State v. Rogers

198 N.E.2d 796, 94 Ohio Law. Abs. 110, 27 Ohio Op. 2d 105, 1963 Ohio Misc. LEXIS 205
CourtMiami County Court of Common Pleas
DecidedMarch 11, 1963
DocketNo. 8452
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 198 N.E.2d 796 (State v. Rogers) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Miami County Court of Common Pleas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
State v. Rogers, 198 N.E.2d 796, 94 Ohio Law. Abs. 110, 27 Ohio Op. 2d 105, 1963 Ohio Misc. LEXIS 205 (Ohio Super. Ct. 1963).

Opinion

Porter, J.

In this case a motion was filed on the day of trial by the defendant to suppress evidence alleged to have been obtained by an unauthorized search of the car in which he was an occupant. He is charged with possession of a concealed weapon and the search led to the discovery of such weapon. A passenger in the car was questioned and is said to have said that the gun was in the possession of the defendant and the motion also seeks to suppress his testimony, since the witness would not have been questioned about this but for the search which defendant says was unauthorized.

This presents a question which did not arise until recently in the courts of Ohio and many other states because they did not exclude evidence obtained as the result of an unauthorized seizure. State v. Lindway, 131 Ohio St., 166, 5 Ohio Opinions, 538. All that was changed by Mapp v. Ohio, 367 U. S., 643, 86 Ohio Law Abs., 513, 16 Ohio Opinions (2d), 384 (1961), wherein the Supreme Court of the United States held:

1. The rule excluding illegally seized evidence is of constitutional origin.

2. All evidence obtained by searches and seizures in violation of the Constitution is constitutionally inadmissible in a state court.

3. The Fourth Amendment’s right of privacy is enforceable against the states through the due process clause.

4. The right to privacy embodied in the Fourth Amendment is enforceable against the states in the same manner and. to like effect as other basic rights secured by the due process clause.

As observed by the Supreme Court of Illinois in People v. Albea, 2 Ill. (2d), 317, 118 N. E. (2d), 277, 41 A. L. R. (2d), 895: [113]*113“The question presented here ... is much too profound to be brushed aside .... It is our duty to preserve unto the people the guarantees proclaimed in the State and Federal Constitutions against unreasonable search and seizure.”

The Fourth Amendment to the Constitution provides: “The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.”

Artible I, Section 14 of the Bill of Rights of the Ohio Constitution is almost identical, the only difference being that the word “possessions” is used instead of “effects.”

It cannot be over-emphasized that the Fourth Amendment has been interpreted to mean that the government may not, except upon urgent necessity, invade the privacy of its citizens without a warrant.

“As the cases have developed, certain exceptions to the rule (that searches shall be by warrant) have emerged. Thus a search without a warrant may not violate the Fourth Amendment if: (1) it is made with the consent of one who is qualified to give consent, or (2) it is incidental to a lawful arrest, or (3) there is probable cause to believe that a felony has been committed, or (4) it is necessary to safeguard a law enforcement officer or his arrest, or to protect evidence likely to be destroyed.” Day and Berkman, Search and Seizure and the Exclusionary Rule: a Re-Examination in the Wake of Mapp v. Ohio, December, 1961, Western Reserve Law Review, p. 80.

There is no suggestion that anyone consented to the search that turned up the gun in this case and no suggestion that the search was necessary to safeguard the officer or protect evidence likely to be destroyed. Hence, this discussion is limited to the inquiries — was the search incidental to a lawful arrest, or was there probable cause to believe that a felony was committed.

Some authorities say that a search without a warrant can be made only as an incident to a lawful arrest with or without a warrant and that what constitutes a lawful arrest without a warrant differs from one state to another. Hon. Hugh M. Tay[114]*114lor, Circuit Judge, Quincy, Florida, p. 12 of transcript of program on “Problems of Evidence in State Courts Following Mapp v. Ohio” at 1963 meeting of National Conference of State Trial Judges.

In Ohio statutes govern what is a lawful arrest without a warrant. Of course, an officer can arrest without a warrant when any crime is committed in his presence under Section 2935.03, Revised Code, which provides:

“A sheriff, deputy sheriff, marshal, deputy marshal, watchman, or police officer shall arrest and detain a person found violating a law of this state, or an ordinance of a municipal corporation, until a warrant can be obtained.
“A constable within the limits of the township in which said constable has been appointed or elected, shall arrest and detain a person found by him in the commission of a misdemeanor, either in violation of a law of this state or an ordinance of a village, until a warrant can be obtained.”

Under the facts of this case, which will be detailed later the officer did not find anyone violating the law so his right to arrest was governed by Section 2935.04, Revised Code, which provides:

“When a felony has been committed, or there is reasonable ground to believe that a felony has been committed, any person without a warrant may arrest another whom he has reasonable cause to believe is guilty of the offense, and detain him until a warrant can be obtained.”1 (Emphasis added.)
“Probable cause [used interchangeably with reasonable cause and reasonable ground], such as may justify an arrest or a search and seizure without warrant, is a reasonable ground for belief of guilt-, and this means less than evidence which would justify condemnation or conviction; probable cause exists lohere the facts and circumstances within the knowledge of the officer making the arrest or search, and of which he had reasonably trustworthy information, are sufficient in themselves to [115]*115warrant a man of reasonable caution in the belief that an offense has been or is being committed.” Brinegar v. United States, 338 U. S., 160, syllabus 6. (Emphasis added.)
“Such a search is authorized, even though the officer had no previous knowledge of such violation, provided he acts in good faith and upon such information as induces an honest belief that the person in charge of the automobile is in the act of violating the law; the search and seizure under such circumstances is not unreasonable .. . .” 48 Ohio Jurisprudence (2d), p. 744, citing Houck v. State, 106 Ohio St., 195.

In the Day and Berkman article cited throughout this opinion the authors say that “the probable cause which is necessary to validate an arrest or search without a warrant has been described as a ‘belief reasonably arising out of the circumstances known to the . . . officer’ that a crime has been committed or, more simply stated ‘a reasonable ground for belief of guilt.’ ‘If the facts and circumstances before the officer are such as to warrant a man of prudence and caution in believing that the offense has been committed, it is sufficient. ’ But simple belief and good faith of the arresting officer are not enough.

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Related

Muetze v. State
243 N.W.2d 393 (Wisconsin Supreme Court, 1976)
Commonwealth v. Cephas
291 A.2d 106 (Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, 1972)
State v. O'BREMSKI
423 P.2d 530 (Washington Supreme Court, 1967)

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Bluebook (online)
198 N.E.2d 796, 94 Ohio Law. Abs. 110, 27 Ohio Op. 2d 105, 1963 Ohio Misc. LEXIS 205, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-rogers-ohctcomplmiami-1963.