State v. Harrison

622 P.2d 288, 95 N.M. 383
CourtNew Mexico Court of Appeals
DecidedDecember 30, 1980
Docket4742
StatusPublished
Cited by6 cases

This text of 622 P.2d 288 (State v. Harrison) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering New Mexico Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
State v. Harrison, 622 P.2d 288, 95 N.M. 383 (N.M. Ct. App. 1980).

Opinion

OPINION

HENDLEY, Judge.

Convicted of possession of heroin, defendant appeals asserting that “[t]he search of the defendant’s person exceeded the scope of the warrant and affidavit. No probable cause for the search existed, nor were there exigent circumstances which would justify a warrantless search.”

Detectives Florio, Smith and Garcia, pursuant to a search warrant, were authorized to search a motel room and a named occupant, Dionel Tenorio. The applicant for the search warrant, Florio, knew defendant would be in the room. Florio testified, “We met with the informant again prior to executing the warrant to make sure he was in the room. At that time he also mentioned that Marcia Harrison was in the room. I did not go back and redo the affidavit.”

Garcia testified:

Q. Okay. You had previous information that she or Dionel Tenorio may have had that specific weapon?
A. Right. I didn’t know which one of them would have it. But we had information that one of them did.
Q. Did you have any previous information that either of them had any other weapons?
A. Oh, yes. I had had a previous encounter with both of the same subjects, Marcia Harrison and Dionel Tenorio, some month and a half or two months earlier, in which I had personal knowledge that they did have access to weapons.
Q. Did you ever tell Detective Florio that you had knowledge that either Miss Harrison or Mr. Tenorio may be armed with this pen gun?
A. Prior to execution of the search warrant, we all had knowledge — myself, Florio and Detective Smith, that one or the other may be armed.
Q. Armed with a pen gun?
A. With the pen gun, yes.
Q. Did you put that in the affidavit and search warrant?
A. We didn’t find out about the pen gun until after the affidavit was typed and ready to be brought to a District Attorney.

Upon reaching the room, Garcia knocked and Smith placed the passkey in the lock. There was no answer, so they entered. Tenorio was lying on the bed and defendant was sitting on its edge. Upon seeing the officers, defendant ran to the bathroom, but Garcia grabbed her before she could reach for the commode.

Smith testified:

A. ... Through information that we had prior to going in the room, we had expected to find a pen gun. On the chance that it would be in the purse, I looked through the purse and found the pen gun and some syringes.
Q. At the time that you found the pen, had she emptied her pockets, had she searched her pockets?
A. No, I think I found the pen gun first.

Defendant was placed against the wall in a frisking position, but because she was a female, they did not search her, but directed her to pat down her pockets. As defendant was patting down her pockets, Garcia could see that there was something in them but could not tell what the items were. He testified that the bulges observed gave him reason to believe that they may be weapons. He ordered her to remove the item from her left rear pocket. The item was $125 in United States currency.

Garcia then had her pat her left front pants pockets and then empty the pocket. Garcia testified, “From her left front pants pocket, I think it was probably, the way it was wrapped, maybe two inches in length. It was wrapped up, a baggie, in a plastic baggie wrapped up together with a rubber band or else it was tied together.” Defendant pulled out pills and tinfoil-wrapped objects. The same occurred with regard to her right front pants pocket.

On cross-examination, Detective Garcia further testified as to the size of a pen gun, which was a little longer and a little bit fatter than the pen held by defense counsel. He stated that when he saw the bulge in defendant’s pocket from the money he did not believe that bulge was the outline of a pen gun. However, even though she was wearing tight pants, he did believe that it could have been a .25 automatic or any type of weapon. The package that she took from her left front pocket was about two inches in length. It was a baggie wrapped up with a rubber band or tied. It contained pills and about ten tinfoil packets. It was perhaps as long as a cigarette package, but not as wide and without as much bulk. The package from the right pocket was narrower, less bulky. Defendant was placed under arrest after her pockets were emptied.

During the search, Detective Smith saw a purse on the bed and proceeded to search it for the pen gun, which was in ~the bag. Detective Smith found the pen gun, and then observed the search of defendant’s pockets.

In State v. Ble a, 92 N.M. 269, 587 P.2d 47 (Ct.App.1978), this Court held that a search for weapons is proper even though the officers are without a reasonable belief that the person is armed and presently dangerous, so long as the person fits a class of people who are “often armed and often will attempt to leave the scene, using their vehicle ‘for a fast getaway’.”

In Ybarra v. Illinois, 444 U.S. 85, 100 S.Ct. 338, 62 L.Ed.2d 238 (1979), the police based upon information from a reliable informant, obtained a search warrant for a specified place and a specific person — The Aurora Tap Tavern and Greg the bartender. The warrant authorized a search for evidence of the offense of possession of a controlled substance. Seven or eight officers proceeded to the tavern and, upon entering, made a cursory search for weapons of all customers. The officer who first patted down Ybarra felt a cigarette pack containing certain objects. After the pat down, the officer returned to Ybarra and frisked him again and removed the cigarette pack from his pocket. Inside the pack were six tinfoil packets of heroin.

In reversing Ybarra’s conviction, the Supreme Court held:

It is true that the police possessed a warrant based on probable cause to search the tavern in which Ybarra happened to be at the time the warrant was executed. [Footnote omitted.] But, a person’s mere propinquity to others independently suspected of criminal activity does not, without more, give rise to probable cause to search that person. Sibron v. New York, 392 U.S. 40, 62-63 [88 S.Ct. 1889, 1902, 20 L.Ed.2d 917.] Where the standard is probable cause, a search or seizure of a person must be supported by probable cause particularized with respect to that person. This requirement cannot be undercut or avoided by simply pointing to the fact that coincidentally there exists probable cause to search or seize another or to search the premises where the person may happen to be.

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Related

State v. Villanueva
796 P.2d 252 (New Mexico Court of Appeals, 1990)
State v. Pena
779 P.2d 538 (New Mexico Supreme Court, 1989)
State v. Cobbs
711 P.2d 900 (New Mexico Court of Appeals, 1985)
State v. Broadnax
654 P.2d 96 (Washington Supreme Court, 1982)

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Bluebook (online)
622 P.2d 288, 95 N.M. 383, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-harrison-nmctapp-1980.