State v. Gates

150 N.W.2d 617, 260 Iowa 772, 1967 Iowa Sup. LEXIS 797
CourtSupreme Court of Iowa
DecidedMay 2, 1967
Docket52394
StatusPublished
Cited by29 cases

This text of 150 N.W.2d 617 (State v. Gates) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Iowa primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
State v. Gates, 150 N.W.2d 617, 260 Iowa 772, 1967 Iowa Sup. LEXIS 797 (iowa 1967).

Opinion

Moore, J.

This appeal, following defendant’s conviction and sentence on charge of forgery and uttering a forged instrument, turns on whether the trial court was justified in (1) denying his motion to suppress evidence seized during an alleged illegal search and (2) denying his application to take depositions of the four witnesses listed on the county attorney’s information.

I. On March 30, 1966, pursuant to assignment, trial on the two count county attorney’s information commenced. By agreement of counsel, defendant’s motion to suppress evidéfice was submitted to the trial court out of the jury’s presence. Defendant alleged the search and seizure of a canned ham from the trunk of his automobile was illegal and in violation of his rights guaranteed by Amendment 4 to the Constitution of the United States. Testimony of Sheriff Tharp and defendant was taken surrounding the search and the seizure of the canned ham which the State claimed was purchased at the time defendant forged and uttered a check at a supermarket in Oskaloosa.

The trial court overruled the motion to suppress. His findings include a specific finding defendant had consented to *774 the search. On trial Sheriff Tharp related the events leading to finding the ham in the trunk of defendant’s automobile the next day after defendant’s arrest on a warrant. The manager of the supermarket, where the check involved was endorsed and cashed, identified defendant and testified the ham had been purchased at the store. It was received as an exhibit. It was offered as additional proof defendant was in the store. If the search was illegal the exhibit was not admissible at the trial following overruling of defendant’s motion to suppress. Mapp v. Ohio, 367 U. S. 643, 81 S. Ct. 1684, 6 L. Ed.2d 1081, 84 A. L. R.2d 933.

II. It is well settled the constitutional guarantee prohibiting unreasonable searches and seizures may be waived by consent. Foley v. Utterback, 196 Iowa 956, 958, 195 N.W. 721, 722; State v. Post, 255 Iowa 573, 581, 123 N.W.2d 11, 16; State v. Shephard, 255 Iowa 1218, 1222, 124 N.W.2d 712, 714; Zap v. United States, 328 U. S. 624, 628, 66 S. Ct. 1277, 1279, 90 L. Ed. 1477, 1482.

III. There was no illegal search and seizure of property found in defendant’s automobile if defendant freely and intelligently gave his consent to the search. Robinson v. United States, 5 Cir., 325 F.2d 880, 884 (defendant then under arrest); Burge v. United States, 8 Cir., 332 F.2d 171, 173, and citations; Weed v. United States, 10 Cir., 340 F.2d 827, 829; Commonwealth v. Anderson, 208 Pa. Super. 323, 222 A.2d 495, 499.

The facts in Tanner v. State, 114 Ga. App. 35, 150 S.E.2d 189, are much like those in the case at bar. After lawful arrest defendant gave officers permission to examine his automobile more closely. They had previously made some search of it. On closer examination the fruits of a burglary were found as well as a 38-caliber pistol. The Georgia court held these articles admissible although no search warrant had been obtained.

IV. The burden of demonstrating evidence has been illegally procured normally devolves upon the accused in a, motion to suppress such evidence. However, where the govern-, ment relies upon consent to an otherwise illegal search and seizure, it has the burden of proving by clear and convincing evidence the consent was voluntary and free from duress and. *775 coercion. State v. Shephard, 255 Iowa 1218, 1222, 124 N.W.2d 712, 714, 715, and citations.

Y. Whether consent has been given freely and intelligently in a particular ease is a factual matter to be determined in the first instance by the trial court and where the evidence is factually in conflict this court will accept the finding below if it is supported by substantial evidence. State v. Shephard, supra; Ker v. California, 374 U. S. 23, 33, 83 S. Ct. 1623, 10 L. Ed.2d 726, 738; United States v. Page, 9 Cir., 302 F.2d 81, 83; Burge v. United States, 8 Cir., 332 F.2d 171, 173; People v. Peterson, 17 Ill.2d 513, 162 N.E.2d 380, 381. In this connection see State v. Brant, 260 Iowa 758, 150 N.W.2d 621.

In the last analysis, the question of the validity of the search and seizure here involved must be determined by reference to whether it was reasonable or unreasonable in light of the surrounding facts and circumstances. Precedents are of little value. State v. Shephard, Ker v. California and Commonwealth v. Anderson, all supra. In United States v. Rabinowitz, 339 U. S. 56, 63, 70 S. Ct. 430, 434, 94 L. Ed. 653, 659, the court said: “What is a reasonable search is not to be determined by any fixed formula. The Constitution does not define what are ‘unreasonable’ searches and, regrettably, in our discipline we have no ready litmus-paper test. The recurring questions of the reasonableness of searches must find resolution in the. facts and circumstances of each case.”

We proceed therefore to an examination of the record in the case at bar.

VI. Walter Tharp, Mahaska County sheriff, testified he went to the Wapello County jail at Ottumwa at approximately 7:30 p.m. January 8, 1966, and served defendant with a warrant issued in Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, by a Justice of the Peace. Defendant had apparently been arrested by Ottumwa police on an alarm from Oskaloosa describing defendant and his white 1959 Cadillac. Upon searching defendant’s person Tharp found $616, in one, five, ten and twenty dollar denominations in defendant’s socks. After fingerprinting and photographing defendant was taken to his car at the Ottumwa police station where it was *776 searched and nothing found. The car trunk was not searched at that time.

Defendant was then taken to Oskaloosa and arraigned before a Justice of the Peace. He there made phone calls including one to his home. He was then incarcerated in the Mahaska County-jail. The next morning, Sunday, January 9, 1966, defendant’s automobile at his request was moved from Ottumwa and parked back of the Mahaska County jail. Shortly after noon that day defendant was taken to his ear by the sheriff where there was a conversation concerning search of the trunk.

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Bluebook (online)
150 N.W.2d 617, 260 Iowa 772, 1967 Iowa Sup. LEXIS 797, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-gates-iowa-1967.