State v. Wing

455 S.W.2d 457, 1970 Mo. LEXIS 987
Supreme Court of Missouri·Decided May 11, 1970·No. 54822·Published·Cited by 50 cases

Opinion

HIGGINS, Commissioner.

Herman Eugene Wing was charged by information in Barry County with possession of burglar’s tools. Upon change of venue to Newton County, a jury convicted him of that offense and assessed his punishment at 10 years’ imprisonment. Sentence and judgment were rendered accordingly. Section 560.115, V.A.M.S.

Appellant’s first attack goes to the sufficiency of the complaint upon which the Magistrate Court of Barry County issued a search warrant and pursuant to which many of the exhibits in evidence were found and seized. The complaint for search warrant was made July 18, 1968, upon the oath of Joe R. Ellis, Prosecuting Attorney of Barry County: “* * * that he has reason to believe that on the premises known as one 1968 model, two door, Pontiac, Automobile, Grand Prix model, Serial Number 266578R107539, in the county of Barry, State of Missouri, at 101 East Eighth Street, Cassville, Missouri, there is now being concealed certain property, to-wit: burglary tools which are believed to have been used in the burglary of the Bank of Seligman, Missouri, a corporation, which was feloniously and forcibly broken and entered, the same being a building where money and valuable things were kept with intent said money and valuable things then and there being found to steal on this 18th day of July, 1968, and affiant further believes that the automobile aforesaid is the property of Herman Eugene Wing, Bar-tlesville, Oklahoma, a known bank burglar and that said vehicle was used in the burglary aforesaid.

“Affiant states that the facts tending to establish the foregoing grounds for issuance of a search warrant are as follows: That the automobile is legally registered to Herman Eugene Wing, a known bank burglar; that the automobile was found parked in the area where the burglary aforesaid was committed on July 18, 1968, immediately after the burglary was committed; that the said automobile appears to be abandoned and that diligent efforts to locate the owner or driver thereof have failed; that said automobile bears an Oklahoma license; that during the course of the burglary aforesaid shots were exchanged by persons committing said burglary and Clyde Mitchell, President of said Bank, and that the said persons committing the burglary fled on foot.”

Appellant contends, Points I and II, that the court erred in overruling his motion to suppress evidence taken from the automobile pursuant to the warrant and in admitting the same at trial, alleging that the search warrant was illegally issued in *460 that the complaint upon which it was issued failed to show probable cause. The dispositive question of both points is the sufficiency of the complaint. Appellant’s argument is that the prosecutor’s complaint “was based on information and belief and hearsay, and did not show sufficient- facts for the issuance of a search warrant by the magistrate,” and that he did not reveal the source of his information and belief. Appellant’s citations are representative of several familiar principles bearing on a determination of sufficiency of a complaint for search warrant, e.g., Siden v. United States, 8 Cir., 9 F.2d 241; Kirvin v. United States, 2 Cir., 5 F.2d 282, and Poldo v. United States, 9 Cir., 55 F.2d 866, that probable cause is to be determined from the complaint and, if filed, supporting affidavits; Baysden v. United States, 4 Cir., 271 F.2d 325, that the warrant shall issue only on affidavit establishing grounds for issuance; Byars v. United States, 273 U.S. 28, 47 S.Ct. 248, 71 L.Ed. 520, that a viola-tive search cannot be made lawful by the success of the search; Jones v. United States, 362 U.S. 257, 80 S.Ct. 725, 4 L.Ed. 2d 697, that a warrant may issue upon hearsay if the affiant sets forth the source, validity, and reliability of his information; Nathanson v. United States, 290 U.S. 41, 54 S.Ct. 11, 78 L.Ed. 159; Spinelli v. United States, 393 U.S. 410, 89 S.Ct. 584, 21 L.Ed.2d 637, and Aguilar v. Texas, 378 U.S. 108, 84 S.Ct. 1509, 12 L.Ed.2d 723, that a warrant should not issue upon affidavit of an official which merely shows he is in possession of information which causes him to believe the suspect is in possession of property without revealing the source of his information.

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State v. Wing, 455 S.W.2d 457, 1970 Mo. LEXIS 987 (Mo. 1970).

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