State v. Lee

172 So. 2d 678, 247 La. 554, 1965 La. LEXIS 2372
CourtSupreme Court of Louisiana
DecidedFebruary 23, 1965
DocketNo. 47482
StatusPublished
Cited by18 cases

This text of 172 So. 2d 678 (State v. Lee) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Louisiana primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
State v. Lee, 172 So. 2d 678, 247 La. 554, 1965 La. LEXIS 2372 (La. 1965).

Opinions

HAMITER, Justice.

Jerry Lee, alias Jerry Nedd, and Elizabeth Johnson were charged jointly in a bill of information with illegal possession of eleven marijuana cigarettes. Following a trial, Nedd was convicted as charged and sentenced to serve twenty years at hard labor in the state penitentiary. Elizabeth Johnson was found guilty of attempted possession and given a sentence of two and one-half years in the same penal institution. Only Nedd asked for and was granted an appeal.

In this court appellant relies on three perfected bills of exceptions.

Bill No. 1 was taken to the overruling of a motion to suppress (made prior to trial), it being alleged therein that the contraband, with the possession of which the defendant was charged, had been seized through the use of an illegal search warrant. Bill No. 2 was reserved during the course of the trial when the court, over defense objection, permitted the introduction of the same articles previously sought to be suppressed. Bill No. 3 was reserved to the denial of a motion for a new trial which was based on the allegedly improper introduction. Consequently, this appeal presents only the question of whether the search and seizure, by which the state obtained possession of the introduced items, were lawful.

At the outset we notice that the evidence adduced at the hearing of the motion to suppress (as well as that received during the trial) has not been attached to and made part of any of the perfected bills of exceptions, although it is physically in the record. For this reason such evidence cannot be considered (State v. LeBleu, 203 La. 337, 14 So.2d 17, State v. Gaines et al., 223 La. 711, 66 So.2d 618, and State v. Watson, 247 La. 102, 170 So.2d 107, and the cases cited therein) ; the issue involved must be determined only from an examination of the facts as recited in the per curiams of the trial judge (State v. Sullivan, 159 La. 589, 105 So. 631, State v. Cannon, 231 La. 877, 93 So.2d 200, State v. Edwards, 232 La. 577, 94 So.2d 674, City of Monroe v. Sharpe, 235 La. 1005, 106 So.2d 450, State v. Leierer, 242 La. 961, 140 So.2d 375, State v. Howard, 243 La. 971, 149 So.2d 409, and State v. McAllister, 244 La. 42, 150 So.2d 577. See also LRS 15:504).

[558]*558In the hills of exceptions it is stated that the contraband was seized pursuant to an affidavit and a warrant which originally described the premises to be searched as municipal number 2127 Bienville Street, City of New Orleans; but that prior to the warrant’s execution the executing officer telephoned the issuing judge, informed such judge that the address was incorrect, and was granted permission to change the municipal number from 2127 to 2123 Bienville Street. The defendant’s contention is that such an amendment violated the fundamental requirements of the law relative to the issuance of search warrants, and it rendered unlawful the search and seizure made pursuant to the amended warrant.

In a per curiam, with regard to this alleged defect in the warrant, the judge states: “ * * * the defendant contends that since the affidavit and search warrant were originally issued for 2127 Bienville Street, and that since the Court permitted the officer on the telephone to change the address before executing the warrant that said warrant was void. The testimony on the Motion to Quash revealed that when the officer went to the location of the house described to him he discovered that the house which had been described bore a different number than that which was contained in the application and search warrant; that before executing said warrant, he called Judge Wimberly on the telephone, identified himself as Officer Spako and was given permission by the Judge to change the address on the warrant. Thus, at the time the warrant was executed, the address was correct. It would thus appear this correction was perfectly valid and this contention without merit.”

The stated conclusion, in our opinion, is erroneous. The apparently uniform rule is set forth in 79 C.J.S. verbo Searches and Seizures § 82, p. 896, as follows: “Search warrants are of such grave importance that they may be amended, if at all, only by the officer issuing them, and then only in conformity with the affidavits or depositions on which they are based. Thus, a warrant is invalid if it is amended by the executing officers, even on the consent of the issuing officer, or on a telephone communication from him. Moreover, the issuing officer cannot amend the warrant unless the affidavit itself is so amended as to conform to the proposed change or unless the original affiant performs some corporal act which would constitute an oath. * * * ” See also Buchannan v. State, 114 Tex.Cr.R. 418, 25 S.W.2d 838 (insertion of initials), United States v. Mitchell et al., D.C., 274 F. 128 (insertion of apartment number before street address), United States v. Constantino, D.C., 201 F.Supp. 160 (change of street number), Cornelius on Search and Seizure, 2d Ed., page 585, and Varón on Searches, Seizures and Immunities, Vol. 1, page 354, et seq. In the cases just men[560]*560tioned the changes were made with the permission of the issuing magistrate.

The reason for strict adherence to the quoted rule is set forth, at page 354 in the last cited authority, thusly: “There is a valid reason for such rule as it has been established that when a judicial officer issues a warrant, he does so after a determination of probable cause, and is presumed to have examined the affidavits, supporting evidence and complied with all the prerequisites of the mandates of the enacted laws and constitutional authority. To permit the modification of a writ, after it has left the possessive jurisdiction of the judicial officer, and allow a third person to make amendments or corrections thereto, would destroy the spirit and intent of the constitutional and legal import of the instrument. Suffice it to say, that the majority rule of law concerning amendments to search warrants is thus succinctly expressed: Only a judicial officer may issue a search warrant, and the issuance thereof is a judicial function. No one else may have the right to alter, modify, or correct such writ, as in so doing, the judicial authority is usurped.”

Also in the Varón text is the following pertinent observation found on page 318: “Under no circumstances should the names, places, descriptions or designations in the search warrant differ than that which has already been established and judicially determined in the affidavit which was the basis of the search warrant. It is conceivable that a search warrant may describe a building to be searched which may be altogether-different than the description that was given-to the magistrate or issuing authority in-the affidavit. It follows therefore that there was no basis or authority for the issuance-of the search warrant, as the variance between the two instruments is so divergent that the search warrant must fall.” See. also Cornelius text page 508, Section 210.

Incidentally, in the instant case it does-, not appear that the affidavit, originally naming 2127 Bienville Street as the place-to be searched, was amended prior to execution of the warrant, the per curiam reciting-only that the warrant had been changed. Seemingly, this apparent defect alone would' be fatal to the validity of the warrant and', the search made thereunder.

Counsel for the state, recognizing the general rule relative to the amendment off search warrants, insists that the facts here-distinguish this case from those cited and that they render such rule inapplicable.

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State v. Lee
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Bluebook (online)
172 So. 2d 678, 247 La. 554, 1965 La. LEXIS 2372, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-lee-la-1965.