United States v. Frank

8 F. Supp. 2d 284, 1998 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 6381, 1998 WL 229446
CourtDistrict Court, S.D. New York
DecidedMay 6, 1998
Docket97 CR. 269(DLC)
StatusPublished
Cited by9 cases

This text of 8 F. Supp. 2d 284 (United States v. Frank) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, S.D. New York primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
United States v. Frank, 8 F. Supp. 2d 284, 1998 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 6381, 1998 WL 229446 (S.D.N.Y. 1998).

Opinion

OPINION

COTE, District Judge.

In this capital prosecution, the defendant, Deric Frank (“Frank”) is charged with abducting his former girlfriend, Shaneika Price (“Price”), transporting her across state lines, and killing her by setting fire to the car after locking her in the trunk. Frank has filed numerous motions challenging, among other things, the constitutionality of the statutes under which he is prosecuted, the sufficiency of tbe Indictment in this case, and the admissibility of certain of the Government’s evidence. The Court has already issued an Opinion addressing Frank’s challenges to the statutes and the Indictment. In this Opin-' ion, the Court will address Frank’s motion to suppress his statements made to the police following his arrest on March 13, 1997, and certain evidence found by the police pursuant to a search warrant executed on March 14. The Opinion follows two days of hearings on the suppression motions — at which Frank did not testify — and post-hearing briefing by both parties.

*289 I. BACKGROUND

A. The February 21 Restraining Order

Frank and Price had a complex relationship that spanned many years and was punctuated by disharmony. In 1.991, Price gave birth to a son, Jonathan Price, whom she claimed was fathered by Frank, and whom Frank, at times, acknowledged as his son. Just three weeks prior to her death. Price applied for and obtained an order of protection against Frank. The order, which was based on a pre-printed form filed in Connecticut Superior Court, was entered, by the court on February 21, 1997, The order required that Frank

Refrain from imposing any restraint upon the person or liberty of the applicant [Price].
Refrain from threatening, harassing, assaulting, molesting, sexually assaulting or attacking the applicant.
Refrain from entering the family dwelling or the dwelling of the applicant.

On March 5, 1997, Price filed a harassment complaint against Frank with the Norwalk Police Department. Price's statement in support of her complaint, which was reduced to wilting by Police Officer Shawn Morin and approved by Price, stated:

Derie Frank who is my ex-boyfriend has been physically and emotionally abusive in the past towards me. I have observed Derie Frank following me and sitting in front of my residence waiting for me to come home. Derie Frank has also tried to followed [sic] me to my place of employment. I loose [sic] him so he doesn’t follow me to work and cause a scene. Derie Frank has also called my place of employment numerous times.. I went to the Stamford Court house on 02/21/97 and filed for a restraining order against him and it was served on him. I filed for this restraining order do [sic] to I am concerned for my safety and the safety of my child do [sic] to Deric’s actions in the past. Scenes [sic] the restraining order was served on Derie Frank he has called my place of employment and has come past my residence watching' me and calls my house. On this date 03/05/97 Derie Frank called my place of employment and was also in front of my residence upon me [sic] getting home.

On the basis of Price’s March 5, 1997 complaint, Officer Morin prepared on that date a “Complaint and Incident Report” which documented Price’s complaint and set forth Morin’s intention to arrest Frank for violation of the February 21 restraining order if he were able to locate Frank prior to the end of his tour. In the alternative, Morin indicated that he would apply for a warrant for Frank’s arrest.

B. The March 10 Arrest Warrant

On March 9, 1997, Morin prepared an Arrest Warrant Application (“Application”), a two page document containing in its body a six paragraph affidavit by Morin. At the bottom on each page of the Application, the judge’s signature attests that the judge has read the affidavit and finds probable cause. Morin’s affidavit in support of the application repeated the facts conveyed in Price’s March 5 complaint — namely, that Price had obtained a restraining order against Frank on February 21, and that, since that time, Frank had followed and called Price repeatedly and waited for her outside her residence. The affidavit also specifically recounted that Price had stated that “she was afraid of Derie Frank and when she sees him around her residence she runs into her residence and locks the doors so she doesn’t have any contact with him.” The affidavit further set forth Morin’s contacts with Frank on the telephone and his unsuccessful efforts to secure Frank’s cooperation.

The affidavit did not indicate the offense for which Morin believed an arrest warrant was appropriate. It did, however, state that Morin had advised Frank that if Frank did not cooperate, “a[n] arrest warrant would be filed against him for violation of the restraining order.” In its final paragraph, the affidavit stated:

[T]his officer respectfully requests that this arrest warrant be issued for Derie Frank dd [sic] to this is a domestic problem and it appears to be a on going [sic] problem which has been physically and emotionally abusive in the past towards *290 Shaneika Price. That I gave Derie Frank every opportunity to come to headquarters and speak to this officer regarding this matter. That Deric Frank’s actions towards this officers [sic] attempts to speak to him resulted in a negative ending in this CO-operation [sic].

The pre-printed findings of probable cause that appear on the bottom of each page of the Application, to which the judge affixed his signature on March 10, similarly do not state the offense for which the warrant was approved. Rather, the findings state simply that

there is probable cause to believe that an offense has been committed and that the accused committed it and, therefore, that probable cause exists for the issuance of a warrant for the arrest of the above-named accused.

Also on March 10, Morin prepared an arrest warrant and an “Information.” The arrest warrant, which did not require any designation as to the offense for which arrest was authorized, also was signed by the judge on March 10. Unlike the Application and warrant, the Information specified that Frank had violated Connecticut General Statute Section 53a-107, which defines criminal trespass in the first degree. In his affirmation filed in support of the Government’s opposition to the Defendant’s motion to suppress, 1 Morin explained that his decision to cite the criminal trespass statute reflected the Norwalk Police Department’s general practice of charging persons who have violated orders of protection with this infraction. Morin explained:

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

Related

United States v. Medina
19 F. Supp. 3d 518 (S.D. New York, 2014)
United States v. Fadul
16 F. Supp. 3d 270 (S.D. New York, 2014)
United States v. Walters
963 F. Supp. 2d 138 (E.D. New York, 2013)
United States v. Conrad
578 F. Supp. 2d 1016 (N.D. Illinois, 2008)
United States v. Pena Ontiveros
547 F. Supp. 2d 323 (S.D. New York, 2008)
United States v. Marzook
435 F. Supp. 2d 708 (N.D. Illinois, 2006)
United States v. Robles
253 F. Supp. 2d 544 (S.D. New York, 2002)
United States v. Long Huang You
198 F. Supp. 2d 393 (S.D. New York, 2002)
United States v. Bin Laden
132 F. Supp. 2d 198 (S.D. New York, 2001)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
8 F. Supp. 2d 284, 1998 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 6381, 1998 WL 229446, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/united-states-v-frank-nysd-1998.