State v. Seal

910 P.2d 394, 138 Or. App. 693, 1996 Ore. App. LEXIS 56
CourtCourt of Appeals of Oregon
DecidedJanuary 24, 1996
Docket94-1198; CA A86802
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 910 P.2d 394 (State v. Seal) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Oregon primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
State v. Seal, 910 P.2d 394, 138 Or. App. 693, 1996 Ore. App. LEXIS 56 (Or. Ct. App. 1996).

Opinion

*695 LEESON, J.

The state appeals from a pretrial order granting defendant’s motion to suppress evidence. We reverse.

The following facts are not in dispute. On June 9, 1994, defendant was a passenger in a car that Seaside Police Officer Schroeder stopped after the driver committed a traffic infraction. Officer Bergin arrived a few moments later, recognized defendant from previous law enforcement contacts, and told her that he thought that there was an outstanding warrant for her arrest. He asked her to wait while he checked for a warrant. The dispatcher confirmed that there was a warrant for defendant’s arrest and Bergin arrested her. While defendant was standing near Bergin’s patrol car, he saw a small leather pouch on the ground near her feet. Although there was dew on the ground, the pouch was warm and dry. Berlin examined the pouch and found that it contained a pipe lined with a residue of burnt marijuana. He also noticed fresh needle track marks on defendant’s arms. He handcuffed defendant and asked her if she had any weapons or any needles. She replied that she did not have any weapons and advised Bergin: “Don’t search if you don’t want to get poked.” While he slowly frisked defendant, Bergin discovered two bindles that contained cocaine. He told defendant that she was under arrest for possession of a controlled substance, advised her of her Miranda rights and transported her to the county jail.

Defendant moved to suppress the evidence discovered when Bergin searched her, contending that the arrest warrant was invalid because it was not supported by an affidavit, that the search was not justified by probable cause or by her consent, that the search exceeded the limits of a search incident to arrest, and that officer safety did not justify the search or that the search exceeded the scope of a valid search based on officer safety.

The trial court found that Bergin had probable cause to search defendant for his own safety, that defendant neither consented nor objected to the search, that defendant would have been searched at the jail and that the contraband inevitably would have been discovered. The court also found that, according to Bergin’s testimony, the warrant for defendant’s *696 arrest had been issued for driving while suspended, that there was no other evidence in the record to show on what basis the warrant was issued and that the initial arrest on the warrant gave Bergin the basis for searching defendant and discovering the drugs. However, the court concluded that, because the state did not produce an affidavit in support of the arrest warrant and relied solely on Bergin’s testimony, the warrant-was not valid and, therefore, that Bergin’s search of defendant violated her rights under Article I, section 9, of the Oregon Constitution.

The state maintains that the record of the suppression hearing does not support the trial court’s finding that Bergin testified that the arrest warrant was for driving while suspended. It contends that Bergin testified that the warrant was issued for failure to appear and that a bench warrant issued for failure to appear does not require a supporting affidavit. Therefore, the warrant, the resulting arrest and the search were all valid. Defendant concedes that she was arrested pursuant to a warrant, but argues that the state has the burden of producing the warrant and any accompanying affidavits at the suppression hearing. The only evidence that the state presented was Bergin’s testimony, which, she contends, is not sufficient to sustain the state’s burden of production regarding the warrant.

In State v. Brown, 96 Or App 171, 175, 772 P2d 429 (1989), we emphasized that Article I, section 9, requires that “no warrant shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by oath, or affirmation.” 1 (Emphasis supplied.) In State v. Noble, 314 Or 624, 629, 842 P2d 780 (1992), the Supreme Court, interpreting ORS 133.340, 2 held that when a crime is committed in the

*697 “physical presence of a judicial officer acting in the judicial officer’s official capacity!,] [flor example, * * * when a party fails to appear without excuse at the time and place of a scheduled hearing, * * * the facts giving rise to probable cause occur ‘in the presence of the court[,]’ and the warrant need not be supported by a sworn statement from the magistrate.” (Emphasis in original.)

If the warrant for defendant’s arrest was issued for driving while suspended, as the trial court found, defendant is correct that the warrant must be supported by oath or affirmation. However, if the warrant was issued for failure to appear, as the state contends, then it need not be supported by a sworn statement.

We are bound by the trial court’s findings of historical fact if evidence in the record supports them. Ball v. Gladden, 250 Or 485, 487, 443 P2d 621 (1968). Bergin’s testimony is the only evidence in the record regarding the basis for the arrest warrant. After Bergin testified that he placed defendant under arrest for possession of controlled substances after she had already been arrested pursuant to the warrant, the trial court asked:

“Q: What was the charges the warrant was on?
“A: I don’t recall, Your Honor. I believe that it was for a driving charge. I could look it up.”

A few minutes later, Bergin volunteered:

‘ ‘A: Upon looking back, this warrant was for a — a Failure to Appear on a D[riving] W[hile] S[uspended].,'> (Emphasis supplied.)

During closing arguments, the following colloquy took place between the court and the prosecutor:

“[Prosecutor]: * * * The — the Court has the evidence from — from Officer Bergin. What warrant was — was he arresting him on? A failure to appear warrant.
‘ ‘The Court: That isn’t what he said. He said that the — the warrant for Driving While Suspended.
‘ ‘ [Prosecutor]: Was for Failure to Appear.
“The Court: He didn’t say for Failure to Appear.
i1
*698 “The Court: He had first testified that he couldn’t remember. Then in an aside to me during — going on, he volunteered the further information the warrant was for Driving While Suspended.”

Although Bergin initially testified that he could not recall the basis for the warrant, after he had refreshed his memory, he testified that the warrant was for failure to appear on a charge of driving while suspended. It appears from the record that the trial court did not fully hear Bergin’s statement. Its finding that the warrant for defendant’s arrest was issued for driving while suspended is not supported by the record.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
910 P.2d 394, 138 Or. App. 693, 1996 Ore. App. LEXIS 56, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-seal-orctapp-1996.