State v. Porter

373 N.E.2d 1296, 53 Ohio Misc. 25, 7 Ohio Op. 3d 343, 1977 Ohio Misc. LEXIS 105
CourtCuyahoga County Common Pleas Court
DecidedJanuary 27, 1977
DocketNos. 29516-A, 29517, 29520-B, 29521-B, and 29522-A
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 373 N.E.2d 1296 (State v. Porter) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
State v. Porter, 373 N.E.2d 1296, 53 Ohio Misc. 25, 7 Ohio Op. 3d 343, 1977 Ohio Misc. LEXIS 105 (Ohio Super. Ct. 1977).

Opinion

McMonagle, J.

This court has been assigned the above-numbered cases, in each of which Albert S. Porter is named as the defendant. The defendant filed a motion to suppress evidence originally in case No. 29516-A. It was indicated by all counsel at the hearing of January 27, 1977, as being applicable to each of the above cases and is so considered by the court. The standing of the defendant to file the said motion is acknowledged. The motion is predicated upon the contention of the defendant that two searches, one on October 29, 1976, and one on November 4, 1976, were invalid, and that the papers and articles seized in those searches should be suppressed.

Hearings on the motion to suppress were held. The first was held on January 27, 1977, and was submitted for [27]*27decision by the court on the briefs and arguments of counsel. At the conclusion of the hearing, the court granted the defendant’s motion to suppress the evidence procured in the search of October 29, 1976, for the reason stated on the record at that time, and reserved ruling as to the search of November 4, 1976.

The court advised the parties that after he had reviewed certain exhibits that were submitted to him, specifically those numbered 12, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 62, 63, 64, 72 and 88, together with the briefs of counsel that if he felt it necessary, he would hold a subsequent hearing and notify the parties. The court decided that a subsequent hearing was proper, and this was held on February 14, 1977.

This memorandum is concerned with the November 4, 1976, search. The defendant contends that the said search, although pursuant to a search warrant, was violative of his rights protected by the Fourth Amendment to . the United States Constitution- and a similar provision of the Ohio Constitution—Article I, Section 14.

This court considers that the rights protected by the said constitutional provisions to be the most sacred of those in which the writers of the Constitution attempted to provide protection from unwarranted intrusions by governments into the lives, persons, homes, effects, and affairs of the people. The failure to uphold the protection of the Fourth Amendment rights can materially affect other rights constitutionally protected by the Bill of Rights, particularly the First, Fifth, Sixth and Eighth Amendments. It is the law that a constitutionally valid search warrant may not issue unless based upon an affidavit containing certain basic elements and it must be executed by the officer or officers to whom it is directed.

At the hearing with reference to the motion to suppress that was held on February 14, 1977, Rocco M. Pollutro, Detective No. 1939, of the Cleveland Police Department, testified. He testified that he, together with other members of the Cleveland Police Department, were assigned to execute the search warant pertaining to the November 4, 1976, search. He testified that the' first know![28]*28edge that the police depaartment had, with reference to this matter, was when they were notified by the prosecutor’s office of the issuance of the warrant, and the police met prosecutors Housal and Feighan in the lobby of the Standard Building. The defendant’s office was located in that building. At that time, they were shown the search warrant and a copy of the affidavit. They were not given a copy of the affidavit, and made only a cursory examination of it. They were, however, given copy of the search warrant and then went to the office of the county engineer. Upon entering the office, they advised the receptionist that they had a search warrant and were admitted into the offices. The witness testified that it was the duty of the police department to execute the warrant, but that they had no idea as to the items for which they were to search, other than being advised that a search was to be made of two safes. The witness also testified that the police did not, in fact, actually participate in a search; that they did not know what was being sought, nor were they aware of what was being taken; that the members of the prosecutor’s office went through safes, filing cabinets, desks, and selected what papers or documents they desired; that an inventory was not actually taken by the police officers, but was by the representatives of the prosecutor’s office; and that counsel for the defendant were present and that they objected to the search generally, and particularly with reference to its scope; a police officer was present at all times and did initial the inventory as did a representative of the defendant.

It is also the law that if a search warrant is based upon any information other than that contained in the affidavit, such information must be given to the issuing judge under oath and be transcribed, or otherwise reduced to writing, and made a part of the proceedings upon which issuance of the search warrant is predicated. The search warrant under which the November 4, 1976, search was conducted was, from the record, based solely upon an affidavit of Robert V. Housel, an assistant Cuyahoga County prosecutor. The procedures and requirements for the issuance and execution of search warrants are specified in [29]*29the said constitutional provisions, the Ohio statutes, and Rule 41 of the Ohio Rules of Criminal Procedure. The constitutional protections apply as well to the criminal as to the law-abiding person. Neither a grand jury, any police officer, or any public official is exempted from compliance with the constitutional, statutory and rule requirements with respect to searches and seizures.

In State v. Clawson (1962), 118 Ohio App. 535, the Court of Appeals for Montgomery County held:

“1. An affidavit for a search warrant, which alleges that the complainant has good cause to believe that the things to be searched for and seized are concealed on described premises, but which does not allege the offense claimed or state the facts upon which the belief of the complainant is based, as required by Section 2933.23, Revised Code, is illegal and void.
“2. Evidence illegally seized under a void search warrant is inadmissible in a criminal action against the accused.”

The opinion is by Judge Joseph D. Kerns who is an outstanding Court of Appeals jurist and has served by assignment on the Supreme Court of Ohio during its consideration of hundreds of cases.

His opinion included the following, at page 539:

“The items taken from the defendant are not inherently endowed with a criminal purpose. In fact, they are not substantially unlike records which might be found in hundreds of offices in the city of Dayton. If they had been legally seized, the city would have been entitled to only the temporary possesion thereof, and that only for evidential purposes. See Rosanski v. State, 106 Ohio St. 442.
“Applicable here, in our opinion, is the following statement from the case of Mapp v. Ohio, supra (367 U. S., 643):
“ ‘However much in a particular case insistence upon observance by law officers of traditional fair procedural requirements may appear as a technicality that inures to the benefit of a guilty person, the history of the criminal law proves that tolerance of shortcut methods in law enforcement impairs its enduring effectiveness.’ ”
“The judgment will be, and hereby is, reversed and [30]*30the records ordered returned to the defendant.”

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546 N.E.2d 428 (Ohio Court of Appeals, 1988)
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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
373 N.E.2d 1296, 53 Ohio Misc. 25, 7 Ohio Op. 3d 343, 1977 Ohio Misc. LEXIS 105, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-porter-ohctcomplcuyaho-1977.