State v. Shepcaro

344 N.E.2d 352, 45 Ohio App. 2d 293, 74 Ohio Op. 2d 437, 1975 WL 181737, 1975 Ohio App. LEXIS 5819
CourtOhio Court of Appeals
DecidedSeptember 23, 1975
Docket75AP-204
StatusPublished
Cited by7 cases

This text of 344 N.E.2d 352 (State v. Shepcaro) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Ohio Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
State v. Shepcaro, 344 N.E.2d 352, 45 Ohio App. 2d 293, 74 Ohio Op. 2d 437, 1975 WL 181737, 1975 Ohio App. LEXIS 5819 (Ohio Ct. App. 1975).

Opinion

Strausbaugh, P. J.

These eases are before us on appeal by defendants from convictions in the Court of Common Pleas for the following offenses: keeping a place for the illegal possession of hallucinogens (marijuana), R. C. 3719.47; possession of an hallucinogen for sale (marijuana), R. C. 3719.44(B); and possession of an hallucinogen (marijuana), R. C. 3719.41.

The facts are agreed to between the parties. On February 11, 1974, Officer Mattingly applied for and received a search warrant authorizing a nighttime search of the premises known as 170 E. Oakland, first floor apartment, from a judge of the Municipal Court. At the time that Officer Mattingly appeared before the judge, he gave oral testimony in addition to what was contained in the supporting affidavit and other parts of the search warrant. However, the oral testimony was not recorded or transcribed and there is no evidence that the officer was sworn prior to, of at the conclusion of his oral testimony. Pursuant to the search warrant, Officer Mattingly along with several other *294 Columbus police officers from the narcotics bureau arrived at the university area sometime after 9 p. m. on February 11, 1974. Finding the apartment unoccupied, the officers forcibly entered the premises and seized a small amount of marijuana and other items which form the basis of the indictment in the present ease.

Upon their arraigment the defendants pleaded not guilty. Defendants informed the court of the prosecutor’s intention to use the obtained evidence at trial and filed a motion to quash the search warrant and suppress all evidence seized. At the hearing on the motion to suppress, defendants argued that the legal and constitutional sufficiency of the search warrant must be determined from the face of the warrant according to Crim. R. 41(C), that the warrant authorizing a nighttime search was improper and the nighttime search was illegal in that the warrant on its face did not contain facts showing the special need for a nighttime warrant. Counsel for the state said that oral testimony would be provided to the court at the motion-to-suppress hearing on the need for a nighttime search.

The defense objected fo the introduction of any oral testimony given by the police officer at the time of the issuance of the warrant because the oral, testimony was not transcribed or recorded in conformity with Crim. R. 41(C) and the search warrant was deficient on its face. The de-. fense also maintained that the supporting affidavit to the search warrant used the term hallucinogen as the key factor in terms of what the informant saw and yet the other portions of the search warrant dealing with what the officer had good cause to believe was secreted on the premises did not contain any type of hallucinogenic drug and, therefore, there was a serious question on the face of the warrant as to whether or not there was any type of nexes between the information given and whether of not there was that type of violation occurring at the premises. The defense further argued that there was no showing that the officer had been previously sworn, or had in fact given sworn oral testimony to the issuing judge and, for . that additional reason, such oral testimony should not be •. admissible.

The trial court ruled that the oral testimony was ad *295 missible at the motion-to-suppress hearing and that, since the officer had sworn to the supporting affidavit, it could be inferred that he was sworn prior to his giving the oral testimony. The court further ruled that with the oral testimony there was sufficient reason shown for the nighttime search and that supporting affidavits to the search warrant were sufficient by way of showing probable cause, thus overruling defendants’ motion to suppress.

The defendants then withdrew their previous pleas of not guilty and entered pleas of no contest; whereupon, the court found the defendants guilty of the charges in the indictment, and later sentenced them. It is from this judgment that this appeal is taken.

Defendants’ assignments of error are as follows:

“I. The Trial Court erred in overruling Defendant-Appellants’ motion to suppress evidence obtained by an illegal search and seizure in violation of Defendant-Appellants’ rights under the Fourth and Fourteenth Amendments of the United States Constitution.
“A. The Trial Court erred in allowing over objection the introduction of oral testimony in support of the search warrant at the motion to suppress hearing when such oral testimony had not been taken down by a court reporter or recording equipment, transcribed and made part of the affidavit to the search warrant at the time of the issuance of the search warrant as constitutionally required by Criminal Eule 41(C).
“B. A nighttime search of the premises was constitutionally improper when the search, warrant authorizing such nighttime search did not contain any special circumstances based on reasonable cause shown for the issuance of a nighttime warrant.
“C. The search warrant was improperly issued in violation of Defendant-Appellants’ constitutional rights when the supporting affidavit to the search warrant based entirely on hearsay declarations- of an unidentified informant did not contain facts sufficient to establish probable cause that the contraband sought was located at Defendant-Appellants’ premises at the time .of the issuance of the search warrant.”

*296 The affidavit upon which the search warrant was based is as follows:

“Before me,’ the undersigned, a Judge of Franklin County Municipal Court, Columbus, Ohio, personally appeared Harold Mattingly who being duly sworn according to law, deposes and says that he has good cause to believe and does believe that opiates, amphetamines, barbiturates, dangerous drugs, other drug related paraphernalia, rent receipts'or papers showing ownership, are being'kept in a certain building or room Or location or vehicle known as 170 E. Oakland, first floor apartment, in said City of Columbus, Ohio, in violation of Section 3719.44B.

“The facts upon which such belief is based are as follows : ' ' •

“Information received by Officer Mattingly from a reliable informant who has given factual information in the recent past said informant stated that said informant has seen hállucinogenic drugs inside 170 E. Oakland, first floor Apt., within the past 72 hours.
■ ■■■ “A search in the nighttime (8:00 p. m. to 7:00 a. m.) is requested based upon the following reasonable cause (if not applicable cross out) * *

Both the prosecution and the defense concede that based upon the laws set forth by this court in State v. Karr, Franklin County No. 74AP-296, unreported, December 17, 1974, and State v. Stevenson, Franklin County No. 74-AP-331, unreported, December 17, 1974, and State v. Mitchell, Franklin County No. 74AP-324, unreported, December 17, 1974, the affidavit herein is insufficient alone to form the basis for the issuance of the search Warrant herein. The principal issue before us is whether Crim. R.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
344 N.E.2d 352, 45 Ohio App. 2d 293, 74 Ohio Op. 2d 437, 1975 WL 181737, 1975 Ohio App. LEXIS 5819, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-shepcaro-ohioctapp-1975.