State v. Verdine

624 P.2d 580, 290 Or. 553, 1981 Ore. LEXIS 688
CourtOregon Supreme Court
DecidedMarch 4, 1981
DocketJ-79-2807, CA 17009, SC 27301
StatusPublished
Cited by34 cases

This text of 624 P.2d 580 (State v. Verdine) 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. Verdine, 624 P.2d 580, 290 Or. 553, 1981 Ore. LEXIS 688 (Or. 1981).

Opinions

[555]*555DENECKE, C. J.

Defendant was convicted of burglary. Prior to trial he filed a motion on several grounds to suppress United States currency taken from defendant. He contended the officer had no probable cause to search or to arrest and search incidental to an arrest. This motion was denied. The defendant also moved for a judgment of acquittal upon the ground there was no evidence to connect the defendant with a crime. This motion also was denied. The Court of Appeals affirmed defendant’s conviction. 47 Or App 797, 615 P2d 1209 (1980). We granted review and reverse.

The pertinent facts are as follows. On October 14, 1979, the Rains’ home on a wooded hillside in an isolated area with only one other house within a quarter of a mile was burglarized. The Rains had left for the evening around 5:30 p.m., and as they returned around 9:00 p.m. they encountered defendant on a public road, about a quarter of a mile from their house. Nearby, on an embankment, a flashlight was burning. At Rains’ request, defendant retrieved the flashlight. Rains was concerned that the light indicated someone was injured. In answer to Rains’ expression of concern, defendant said, "Call the police, if you want.”

Upon discovering the burglary, Rains contacted the police and explained that "a few twenties, two or three fives, a lot of ones and * * * a bunch of change” were missing. After explaining that the burglar had gained entry by prying open a window, he gave the police a description of the clothing of the defendant and described him as a "hippie type.” Rains also characterized the defendant as "spacey, as though on drugs.”

The police located defendant under a bridge over Myrtle Creek approximately seven-tenths of a mile from the Rains’ home. The officer shined his flashlight on defendant and ordered him out from underneath the bridge. Defendant cooperated fully with the officer after which:

"[Officer Hunter]: I asked him to step up to the car. We went up to the car, and I gave him a pat-down search. In doing that, I felt what, to me, felt like a wad of bills, a lot of [556]*556change, and I asked him if he would put it out on the hood of the car.”

At this point the officer believed that defendant had been smoking marijuana, since his speech was slurred and he seemed apathetic.

Defendant testified that the officer’s gun was drawn as he stepped out from underneath the bridge; the state presented no evidence to the contrary. At the officer’s instruction, defendant removed the contents of his pockets. There was $97.83, consisting of three twenties, four fives, twelve ones, sixteen quarters, nine dimes, thirteen nickels and twenty-eight pennies.

After defendant was arrested, taken into custody, and informed of his Miranda rights defendant gave an explanation of how he came into possession of the money in his pockets. He had a receipt for $100 which prison authorities had given him upon his release a few days before, as well as a receipt for a $9 bus ticket from Salem to Myrtle Creek. At trial, a witness testified that he had given defendant $50 during a visit the weekend before and that defendant had bought a pint of whiskey and two pair of levis while they stayed together.

Assuming without deciding that the officer had the authority to stop and frisk the defendant, it is our opinion that after the officer stopped defendant and frisked him for weapons, he did not have probable cause to arrest defendant and search further to ascertain the contents of defendant’s pockets. Before an officer can search for more than weapons, he must have probable cause to arrest and then search incidental to arrest. State v. Heintz, 286 Or 239, 246-251, 255-256, 594 P2d 385 (1979); State v. Gressel, 276 Or 333, 554 P2d 1014 (1976) (written in terms of probable cause to search rather than arrest).

The facts tending to show probable cause to believe there was stolen property in defendant’s pockets and, therefore, he was subject to arrest, are: 1) defendant was seen about a quarter of a mile from the scene of the burglary and was then seven-tenths of a mile from it; 2) defendant was heading away from the scene of the burglary before his apprehension by Officer Hunter; 3) defendant was located [557]*557under a bridge, either to stay out of the rain or perhaps to hide; 4) defendant appeared to be disoriented; and 5) defendant had a soft object and some change in his pocket.

The following facts discount the existence of probable cause: 1) since no one had seen the burglar, the description which defendant matched was only that of a passerby; 2) defendant was not placed at the scene of the burglary, but rather a quarter of a mile away from it walking along a public road; 3) the burglary could have occurred any time within a four-hour period; 4) defendant cooperated fully with the officer in coming out from under the bridge and stepping up to the car; and 5) "soft bulges in a person’s pockets can be literally thousands of things other than money.” State v. Gressel, supra, 276 Or at 338.

We conclude that there was insufficient probable cause for the officer to "seize” or arrest. The only information that was of any consequence is that defendant was at one point about a quarter of a mile from the scene of the burglary. Defendant’s statement to Rains about calling the police also may be relevant. This evidence is, however, insufficient to justify a search of defendant’s pockets after it was ascertained that he was not armed. The officer may have had a strong suspicion that defendant was in possession of money taken during the burglary, but a suspicion, no matter how well founded, does not rise to the level of probable cause.

This decision is consistent with that in State v. Gressel, supra, in which the officer had even more information than in this case to lead him to a suspicion that defendant illegally possessed something, but this court found that the search of defendant’s pockets which produced marijuana was illegal. In Gressel, the burglar was seen committing the burglary, and defendant matched the description of him. Defendant, who admitted he was on parole for burglary, was between a quarter of a mile and a half of a mile away from the scene of the burglary. Despite these facts, which would lead the officer to a healthy suspicion that defendant illegally possessed something taken during the burglary, there was no probable cause to search.

[558]*558As stated, defendant also contends the trial court erred in denying his motion for acquittal on the ground there was insufficient evidence to connect the defendant with the crime. Ordinarily we would decide that issue first, but as shall be seen in this case, it was more orderly to first dispose of the motion to suppress.

Initially, in testing the sufficiency of the evidence we must consider the evidence erroneously admitted that should have been suppressed, as well as the other evidence. That procedure is necessary because if all the evidence, including that erroneously admitted, is insufficient the law is clear that the cause cannot be remanded for a new trial. The double jeopardy provision of the United States Constitution prohibits a defendant from being retried under these circumstances. Burks v. United States, 437 US 1, 98 S Ct 2141, 57 L Ed2d 1 (1978); Greene v. Massey, 437 US 19, 98 S Ct 2151, 57 L Ed2d 15 (1978).

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

State v. Dodge
563 P.3d 339 (Oregon Supreme Court, 2025)
State v. Sunderman
467 P.3d 52 (Court of Appeals of Oregon, 2020)
State v. Davis
414 P.3d 887 (Court of Appeals of Oregon, 2018)
State v. Friddle
381 P.3d 979 (Court of Appeals of Oregon, 2016)
State v. Bautista
351 P.3d 79 (Court of Appeals of Oregon, 2015)
State v. Martin
317 P.3d 408 (Court of Appeals of Oregon, 2014)
State v. Huff
291 P.3d 751 (Court of Appeals of Oregon, 2012)
State v. Tropeano
241 P.3d 1184 (Court of Appeals of Oregon, 2010)
State v. Daniels
228 P.3d 695 (Court of Appeals of Oregon, 2010)
State v. Morgan
215 P.3d 120 (Court of Appeals of Oregon, 2009)
State v. Rinkin
917 P.2d 1035 (Court of Appeals of Oregon, 1996)
State v. Lane
898 P.2d 1358 (Court of Appeals of Oregon, 1995)
In re the Marriage of Gilbert
876 P.2d 830 (Court of Appeals of Oregon, 1994)
State v. Boots
848 P.2d 76 (Oregon Supreme Court, 1993)
State v. Matthys
808 P.2d 94 (Court of Appeals of Oregon, 1991)
State v. Arnett
799 P.2d 687 (Court of Appeals of Oregon, 1990)
State v. Brown
800 P.2d 259 (Oregon Supreme Court, 1990)
State v. Mohler
792 P.2d 1239 (Court of Appeals of Oregon, 1990)
State v. Spencer
790 P.2d 1205 (Court of Appeals of Oregon, 1990)
State ex rel. Juvenile Department v. Dahl
788 P.2d 459 (Court of Appeals of Oregon, 1990)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
624 P.2d 580, 290 Or. 553, 1981 Ore. LEXIS 688, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-verdine-or-1981.