Waddy, 63 Ohio St.3d 424 (1992), quoting Franks at 155-56, Waddy superseded by constitutional amendment on other grounds, as stated in State v. Smith, 80 Ohio St.3d 89, 102, fn. 4 (1997). "Reckless disregard" occurs when an affiant has serious doubts about the truth of an assertion. Id.

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Related

United States v. Ventresca
380 U.S. 102 (Supreme Court, 1965)
Spinelli v. United States
393 U.S. 410 (Supreme Court, 1969)
Franks v. Delaware
438 U.S. 154 (Supreme Court, 1978)
Illinois v. Gates
462 U.S. 213 (Supreme Court, 1983)
State v. McNamara
707 N.E.2d 539 (Ohio Court of Appeals, 1997)
State v. Allen, 08ap-264 (12-30-2008)
2008 Ohio 6916 (Ohio Court of Appeals, 2008)
State v. Gantz
665 N.E.2d 239 (Ohio Court of Appeals, 1995)
State v. Ingold, 07ap-648 (5-13-2008)
2008 Ohio 2303 (Ohio Court of Appeals, 2008)
State v. Quintero
2018 Ohio 5145 (Ohio Court of Appeals, 2018)
State v. Dehass
227 N.E.2d 212 (Ohio Supreme Court, 1967)
State v. Fanning
437 N.E.2d 583 (Ohio Supreme Court, 1982)
State v. George
544 N.E.2d 640 (Ohio Supreme Court, 1989)
State v. Waddy
588 N.E.2d 819 (Ohio Supreme Court, 1992)
State v. Keith
684 N.E.2d 47 (Ohio Supreme Court, 1997)
State v. Smith
80 Ohio St. 3d 89 (Ohio Supreme Court, 1997)
State v. Burnside
797 N.E.2d 71 (Ohio Supreme Court, 2003)
State v. Banks-Harvey
96 N.E.3d 262 (Ohio Supreme Court, 2018)
State v. Yarbrough
2002 Ohio 2126 (Ohio Supreme Court, 2002)