State v. Joseph

351 So. 2d 1162
Supreme Court of Louisiana·Decided November 14, 1977·No. 59684·Published·Cited by 13 cases

Opinion

351 So.2d 1162 (1977)

STATE of Louisiana
v.
Alfred JOSEPH and Gilbert Hill.

No. 59684.

Supreme Court of Louisiana.

November 14, 1977.

*1163 Barry F. Viosca, Orleans Indigent Defender Program, New Orleans, for Gilbert Hill.

Frederick T. Kolb, Sessions, Fishman, Rosenson, Snellings & Boisfontaine, New Orleans, for Alfred Joseph.

*1164 William J. Guste, Jr., Atty. Gen., Barbara Rutledge, Asst. Atty. Gen., Harry F. Connick, Dist. Atty., John L. A. Lenfant, IV, Asst. Dist. Atty., for plaintiff-appellee.

DIXON, Justice.

Alfred Joseph and Gilbert Hill were jointly indicted for possession of heroin with intent to distribute, in violation of R.S. 40:966. After separate jury trials, defendant Joseph was convicted of attempted possession of heroin with intent to distribute, found to be a habitual offender, and sentenced to serve twenty-five years at hard labor; defendant Hill was convicted of possession of heroin and sentenced to serve ten years at hard labor. Joseph relies on five assignments of error and Hill relies on nine assignments of error for reversal of their convictions and sentences. Finding reversible error in the first assignments of error of both defendants, we pretermit consideration of the other assignments.

Defendants contend that the trial court erred in denying their motions to suppress evidence seized. The basis of their motions was that the affidavit used to procure the search warrant was inadequate to establish probable cause for a search.

Pursuant to the search warrant, the following evidence was seized: fifteen tin foils of brown heroin, one hypodermic syringe and hypodermic needles with holders, over $100 in currency, numerous pieces of paper with writing and numbers allegedly of the type used by heroin sellers to record sales, and various other paraphernalia related to the use of heroin.

The reasons and facts for the request of a search warrant set out in the affidavit of Detective Frank Ben, upon which the warrant's issuance was based, read as follows:

"1. On Thursday, October 24, 1975 at about 7:30AM Det. Frank T. Ben received information from Det. Albert Green at the Urban Sq. Office that heroin was being sold from 504 Forstall St.
2. At about 8:00AM on 10-24-75 Det. Ben, Green and Johnson went to the area of the 500 block of Forstall St. to conduct a mobile surviellance (sic) of the residence at 504 Forstall St. Det. Green at the time was in contact by telephone with a reliable confidential informant whose information had lead (sic) to arrest and convictions in the past. The C.I. stated that a telephone call would be placed to the officer as soon as he observed drug activity at 504 Forstall St. Meanwhile the officer continued their vehicle surviellance (sic) of the area. At about 9:45AM the officers were notified that the white car was in the 500 block of Forstall St.
The officers immediately went to the area of the 500 block of Forstall St. and observed a NM walking from 504 Forstall St. and re-enter the white Pont'. The car then left the area. The officers followed the vehicle and subsequently stopped the car at the intersection of Caffin and N. Rampart St. the vehicle lie # was 432B306. As the officers alighted from the vehicle the male in the passenger front seat put several pieces of tin foil into his mouth, and became engaged in a struggle with Det. Ben. The suspect was able to swallow the tin foil. The persons in the vehicle were I.D. as Lehman Jackson NM heroin addict, Russell Lewis NM, who at the time of the interview admitted to swallowing marijuana as the officers stopped the vehicle and Brad Turner NM admitted addict, who admitted that he had swallowed heroin when the officers stopped the car. The trio (3) were released.

3. On 10-25-75 at about 8:00AM Det. F. Ben conducted a surviellance (sic) of the residence at 504 Forstall St. and observed the following:

A) At about 8:55AM the officer observed a white Buick (64) park in the 500 block of Forstall St. with four (4) person in the car.
B) At about 9:00AM Det. Ben observed a tan Chevy Station Wagon park in front of 502 Forstall with a small child and a NM driver and a NF passenger. The male was wearing a yellow shirt and a grey hat and DkGrey checked pants. As he exited the vehicle he motioned for the persons in the white vehicle to come to *1165 him. At the same time he took a radio from the car which had a paper bag in the back of it, and walked toward 504 Forstall St. The female and child then left the area in the chevy wagon. The NM opened the door to 504 Forstall St. and the two (2) passengers alighted from the Buick and approached him, but were motioned to the rear of the residence by walking to Douglass St. A short time later the NM re-appeared at the front door of 504, and the two (2) NMs walked from the Douglass side of the residence and back to the car nervously all the while holding one hand in a fist. The Buick then left the area.
C) At about 9:15AM a marked police vehicle passed the intersection of Chartres and Forstall St.
D) At about 9:25AM a Grey and black 71 Cadillac stopped in the intersection of Douglass and Forstall St. with three (3) persons in the car. At the same time the marked police car passed on the levy (sic) in a uptown direction, and the NM came to the door of 504 Forstall and called for them (Cadillac) to park the car and not worry. The passenger alighted from the front seat of the Cadillac and walked to 504 Forstall Street and met with the male from the residence who had exited to the front steps. The two (2) conversed about the police car on the levy (sic), and the passenger told the male that he had also seen a yellow police car down the street, which seemed to unnerve the male, and the two (2) then entered the residence.
A short time later the passenger exited the residence and was pick-up by the Cadillac which blew its horn. The male then exited the residence with a bag which he placed under the back of his shirt, and then entered the Cadillac in the front seat. The car then left the area in the lake direction on Forstall St.
4. With the information received and the surviellance (sic) conducted and the fact that addicts (heroin) were stopped immediately after they left the residence and admitted to have had heroin in their possession it is the belief of the affiant that there is presently being concealed at 504 Forstall St. narcotics."
C.Cr.P. 162 provides in part:
"A search warrant may issue only upon probable cause established to the satisfaction of the judge, by the affidavit of a credible person, reciting facts establishing the cause for issuance of the warrant."

In Aguilar v. Texas, 378 U.S. 108, 84 S.Ct. 1509, 12 L.Ed.2d 723 (1964), the United States Supreme Court set forth, in a "two-pronged" test, the criterion which a magistrate must follow in determining if an affidavit based upon hearsay has established probable cause for the issuance of a search warrant: (1) the affiant must articulate the basis for his belief that the informant is trustworthy, and (2) the affidavit must indicate the underlying circumstances from which the informant concluded that the narcotics were where he contended they would be. Later the court in Spinelli v. United States, 393 U.S. 410, 89 S.Ct.

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State v. Joseph, 351 So. 2d 1162 (La. 1977).

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