United States v. Loera

59 F. Supp. 3d 1089, 2014 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 160571, 2014 WL 5859072
CourtDistrict Court, D. New Mexico
DecidedOctober 20, 2014
DocketNo. CR 13-1876 JB
StatusPublished
Cited by6 cases

This text of 59 F. Supp. 3d 1089 (United States v. Loera) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, D. New Mexico primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
United States v. Loera, 59 F. Supp. 3d 1089, 2014 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 160571, 2014 WL 5859072 (D.N.M. 2014).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM OPINION AND ORDER

JAMES O. BROWNING, District Judge.

THIS MATTER comes before the Court on the Defendant’s Motion to Suppress Evidence, filed March 7, 2014 (Doc. 35) (“Motion”). The Court held an evidentiary hearing on May 20, 2014, and May 21, 2014. The Court heard the parties’ arguments on the Motion on August 19, 2014. The primary issues are: (i) whether Defendant Jason Loera may seek suppression of the child pornography found on Loera’s laptop computer and compact discs (“CDs”); (ii) whether the Search and Seizure Warrant, issued November 19, 2012, submitted to the Court at the May 20, 2014, evidentiary hearing as Government’s Hearing Exhibit 9 (“First Warrant”), satisfies the particularity requirement in the Fourth Amendment to the Constitution of the United States of America; (iii) whether Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”) Special Agent Aaron Cravens’ and Special Agent Brian Nishida’s on-site preview of Loera’s CDs during the execution of the First Warrant on November 20, 2012, was within the First Warrant’s scope; (iv) whether the agents conducted an unlawful search when they continued searching Loera’s CDs for evidence of computer fraud and electronic mail hijacking after they discovered child pornography; (v) whether the agents acted in good faith when they continued to search for evidence of computer fraud and electronic mail hijacking after discovering child pornography; (vi) whether Cravens was permitted to open files on .Loera’s CDs on November 27, 2012, for the limited purpose of providing a United States Magistrate Judge a description of four images depicting the sexual abuse of a child; (vii) whether, even if Cravens was not permitted to open the files on November 27, 2012, and even if those descriptions are excised from the affidavit in support of the Second Warrant, probable cause to issue the Search and Seizure Warrant (issued November 29, 2012), submitted to the Court at the May 20, 2014, evidentiary hearing as Government’s Hearing Exhibit 10 (“Second Warrant”) still exists; (viii) whether, even if the Second Warrant suffered from an incurable defect, Nishida relied on that warrant in good faith when he searched Loera’s CDs and laptop for child pornography; and (ix) whether, even if the Second Warrant contained an incurable defect and Nishida did not execute the Second Warrant in good faith, the agents inevitably would have discovered child por-, nography.

The Court will deny the Motion. The Court concludes that Loera may seek suppression of the child pornography evidence, because he admitted that the CDs and laptop on which the agents discovered child pornography were within his control and possession when the agents seized them. ' The Court holds that the First Warrant satisfies the particularity requirement in the Fourth Amendment, because it limited the agents’ search to evidence of computer fraud and electronic mail hijacking. The Court concludes that the agents’ on-site preview of Loera’s CDs during the execution of the First Warrant on November 20, 2012, was within the warrant’s scope, because the warrant authorized the agents to open image and video files, and files with last modified and created'dates before July 29, 2011. The Court further [1095]*1095holds that, while the Court is concerned with the soundness of the United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit’s law related to computer searches, under that law, which the Court, as a district court, must faithfully apply, the agents conducted an unlawful search when they continued searching for evidence of electronic mail hijacking and computer fraud on Loera’s CDs after they discovered child pornography. The Court concludes, however, that the agents acted in good faith when they did so. The Court holds that Cravens was not permitted to open files on Loera’s CDs on November 27, 2012, for the limited purpose of providing a United States Magistrate Judge a description of four images depicting the sexual abuse of a child. The Court concludes, however, that, even if Cravens was not permitted to open the files on November 27, 2012, and even if those descriptions are excised from the Affidavit in Support of an Application Under Rule 41 for a Warrant to Search and Seize (issued November 29, 2014), submitted to the Court at the May 20, 2014, evidentiary hearing as Government’s Hearing Exhibit 9 (“Second Affidavit”), probable cause to issue the Second Warrant still existed. The Court holds that, even if the Second Warrant suffered from an incurable defect, Nishida relied on that warrant in good faith when he searched Loera’s CDs and laptop for child pornography. Finally, the Court holds that, even if the Second Warrant contained an incurable defect and Nishida did not execute the second warrant in good faith, the agents inevitably would have discovered child pornography on Loera’s CDs and laptop. Accordingly, the Court will deny the Motion, and not exclude the child pornography evidence from the trial.

FACTUAL BACKGROUND

Rule 12(d) of the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure requires the Court to state its essential findings on the record when deciding a motion that involves factual issues. See Fed.R.Crim.P. 12(d) (‘When factual issues are involved in deciding a motion, the court must state its essential findings on the record.”). This Memorandum Opinion and Order’s findings of fact shall serve as the Court’s essential findings for rule 12(d) purposes. The Court makes these findings under the authority of rule 104(a) of the Federal Rules of Evidence, which requires a judge to decide preliminary questions relating to the admissibility of evidence, including the legality of a search or seizure, and the voluntariness of an individual’s confession or consent to search. See United States v. Merritt, 695 F.2d 1263, 1269-70 (10th Cir.1982) (“[Ujnder Rule[] 104(a) ..., the district court ‘is not bound by. the Rules of Evidence except those with respect to privilege.’ ”) (quoting United States v. Matlock, 415 U.S. 164, 174, 94 S.Ct. 988, 39 L.Ed.2d 242 (1974)). In deciding such preliminary questions, the other rulés of evidence, except those with respect to privileges, do not bind the Court. See Fed.R.Evid. 104(a) (“The court must decide any preliminary question about whether a witness is qualified, a privilege exists, or evidence is admissible. In so deciding, the court is not bound by evidence rules, except those on privilege.”). Thus, the Court may consider hearsay in ruling on a motion to suppress. See United States v. Merritt, 695 F.2d at 1269 (“The purpose of the suppression hearing was, of course, to determine preliminarily the admissibility of certain evidence allegedly obtained in violation of defendant’s rights under the Fourth and Fifth Amendments. In this type of hearing the judge had latitude to receive it, notwithstanding the hearsay rule.”); United States v. Garcia, 324 Fed.Appx. 705, 708 (10th Cir.2009) (unpublished) (“We need [1096]*1096not resolve whether Crawford [v. Washington, 541 U.S. 36, 124 S.Ct. 1354, 158 L.Ed.2d 177 (2004)]’s1

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

Related

United States v. Smith
District of Columbia, 2021
United States v. Loera
923 F.3d 907 (Tenth Circuit, 2019)
United States v. Manafort
314 F. Supp. 3d 258 (D.C. Circuit, 2018)
United States v. Manafort
District of Columbia, 2018
United States v. Manafort
323 F. Supp. 3d 795 (E.D. Virginia, 2018)
United States v. Loera
182 F. Supp. 3d 1173 (D. New Mexico, 2016)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
59 F. Supp. 3d 1089, 2014 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 160571, 2014 WL 5859072, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/united-states-v-loera-nmd-2014.