State v. Marks

503 So. 2d 32
CourtLouisiana Court of Appeal
DecidedDecember 23, 1986
Docket86 KA 0783
StatusPublished
Cited by12 cases

This text of 503 So. 2d 32 (State v. Marks) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Louisiana Court of Appeal primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
State v. Marks, 503 So. 2d 32 (La. Ct. App. 1986).

Opinion

503 So.2d 32 (1986)

STATE of Louisiana
v.
Larry B. MARKS.

No. 86 KA 0783.

Court of Appeal of Louisiana, First Circuit.

December 23, 1986.
Rehearing Denied February 19, 1987.
Writ Denied May 15, 1987.

Bernard E. Boudreux, Jr., Dist. Atty., James R. McClelland, Ass't Dist. Atty., Franklin, for appellee.

Michael A. Thomas, Franklin, for appellant.

Before EDWARDS, WATKINS and LeBLANC, JJ.

*33 WATKINS, Judge.

Defendant, Larry B. Marks, was found guilty of two counts of distributing marijuana, and appeals. The primary issues before us concern the warrantless tape recording of the defendant during a marijuana sale to an undercover officer and the defense of entrapment. For the reasons below, we affirm defendant's convictions.

FACTS

The record reflects that defendant was arrested after making two marijuana sales to undercover officer Donald Givens of the Louisiana State Police in October and November of 1984. Before these sales, Trooper Givens and Trooper Patrick LaSalle were assigned to make undercover drug purchases in St. Mary Parish. Trooper LaSalle learned from various informants that the defendant might be willing to sell them marijuana.

The first sale took place on October 20, 1984. After attempting to find the defendant at his home, Trooper Givens and an informant drove to a car wash in Franklin, Louisiana, where they met the defendant and a friend of his, Garland Conners. The informant told the defendant they wanted to buy some marijuana; the defendant walked to his car, and returned carrying a white towel. Inside Trooper Given's undercover car, defendant opened the towel to reveal a number of plastic baggies, or "lids," of marijuana. Trooper Givens selected one bag, and bought it from the defendant for fifty dollars. During the transaction, Trooper Givens was wearing a concealed microphone and transmitter, and the conversation was monitored and tape recorded by Trooper LaSalle.

The second sale took place thirteen days later, on November 2, 1984. At approximately 9:00 p.m., Trooper Givens drove, alone, to the defendant's house, and asked to buy more marijuana. Defendant walked to his car, and took a brown paper bag from under the driver's seat. Defendant said that he had some fifty dollar bags, but that he could prepare any lesser amount. Trooper Givens then asked for a twenty dollar amount. Defendant poured some marijuana into a coin envelope, handed the envelope to Trooper Givens, and took twenty dollars in return.

Defendant was charged by bill of information with two counts of distribution of marijuana in violation of LSA-R.S. 40:966(A). He entered a plea of not guilty and waived his right to a jury trial. The trial court found defendant guilty as charged and sentenced him to serve five years imprisonment at hard labor on each count. These sentences were suspended and defendant was placed on supervised probation for five years, subject to specified conditions, including one year imprisonment in the parish jail. In addition, the trial court sentenced defendant to pay a fine of $2,000.00 and court costs; in default of such payments defendant was to serve six months imprisonment in the parish jail. Defendant has appealed urging six assignments of error, which challenge the admission of a tape recording of the October 20 sale (assignments # 1, # 2, # 3, and # 4), the rejection of the defense of entrapment (assignment # 5), and the trial court's failure to dismiss the charges because of alleged governmental misconduct (assignment # 6).

STATEMENT OF LAW

Admission of the Tape Recordings

By his first four assignments of error, defendant argues that a tape recording of the October 20 marijuana sale was improperly admitted at trial. Defendant asserts that, because his conversations were recorded without a warrant and without his consent, he was deprived of his constitutional right to privacy under the Louisiana and United States Constitutions.

Article I, section 5 of the Louisiana Constitution of 1974 provides, in part, that every person shall be secure in his person and communications against unreasonable searches, seizures, or invasions of privacy. *34 In addition, it is provided that no warrant shall issue without probable cause.[1]

The Louisiana Supreme Court held, on rehearing in State v. Reeves, 427 So.2d 403, 410 (La.1982), that "the use of electronic surveillance equipment, which is hidden from view on the person of a consenting party to a conversation, does not `invade the privacy' of the other party or parties in the conversation within the meaning of our Constitution, and, therefore, the warrant requirement does not attach." The conversation recorded by Trooper Givens and Trooper LaSalle took place in public, at a car wash, and was recorded with the consent of one of the parties to the conversation, Trooper Givens. Under the circumstances, the tape recording did not violate the Louisiana Constitution and was properly admitted.

The Fourth Amendment to the United States Constitution, which is made applicable to the states by the Fourteenth Amendment, is, in many respects, similar to Article I, § 5 of the 1974 Louisiana Constitution. "Each is concerned with the protection of people and their privacy against unreasonable governmental intrusion." State v. Reeves, 427 So.2d at 412. The Fourth Amendment provides, in part, that every person shall be secure in his person against unreasonable searches and seizure, and that no warrants shall issue without probable cause.[2]

In United States v. White, 401 U.S. 745, 91 S.Ct. 1122, 28 L.Ed.2d 453 (1971) the Supreme Court held that consensual electronic surveillance, that is, surveillance with the consent of a party to the conversation, was not subject to the Fourth Amendment's warrant requirement, because it did not invade the constitutionally justifiable expectations of privacy of the defendant. Compare Katz v. United States, 389 U.S. 347, 88 S.Ct. 507, 19 L.Ed.2d 576 (1967) (recordings made from non-consensual electronic surveillance were inadmissible in evidence absent a warrant). In White, a government informer concealed a radio transmitter on his person and engaged in conversations with the defendant. Government agents who monitored the radio frequency were able to overhear certain incriminating statements by the defendant, but no warrant had been obtained. The Supreme Court upheld the trial court's admission of the agents' testimony, noting that each person who enters into a conversation assumes the risk that his listener may be a police agent who may report the conversation. Justice White, writing for the Court, made the following comments, which we believe are applicable to this case:

Concededly a police agent who conceals his police connections may write down for official use his conversations with a defendant and testify concerning them, without a warrant authorizing his encounters with the defendant and without otherwise violating the latter's Fourth Amendment rights. Hoffa v. United States, 385 U.S. [293] at 300-303, [87 S.Ct. 408 at 412-414], 17 L.Ed.2d [374] at 381, 382. For constitutional purposes, no different result is required if the agent instead of immediately reporting and transcribing his conversations with defendant, either (1) simultaneously records them with electronic equipment which he is carrying on his person, Lopez v. United States,

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
503 So. 2d 32, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-marks-lactapp-1986.