State v. Jensen

915 P.2d 109, 259 Kan. 781
CourtSupreme Court of Kansas
DecidedApril 19, 1996
DocketNo. 73,406; No. 73,467; No. 73,578
StatusPublished
Cited by30 cases

This text of 915 P.2d 109 (State v. Jensen) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Kansas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
State v. Jensen, 915 P.2d 109, 259 Kan. 781 (kan 1996).

Opinion

The opinion of the court was delivered by

ALLEGRUCCI, J.:

The State of Kansas appeals from the district court’s dismissal of possession of marijuana charges in two separate criminal cases in which the court held the prosecution would con[782]*782stitute double jeopardy. Jensen- appeals from his conviction of possessing marijuana without paying the drug tax and the denial of his motion to suppress the evidence seized from a search , of his residence. The cases have been consolidated on appeal.

Two issues are raised in this consolidated appeal:

1. Should the evidence seized from Jensen’s residence have been suppressed because the warrant-issuing judge was misled by the informant’s testimony?.

2. Does assessment and partial or complete satisfaction of tax and penalty under the Kansas Drug Tax Act, K.S.A. 79-5201 et seq., bar subsequent criminal prosecution on a charge arising from possessing the drug?, _ .

Jensen tiled a motion to suppress evidence obtained during execution of a search warrant at his residence. A hearing was conducted, and the district court filed a written decision denying the motion. At the urging of Jensen, the'district court clarified its earlier decision by filing findings of fact and conclusions of law in formally numbered paragraphs. The findings of fact were as follows: . . .

“1. On June 22,1993, David Zellmer, a Sheriff’s Deputy and a member of the Ellis County Drug Enforcement Unit was called out of a meeting to talk to a man by the name of Robert Kiehl.
“2. Deputy Zellmer did not know Kiehl well, and had only met him once before, approximately two weeks prior to June 22,1993. On this earlier occasion, Detective Tom Meiers of the Hays Police Department asked Zellmer to take Kiehl home in an unmarked car. Kiehl was a witness in an investigation being carried on by Detective Meiers. This investigation was unrelated to any of the matters presented in the above captioned case.
“3. During the course of the June 22, 1993 conversation, Kiehl told Zellmer that Roy Jensen was selling marijuana and growing it in Jensen’s home. Kiehl further stated that he had been to Jensen’s home with Chad Weilert, and that Weilert had purchased $200.00 or $250.00 worth of marijuana from Jensen. At this time, Kiehl stated that he saw 50 to 100 marijuana plants in Jensen’s basement, and described the conditions under which these plants were being grown.
“4. On the morning of June 23, 1993, Deputy Zellmer had Kiehl appear at the Ellis County Law Enforcement Center. Zellmer interviewed Kiehl. During this interview, Kiehl gave .an accurate description of Roy Jensen, with whom Zellmer was acquainted. Kiehl also described certain vehicles which belonged to Jensen, described Jensen’s home, and the general area in Hays, Kansas where the Jensen home was located. Kiehl did not know the street, address of the Jensen home.
[783]*783“5. Zellmer, in an effort to corroborate Kiehl’s story, put Kiehl in Zellmer’s vehicle, with Zellmer driving, and asked Kiehl to direct him to the Jensen home. Kiehl did so, and Deputy Zellmer was able to observe the Jensen home, which matched Kiehl’s previous description. The motor vehicles previously described by Kiehl were at the Jensen residence.
“6. At some point in time after the June 22,1993 conversation between Deputy Zellmer and Kiehl, Zellmer contacted Detective Jim Braun of the Hays Police Department, also a member of the Ellis County Drug Task Force. Braun was ásked by Zellmer to assist in the investigation.
“7. Additional means of corroborating Kiehl’s story were considered. Detective Zellmer considered checking Jensen’s city water bill and his electric bill to determine whether water and electricity consumption were consistent with a marijuana growing operation. Investigation determined that Jensen had a water well at his home, and therefore city water usage information was unavailable or would not be rehable. Midwest Energy, which supplies power utilities to Jensen’s home, would not release power consumption information without a warrant.
“8. Deputy Zellmer and Detective Braun decided that Kiehl should personally appear before Judge Tom Scott of the Ellis.County District Court, as neither officer knew Kiehl well, and they were unable to find any additional corroboration for his story. The officers desired that Judge Scott be able to see and hear Kiehl’s testimony, and be able to reach his own conclusions about Kiehl’s reliability.
“9. Kiehl appeared before Judge Scott on June 23, 1993 and gave testimony under oath in support of an application for a search warrant authorizing a search of Jensen’s home. A search warrant was issued by Judge Scott on that date.
“10. As a result of a search of the Jensen home under authority of the warrant, marijuana and paraphernalia were found; however, no growing marijuana was found in the basement of the Jensen home. The only growing plant that was recovered as a result of the search was a plant growing in the back yard of the Jensen residence.
“11. As a result of items found in the search conducted, Jensen was charged in this case.
“12. Robert Kiehl was not at any time relevant to this case a law enforcement officer or government employee. He was not acting at any time relevant hereto on behalf of any governmental agency, or in any capacity, or under any circumstances by virtue of which his actions could be considered governmental action.
“13. Neither Deputy Zellmer nor Detective Braun knew or had reason to know of any matter in Kiehl’s background which would cast doubt on his veracity or reliability, including, but not limited to, any knowledge of mental disease, disability or treatment history.
“14. The two officers did not tell Judge Scott, at the time the application for search warrant was being considered, that they had attempted to corroborate Kiehl’s testimony through water and electricity bills.
“15. Defendant filed a motion to suppress the evidence seized in the search on the basis that the testimony of Kiehl in support of the search warrant was perjured. [784]*784In support of this motion, defendant attached the sworn testimony of Chad Weil-ert and the affidavit of Roy Jensen.
“16. The law enforcement personnel who executed the search warrant, and all officers connected with the warrant and the search did so in good faith reliance upon the search warrant.”

The record on appeal also reveals the following facts pertaining to the search of Jensen’s residence:

The application for search warrant is dated Wednesday, June 23, 1993, at 10:34 a.m. Detective Jim Braun was the affiant. In the space for attested facts upon which the application is based, there is only the notation, “(oral affidavit).” The “oral affidavit” was made when Detective Braun was sworn in and Kiehl and Deputy Zellmer gave sworn testimony in the presence of a district judge. Questions were asked of them by the county attorney.

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Bluebook (online)
915 P.2d 109, 259 Kan. 781, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-jensen-kan-1996.