United States v. Larry Wayne Cassity (81-1565), Billy Sword (81-1566), Stephen Gordon Lenk (81-1567)

720 F.2d 451, 1983 U.S. App. LEXIS 15720
CourtCourt of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit
DecidedOctober 31, 1983
Docket81-1565, 81-1566 and 81-1567
StatusPublished
Cited by26 cases

This text of 720 F.2d 451 (United States v. Larry Wayne Cassity (81-1565), Billy Sword (81-1566), Stephen Gordon Lenk (81-1567)) 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. Larry Wayne Cassity (81-1565), Billy Sword (81-1566), Stephen Gordon Lenk (81-1567), 720 F.2d 451, 1983 U.S. App. LEXIS 15720 (6th Cir. 1983).

Opinion

BOYCE F. MARTIN, Jr., Circuit Judge.

This case, before us for the second time, raises important fourth amendment issues. When first confronted with this case, this court was asked to consider, inter alia, whether the monitoring of an electronic homing transmitter (beeper) could ever amount to a search and seizure in fourth amendment terms. Citing United States v. Bailey, 628 F.2d 938, 943 (6th Cir.1980), a decision reached in the interim between trial and appeal of this case, we answered affirmatively. United States v. Cassity, et al. (Cassity I), 631 F.2d 461 (6th Cir.1980). Simultaneously we considered and answered the question of the validity of the warrants obtained by the police prior to the installation and monitoring of the beeper transmitters. We held the warrants invalid due to lack of time limits. However, finding ourselves without the benefit of an evi-dentiary record on the issue of the individual defendants’ expectations of privacy and therefore unable to determine whether the challenged warrantless monitoring impinged upon the defendant’s constitutional rights, we remanded the case to the lower court for further fact-finding.

On remand, the district court, 546 F.Supp. 611, after hearing evidence on the defendants’ expectations of privacy, determined that three 1 of the four had been the victims of unconstitutional searches. It declined to suppress evidence gleaned as a result of these searches, however, holding that the rule announced in Bailey should not be given retroactive effect. Accordingly, it affirmed the convictions. That decision is before us on appeal. We now reverse that decision.

I.

The facts are succinctly summarized in Cassity I.

These cases arose from the undercover investigative efforts of Special Agent John Graetz of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). From April to August 1977, Agent Graetz posed as a supplier of precursor chemicals and laboratory glassware to Jay Cody, who is alleged to be the central figure in the conspiracy. Cody apparently coordinated the conspirators’ operations, arranged to obtain necessary chemicals and equipment and delivered samples of amphetamine manufactured in the conspirators’ clandestine laboratory.
Among the chemicals and equipment Agent Graetz delivered to Cody at various times were secreted three electronic homing devices, or beepers. Two were located in cans of precursor chemicals and one was hidden in a heating mantle. All three beepers were installed pursuant to search warrants issued by a United *454 States Magistrate. However, none of the warrants contained a time limit.
Agent Graetz delivered the first beeper on July 11, 1977. By monitoring the beeper’s signals, DEA agents traced the chemicals to defendant Cassity’s home at 2803 Stair Street in Detroit. On July 15, the beeper’s signals indicated the chemicals had been moved to defendant Sword’s home at 1494 Calvary in Detroit. On July 28, Agent Graetz delivered the other two beepers, which also were monitored to Sword’s home. On August 11, 1977, all three beepers were located in the basement of defendant Dean’s home at 6344 Hanson in Detroit.
DEA agents monitored the beepers’ signals until August 17. They observed all five defendants and Cody enter and leave the house at 6344 Hanson at various times during the monitoring. On three occasions during the beeper surveillance, Cody delivered samples of amphetamine allegedly produced by the conspirators.
On August 17, 1977, DEA agents executed a search warrant at 6344 Hanson. In the basement, they found a complete laboratory which expert testimony established was capable of producing amphetamine. The agents did not, however, find any trace of amphetamine on the premises. Investigation revealed that a number of chemical containers and pieces of laboratory equipment bore the fingerprints of defendants Lenk, Sword, Dean and Hines.
The defendants were indicted, along with Cody, for conspiring to manufacture and manufacturing amphetamine in violation of 21 U.S.C. §§ 841(a)(1) and 846. The indictment also charged Cody with ten counts of possessing and distributing amphetamine. However, Cody remained a fugitive and was not tried with the appellants.
The case went to trial on July 18,1978. The Government’s case against the appellants consisted primarily of testimony that all the appellants had been observed in and around the laboratory’s location (Dean’s home) the day of the search; that Cassity and Sword previously had stored precursor chemicals and laboratory equipment in their homes; that Hines had picked up chemicals and glassware left in a rented van by Agent Graetz; that Lenk was in the laboratory at the time of the search; and that fingerprints of four of the appellants were found on glassware in the laboratory. In addition, the Government introduced tape recordings of Cody’s numerous telephone conversations with Agent Graetz, as well as the samples of amphetamine Cody had delivered to Graetz.
The jury convicted all five appellants of conspiracy and manufacturing amphetamine.

631 F.2d at 462-63.

Several issues are presented here. Defendants argue that the district court exceeded its mandate on remand when it considered the question of the retroactive application of the Bailey decision to the facts of this case. Moreover, they argue that the manner in which the court resolved the question was erroneous. The government disagrees and, additionally, asserts that the lower court erroneously concluded that defendants Sword, Lenk, and Cassity had successfully proven legitimate expectations of privacy in those areas subject to beeper monitoring.

Shortly before oral argument in this case, the Supreme Court delivered an opinion.in United States v. Knotts, — U.S. —, 103 S.Ct. 1081, 75 L.Ed.2d 55 (1983). Because Knotts concerned warrantless beeper monitoring, we asked the parties to brief the decision. We have received those briefs, considered the question, and now hold, as a preliminary matter, that Knotts does not affect our decisions in either Bailey or Cassity I or control our resolution of the issues here.

In Knotts, the police utilized electronic beeper surveillance to track the movement of chemicals in an automobile on an open highway and, when highway surveillance was interrupted, to locate the chemicals under a barrel outside a cabin on private property. The Court, reversing the court of *455

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Bluebook (online)
720 F.2d 451, 1983 U.S. App. LEXIS 15720, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/united-states-v-larry-wayne-cassity-81-1565-billy-sword-81-1566-ca6-1983.