Swinomish Indian Tribal Community v. Reid

11 Am. Tribal Law 182
CourtSwinomish Tribal Court
DecidedMarch 15, 2012
DocketNo. CRCO-2011-0079
StatusPublished

This text of 11 Am. Tribal Law 182 (Swinomish Indian Tribal Community v. Reid) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Swinomish Tribal Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Swinomish Indian Tribal Community v. Reid, 11 Am. Tribal Law 182 (swinomishtr 2012).

Opinion

[183]*183ORDER ON MOTION TO SUPPRESS

MARK W. POULEY, Chief Judge.

THIS MATTER came on before this Court on Defendant’s MOTION TO SU-PRESS evidence seized as the result of the execution of a search warrant issued by this court. The court issued an oral ruling on the motion following argument by the parties March 5, 2012. This written opinion is consistent with the court’s oral decision.

The Defendant was charged with multiple counts of possession of controlled substances, conspiracy to deliver controlled substances, and possession of drug paraphernalia. The charges followed the [184]*184Tribal Police’s search of the Defendant’s residence and seizure of allegedly illegal contraband. The search of the residence was pursuant to a warrant issued and signed by a judge of the Swinomish Tribal Court. Defendant asserts that the affidavit supporting the request for a warrant was insufficient, the warrant should not have been issued, and the evidence seized on execution of the warrant must be suppressed. The Court disagrees and DENIES the motion to suppress.

The affidavit supporting the request for a search warrant was based upon the following information. First, a Skagit County Sheriffs Deputy testified that while he was at the Defendant’s residence investigating a stolen property report he smelled a “very strong odor of ‘UNBURNT marijuana.’” The affidavit then identified reports from two confidential informants. One “providing detailed information regarding this house and ... ‘drug dealings’ going on in the house.” It was said the informant came to police because they were concerned by the amount of drug activity coming from the residence. The informant said they knew the people that resided in the house and had spoken to the informant about “making drug deals and preparing to make more (drug deals).” The police affiant stated that this information coincided with other information received by the department earlier from other and different sources. The affidavit also indicates, without offering specifics, that the police department is aware the residence is occupied by persons “said to be distributing amounts of prescription pills, marijuana, and heroine out of the house.” The affiant noted that a separate confidential informant made themselves available to go to the house and make drug purchases.

The Defendant encourages the court to measure the reliability of the information provided by the confidential informants by applying the two-prong Aguilar-Spinelli test derived from the Supreme Court rulings in Aguilar v. Texas, 378 U.S. 108, 84 S.Ct. 1509, 12 L.Ed.2d 723, and Spinelli v. United States, 393 U.S. 410, 89 S.Ct. 584, 21 L.Ed.2d 637. This test requires the magistrate reviewing the affidavit to apply a strict standard to test the reliability and basis of knowledge of the confidential informant before making a finding of probable cause to issue the search warrant. The Defendant asserts the subject affidavit lacks sufficient information to pass either of the prongs of the Aguilar-Spinelli test as it should be applied to each of the sources of information cited by the affiant. The U.S. Supreme Court established this test in the 1960’s and reputed the strict standard two decades later, and nearly three decades ago in the case of Illinois v. Gates 462 U.S. 213, 103 S.Ct. 2317, 76 L.Ed.2d 527 (1983).

In Gates the court adopted the so called “totality of the circumstances” test. Under this test, the question is whether, based on the informant’s information and all other available facts, there is probable cause to believe that a search or arrest is justified. In adopting this test the court stated:

This totality-of-the-circumstances approach is far more consistent with our prior treatment of probable cause than is any rigid demand that specific “tests” be satisfied by every informant’s tip. Perhaps the central teaching of our decisions bearing on the probable cause standard is that it is a “practical, nontechnical conception.” Brinegar v. United States, 338 U.S. 160, 176, 69 S.Ct. 1302, 1311, 93 L.Ed. 1879 (1949). “In dealing with probable cause, ... as the very name implies, we deal with probabilities. These are not technical; they are the factual and practical consid[185]*185erations of everyday life on which reasonable and prudent men, not legal technicians, act.” Id., at 175, 69 S.Ct., at 1310. Illinois v. Gates, 462 U.S. 213, 230-31, 108 S.Ct. 2317, 2328, 76 L.Ed.2d 527 (1983)

The Defendant notes that the State of Washington has declined to follow the Gates decision and continues to employ the Agnilar-Spinelli test and encourages this court to do the same for the Swinomish Community. In rejecting the Gates rule in State v. Jackson, 102 Wash.2d 432, 688 P.2d 136 (1984) the Washington Supreme court specifically identified the substantial difference language between the Fourth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution and the Article 1 § 7 of the Washington Constitution as a primary reason to continue to require the more rigid test in Washington state courts.

While the Swinomish Code and Constitution offer no specific guidance as to the test that should be applied in this eourt, the Indian Civil Rights Act does. The language found in 25 U.S.C.A. § 1302(2) protecting native citizens from unreasonable search and seizure is nearly identical to the Fourth amendment to the U.S. Constitution. Obviously, it follows that the language is substantially different from the parallel Washington State Constitutional provisions. The question before the court then is if there is a conflict between state and federal interpretation of constitutional rights, should this court follow precedent established by the U.S. Supreme Court interpreting the fourth amendment right against unreasonable searches or the Washington State Court’s interpretation as to the similar right provided under the Washington State Constitution. This court and others, not faced with this precise question, have stated that federal interpretation of the U.S. Constitutional rights is instructive to determine the protections required by the ICRA. SITC v. George, CRCO-2005-0015, 2006 WL 7128881 (April 13, 2006); See ie., United States v. Lester, 647 F.2d 869, 872 (8th Cir.1981); United States v. Becerra-Garcia, 397 F.3d 1167, 1171 (9th Cir.2005). Federal courts have rejected the invitation to interpret Fourth Amendment rights as they may have been enlarged or diminished by state law. Id. at 1174.

Where the language of the ICRA and the federal constitution are so similar, federal case law interpreting the rights protected by that language will be most persuasive. Certainly where there is a substantial difference in language between a State Constitution or Statute and the Indian Civil Rights Act, federal case law is more compelling.

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Related

Brinegar v. United States
338 U.S. 160 (Supreme Court, 1949)
Aguilar v. Texas
378 U.S. 108 (Supreme Court, 1964)
Spinelli v. United States
393 U.S. 410 (Supreme Court, 1969)
Illinois v. Gates
462 U.S. 213 (Supreme Court, 1983)
United States v. Leon
468 U.S. 897 (Supreme Court, 1984)
United States v. Efrain Becerra-Garcia
397 F.3d 1167 (Ninth Circuit, 2005)
State v. Jackson
688 P.2d 136 (Washington Supreme Court, 1984)

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Bluebook (online)
11 Am. Tribal Law 182, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/swinomish-indian-tribal-community-v-reid-swinomishtr-2012.