State v. Wilson

804 N.E.2d 61, 156 Ohio App. 3d 1, 2004 Ohio 144
CourtOhio Court of Appeals
DecidedJanuary 15, 2004
DocketNo. 82155.
StatusPublished
Cited by10 cases

This text of 804 N.E.2d 61 (State v. Wilson) 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. Wilson, 804 N.E.2d 61, 156 Ohio App. 3d 1, 2004 Ohio 144 (Ohio Ct. App. 2004).

Opinion

Anne L. Kilbane, Presiding Judge.

{¶ 1} Alvin Wilson appeals from a jury verdict, following a trial before Judge Brian J. Corrigan, that found him guilty of one count each of drug possession, 1 drug trafficking, 2 and possession of criminal tools. 3 He challenges the denial of his motion to suppress, the failure to force the identification of the confidential informant, the constitutionality of the penalty for possession of crack cocaine, and argues that the verdict was against the manifest weight of the evidence. We affirm.

{¶ 2} From the record we glean the following: After the Cleveland Police Narcotics Unit received many anonymous complaints about drug activity occurring at a three-unit apartment house located at 10409 Somerset Avenue, it conducted a two-week surveillance of the residence. During all hours of the night, Detectives David Varner and Gloria Santiago saw individuals come to the building, knock and be admitted through the front door, and then leave after a short period of time. When the visitor was present, no one else would enter or exit. A car parked in the building’s driveway was registered to Wilson who, the detectives noted, had a history of drug-related convictions.

*6 {¶ 3} Because the detectives believed this activity involved drug trafficking, they contacted a confidential reliable informant (“CRI”) who, they claimed, was aware of drug activity at that location because he had seen Wilson there with various amounts of cocaine, and he agreed to make a controlled drug buy. The CRI met the detectives and was searched and found free of any contraband, drugs, or money. He was then given money that had been photocopied for identification and asked to buy crack cocaine from Wilson.

{¶ 4} From an unmarked car on the street, the detectives observed the CRI knock on the front door. When it opened, they observed Wilson and another male, and then observed the three men walk through a central hallway. A short time later, they observed the CRI leave. When he was searched, they found several objects later determined to be crack cocaine.

{¶ 5} Det. Varner obtained a search warrant for 10409 Somerset Avenue # 1, Wilson’s apartment. The subsequent search revealed $565 hidden in a sofa, Wilson’s driver’s license, several rocks of suspected crack cocaine, a digital scale, a handheld scale, a cell phone, a pager, a planner, and a mirror and knife, both of which were covered with a white powder later confirmed to be cocaine residue. Wilson’s wife, Joyce, 4 was arrested, and a warrant was obtained for his arrest.

{¶ 6} He was indicted on possession of crack cocaine,,drug trafficking, and possession of criminal tools. The amount of crack cocaine exceeded 25 grams but less than 100 grams, which made counts one and two first-degree felonies. At a suppression hearing, he contended that the search warrant was not supported by probable cause. The judge denied his motion to suppress, and the trial followed. Wilson was sentenced to concurrent terms of three years in prison on the first two counts and six months on count three. Wilson asserts five assignments of error set forth in Appendix A.

PROBABLE CAUSE FOR THE SEARCH WARRANT

{¶ 7} Wilson contends that the search of his home was unlawful because the warrant obtained by Det. Varner was not supported by probable cause. He argues that the detective did not sufficiently attest to the veracity of the CRI because he relied on only one or two personal experiences with him. At the hearing, Det. Varner had testified that, although he had used this informant on only one or two prior occasions, he had been recommended by other officers, including Sergeant James Lewis.

*7 {¶ 8} Crim.R. 41(C) provides the standard for issuing search warrants and states:

“A warrant shall issue under this rule only on an affidavit or affidavits sworn to before a judge of a court of record and establishing the grounds for issuing the warrant. The affidavit shall name or describe the person to be searched or particularly describe the place to be searched, name or describe the property to be searched for and seized, state substantially the offense in relation thereto, and state the factual basis for the affiant’s belief that such property is there located. If the judge is satisfied that probable cause for the search exists, he shall issue a warrant identifying the property and naming or describing the person or place to be searched. The finding of probable cause may be based upon hearsay in whole or in part, provided there is a substantial basis for believing the source of the hearsay to be credible and for believing that there is a factual basis for the information furnished.”

{¶ 9} In assessing whether probable cause exists to issue a warrant, the United States Supreme Court has instructed magistrates to employ a totality-of-the-circumstances approach. 5 The magistrate is:

“[T]o make a practical, commonsense decision whether', given all the circumstances set forth in the affidavit before him, including the ‘veracity’ and ‘basis of knowledge’ of persons supplying hearsay information, there is a fair probability that contraband or evidence of a crime will be found in a particular place. And the duty of the reviewing court is simply to ensure that the magistrate had a ‘substantial basis for * * * concluding] that probable cause existed.’ ” 6

{¶ 10} Therefore, the issuing judge or magistrate is to be accorded great deference, “and doubtful or marginal cases in this area should be resolved in favor of upholding the warrant.” 7

{¶ 11} A warrant affidavit may be based upon hearsay information and need not reflect the direct observations of the affiant. 8 The judge reviewing the affidavit for a search warrant must be presented with a substantial basis to credit the hearsay to be able to make a neutral and detached determination as to probable cause. 9 Under Aguilar v. Texas, the “substantial basis” must include (1) information about the facts upon which the informant based his allegations of *8 criminal activity, and (2) “some of the underlying circumstances from which the officer concluded that the informant * * * was ‘credible’ or his information ‘reliable.’ ” 10

{¶ 12} Det. Varner’s affidavit outlined the surveillance operations of the residence, the information provided by the CRI, the subsequent acts by the CRI that resulted in buying rocks of crack cocaine from Wilson and turning them over to the detective. It demonstrated that the CRI had personal knowledge of drugs being sold at Wilson’s residence by purchasing drugs there prior to the issuance of the warrant.

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Bluebook (online)
804 N.E.2d 61, 156 Ohio App. 3d 1, 2004 Ohio 144, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-wilson-ohioctapp-2004.