State v. Pittman

479 P.3d 1028, 367 Or. 498
CourtOregon Supreme Court
DecidedJanuary 28, 2021
DocketS067312
StatusPublished
Cited by6 cases

This text of 479 P.3d 1028 (State v. Pittman) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Oregon Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
State v. Pittman, 479 P.3d 1028, 367 Or. 498 (Or. 2021).

Opinion

Argued and submitted September 15, 2020; decision of Court of Appeals reversed, judgment of circuit court reversed, and case remanded to that court for further proceedings January 28, 2021

STATE OF OREGON, Respondent on Review, v. CATRICE PITTMAN, Petitioner on Review. (CC 16CN03799) (CA A162950) (SC S067312) 479 P3d 1028

In connection with a criminal prosecution for drug-related crimes, the state moved for a court order compelling defendant to unlock the phone that was found in defendant’s purse. The state sought the order so that it could search the phone, pursuant to a valid search warrant. The trial court granted the state’s motion, and, when defendant twice entered an incorrect passcode into the phone, the trial court held defendant in contempt. Defendant appealed, arguing that the court’s order violated her right against self-incrimination under Article I, section 12, of the Oregon Constitution and the Fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution. Held: Article I, section 12, permits a court order compelling a defen- dant to unlock a cell phone so long as the state (1) has a valid warrant authorizing it to seize and search the phone; (2) already knows the information that the act of unlocking the phone, by itself, would communicate; and (3) is prohibited from using the defendant’s act against the defendant, except to obtain access to the contents of the phone. Because the trial court did not make the required factual finding that the state already knew the information that the act of unlocking the phone would communicate, the trial court’s order was unlawful under Article I, section 12. The decision of the Court of Appeals is reversed. The judgment of the circuit court is reversed, and the case is remanded to that court for further proceedings.

En Banc On review from the Court of Appeals.* Ernest G. Lannet, Chief Defender, Office of Public Defense Services, Salem, argued the cause and filed the briefs for petitioner on review. Also on the briefs was Sarah Laidlaw, Deputy Defender. Jonathan N. Schildt, Assistant Attorney General, Salem, argued the cause and filed the brief for respondent on ______________ * On appeal from Marion County Circuit Court, Tracy A. Prall, Judge. 300 Or App 147, 452 P3d 1011 (2019). Cite as 367 Or 498 (2021) 499

review. Also on the brief were Ellen F. Rosenblum, Attorney General, and Benjamin Gutman, Solicitor General. Kendra M. Matthews, Boise Matthews Ewing LLP, Portland, filed the brief for amici curiae ACLU of Oregon, American Civil Liberties Union, and Electronic Frontier Foundation. Also on the brief was Kelly Simon, ACLU Foundation of Oregon. Franz H. Bruggemeier, Portland, filed the brief for amici curiae Oregon Justice Resource Center and Laurent Sacharoff. WALTERS, C. J. The decision of the Court of Appeals is reversed. The judgment of the circuit court is reversed, and the case is remanded to that court for further proceedings. 500 State v. Pittman

WALTERS, C. J. In connection with a criminal prosecution for deliv- ery of methamphetamine, the trial court ordered defen- dant to unlock a passcode-protected cell phone that had been found in her purse. Defendant resisted, contending that the order required that she perform an act that would provide incriminating, testimonial evidence, violating her right against self-incrimination under Article I, section 12, of the Oregon Constitution and the Fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution. The trial court concluded that the order was lawful and held defendant in contempt. The Court of Appeals affirmed the contempt judgment. State v. Pittman, 300 Or App 147, 164, 452 P3d 1011 (2019). Although we agree with the state that there are circum- stances in which such an order would not violate Article I, section 12, the record in this case does not include a factual finding by the trial court that would allow us to conclude that those circumstances are present here. Accordingly, we reverse. I. BACKGROUND Early one morning, defendant crashed her vehi- cle into a tree, injuring herself and the passengers in the car. Defendant and the passengers were transported to the hospital where staff provided defendant with trauma care and removed her clothing. While doing so, hospital staff dis- covered that defendant possessed a large amount of cash, a clear plastic baggie containing white powder, and a pipe, and they turned those items over to police officers. The offi- cers believed (and later confirmed) that the white substance was methamphetamine. The officers also discovered that, inside the baggie containing methamphetamine, there were multiple smaller clear plastic baggies. The officers believed that the baggies were of the type commonly used to sell smaller amounts of drugs and that defendant was selling or distributing drugs. At the hospital, Officer Brian Frazzini attempted to take defendant’s statement, and he observed that she appeared to be under the influence of a stimulant. Based on the totality of that evidence, the state eventually charged defendant with crimes, including delivery of meth- amphetamine, and booked her into jail. Cite as 367 Or 498 (2021) 501

While at the hospital, Officer Frazzini also made another observation that led to the seizure of the phone that is the focus of this case: He observed a “white smart phone style cell phone” in defendant’s purse. The police obtained a warrant to seize and search the phone. After seizing the phone, they realized that it was passcode-protected and that they could not unlock it. Supported by Frazzini’s affida- vit reporting what he had observed at the hospital, Officer Garon Boyce applied for a second search warrant and requested that the court “compel” defendant to provide the “numeric PIN numbers, alphanumeric passwords, patterns codes or other coded information to unlock the phone.” The court granted the second search warrant, and another offi- cer, Officer Angus Emmons, met with defendant at the jail. He provided defendant with a copy of the warrant and asked her to unlock the phone. Defendant did not comply. The state then filed a motion to compel defendant to unlock the phone. In its motion, the state acknowledged that, by unlocking the phone, defendant would “inferen- tially” communicate that she had control over, or access to, the phone, but “given that the defendant’s phone was located in her purse, the defendant’s words will not be an admission that the phone was in her control since the state has already established that fact.” Accordingly, the state argued, com- pelling defendant to unlock the phone would not violate defendant’s right against self-incrimination. Defendant opposed the motion. She contended, among other things,1 that compelling her to provide the passcode to the phone would violate her rights against self- incrimination under Article I, section 12, of the Oregon Constitution and the Fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution. She asserted that the acts of providing the passcode and unlocking the phone were each testimonial and could incriminate defendant because they would indi- cate that the phone belonged to her or that she had access to the contents of the phone. At a hearing, Officer Emmons testified. He explained that his role at the Salem Police Department was to conduct

1 Defendant also argued that the search warrant itself was overbroad and lacked particularity. That issue is not before our court. 502 State v. Pittman

technological investigations, and that the phone at issue was an iPhone, which is produced by Apple.

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Bluebook (online)
479 P.3d 1028, 367 Or. 498, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-pittman-or-2021.