United States v. Carpenter

317 F.3d 618, 2003 U.S. App. LEXIS 588
CourtCourt of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit
DecidedJanuary 16, 2003
Docket01-5368
StatusPublished

This text of 317 F.3d 618 (United States v. Carpenter) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
United States v. Carpenter, 317 F.3d 618, 2003 U.S. App. LEXIS 588 (6th Cir. 2003).

Opinion

317 F.3d 618

UNITED STATES of America, Plaintiff-Appellee/Cross-Appellant,
v.
Lonnie D. CARPENTER (01-5368) and Sheila J. Carpenter (01-5370), Defendants-Appellants/Cross-Appellees.

No. 01-5368.

No. 01-5370.

No. 01-5446.

United States Court of Appeals, Sixth Circuit.

Argued and Submitted October 29, 2002.

Decided and Filed January 16, 2003.

COPYRIGHT MATERIAL OMITTED Dan R. Smith (briefed), Assistant United States Attorney, Johnson City, TN, Perry H. Piper (argued), Assistant United States Attorney, Chattanooga, TN, for Plaintiff-Appellee.

Lonnie D. Carpenter (briefed), Edgefield, SC, pro se.

Nikki C. Pierce (argued and briefed), Federal Defender Services of Eastern Tennessee, Greeneville, TN, for Defendants-Appellants.

Before SILER and MOORE, Circuit Judges; McKINLEY, District Judge.*

McKINLEY, D.J., delivered the opinion of the court, in which SILER, J., joined. MOORE, J. (pp. 638-629), delivered a separate dissenting opinion.

OPINION

JOSEPH H. McKINLEY, JR., District Judge.

Defendants Lonnie and Sheila Carpenter ("Defendants") appeal their convictions for manufacture of marijuana, in violation of 21 U.S.C. § 841(a)(1), arguing that (1) the district court improperly denied their motions to suppress; (2) there was insufficient evidence to support their convictions; and (3) the district court violated Sheila Carpenter's Sixth Amendment right to confront witnesses against her. The Government, in turn, appeals the district court's forfeiture order, arguing that the district court erred in ordering only a partial forfeiture of the Defendants' property. For the reasons set forth below, we AFFIRM in part, VACATE in part, and REMAND.

I. BACKGROUND

A. Facts

On June 23, 1999, Lieutenant Robert Crumley, a helicopter pilot for the Hawkins County Tennessee Sheriff's Department, spotted patches of marijuana while conducting aerial surveillance in Hawkins County. Although unable to determine upon whose property the marijuana was growing, Lt. Crumley did observe a roadway and beaten paths leading from the back door of the residence to the marijuana patches roughly three-hundred yards away. He also observed Mr. Carpenter and his son walking away from the area where the marijuana was located toward the residence. This information was immediately relayed to officers on the ground.

Based on Lt. Crumley's observations, officers requested consent to search the residence. When the Defendants refused, a state search warrant was obtained based on the affidavit of Captain Ronnie Lawson. Upon searching the trailer, officers found significant quantities of packaged marijuana seeds, several small bags of marijuana, a large package of marijuana, rolling papers, and scales. The Defendants were placed under arrest and the contraband was seized as evidence.

B. Procedural History

On July 27, 1999, the Defendants were charged with manufacturing marijuana and using a minor to assist in the manufacture of marijuana. The indictment also sought forfeiture of the Defendants' real property consisting of 100 acres, pursuant to 21 U.S.C. § 853, as property used to commit or facilitate the manufacture of marijuana. Both Defendants filed motions to suppress, which were ultimately denied.

Defendants discharged their attorneys and proceeded to trial, pro se, where they were acquitted of the "using a minor" charge and the jury was unable to reach a verdict on the manufacturing marijuana charge. On retrial, the Defendants, again proceeding pro se, were convicted of manufacturing marijuana. In addition, the jury found that the Defendants' property was "used to commit or to facilitate the commission of drug violations," thereby subjecting it to statutory forfeiture. J.A. 216-17.

On March 7, 2001, the district judge issued an order limiting the forfeiture of the Defendants' property to just six acres instead of the entire 100 acres. Specifically, the order directed the Government to "file a legal description in metes and bounds which would incorporate the one acre and the mobile home as well as an additional 5 acres for a total of 6 acres." J.A. 306. The order further stated that "[f]ailure to file this legal description will result in denial of the forfeiture." Id.

II. DISCUSSION

A. Motion to Suppress

Defendants first argue that the district court erred in denying their motions to suppress on the basis that Captain Lawson's affidavit was insufficient to establish probable cause.

1. Standard of Review

When reviewing motions to suppress, factual findings of the district court will be upheld unless clearly erroneous, while legal decisions are reviewed de novo. United States v. Weaver, 99 F.3d 1372, 1376 (6th Cir.1996) (citing United States v. Leake, 998 F.2d 1359, 1362 (6th Cir.1993)).

In determining the existence of probable cause, "[t]he task of the issuing magistrate is simply to make a practical, commonsense decision whether, given all the circumstances set forth in the affidavit before him ... there is a fair probability that contraband or evidence of a crime will be found in a particular place." Illinois v. Gates, 462 U.S. 213, 238, 103 S.Ct. 2317, 76 L.Ed.2d 527 (1983). For a magistrate to properly perform this function, the affidavit must contain adequate supporting facts about the underlying circumstances to show that probable cause exists. United States v. Weaver, 99 F.3d 1372, 1377 (6th Cir.1996). A magistrate's findings are entitled to great deference, and "the duty of a reviewing court is simply to ensure that the magistrate had a substantial basis for concluding that probable cause existed." Gates, 462 U.S. at 238, 103 S.Ct. 2317. Yet, "the court must ... insist that the magistrate perform his `neutral and detached' function and not serve merely as a rubber stamp for police." Aguilar v. Texas, 378 U.S. 108, 111, 84 S.Ct. 1509, 12 L.Ed.2d 723 (1964). As such, "[d]eference to the [issuing] magistrate ... is not boundless." United States v. Leon, 468 U.S. 897, 914, 104 S.Ct. 3405, 82 L.Ed.2d 677 (1984).

2. Probable Cause

The Fourth Amendment provides that "no Warrants shall issue but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, ...." U.S. CONST. amend. IV. The "probable cause" standard is aptly summarized in United States v. King,

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Related

Aguilar v. Texas
378 U.S. 108 (Supreme Court, 1964)
Franks v. Delaware
438 U.S. 154 (Supreme Court, 1978)
Jackson v. Virginia
443 U.S. 307 (Supreme Court, 1979)
Illinois v. Gates
462 U.S. 213 (Supreme Court, 1983)
United States v. Leon
468 U.S. 897 (Supreme Court, 1984)
Anderson v. Creighton
483 U.S. 635 (Supreme Court, 1987)
United States v. Olano
507 U.S. 725 (Supreme Court, 1993)
United States v. Bajakajian
524 U.S. 321 (Supreme Court, 1998)
United States v. Nolan
199 F.3d 1180 (Tenth Circuit, 1999)
United States v. Thomas James Savoca
761 F.2d 292 (Sixth Circuit, 1985)
United States v. Arvle Edgar Medlin
842 F.2d 1194 (Tenth Circuit, 1988)
United States v. Charles v. Leake
998 F.2d 1359 (Sixth Circuit, 1993)
United States v. James E. Schultz
14 F.3d 1093 (Sixth Circuit, 1994)
United States v. Jack Dean Johnson
78 F.3d 1258 (Eighth Circuit, 1996)
United States v. Gary Lynn Weaver
99 F.3d 1372 (Sixth Circuit, 1998)
United States v. Kenneth King
227 F.3d 732 (Sixth Circuit, 2000)
United States v. Carpenter
317 F.3d 618 (Sixth Circuit, 2003)

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Bluebook (online)
317 F.3d 618, 2003 U.S. App. LEXIS 588, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/united-states-v-carpenter-ca6-2003.