United States v. Rocky Dale McKeever Brenda Gayle McKeever and Stephen C. Newman

894 F.2d 712, 1990 U.S. App. LEXIS 5766
CourtCourt of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
DecidedApril 10, 1990
Docket88-1985
StatusPublished
Cited by6 cases

This text of 894 F.2d 712 (United States v. Rocky Dale McKeever Brenda Gayle McKeever and Stephen C. Newman) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals for the Fifth 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. Rocky Dale McKeever Brenda Gayle McKeever and Stephen C. Newman, 894 F.2d 712, 1990 U.S. App. LEXIS 5766 (5th Cir. 1990).

Opinions

W. EUGENE DAVIS, Circuit Judge.

Defendants appeal their drug-related convictions on the grounds that the district court erroneously denied their motions to suppress. We reverse.

I.

Defendants, Stephen C. Newman, Rocky Dale MeKeever, and Brenda Gayle MeKeever, appeal their convictions of conspiracy to knowingly and intentionally possess with the intent to manufacture pheny-lacetone and conspiracy to knowingly and intentionally manufacture amphetamine. Before entering guilty pleas to the charges, defendants moved to suppress amphetamine laboratory materials and phenylace-tone seized in a search of their residence. All three defendants challenge the district court’s denial of their motions to suppress. In addition, Newman and Rocky MeKeever challenge their sentences, arguing that the court did not properly apply certain provisions of the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.

On April 14, 1988, Sheriff Robert Harris learned from one of his deputies that twice that same day two men had purchased 180 pounds of ice from a grocery store owned by the deputy’s father. The deputy also related that both he and an experienced informant detected on the men a strong odor of amphetamine. Furthermore, the deputy’s father had tracked the two men to a secluded house within the sheriff’s jurisdiction.

That same day, after interviewing the informants, Harris and other officers went to the house identified by the deputy’s father. They positioned themselves in a wooded area some 200-300 yards from the house. From this vantage point, Harris, who had substantial experience with amphetamine laboratories, and the others could detect a faint odor of cooking amphetamine, apparently emanating from the house.

Later that evening, Harris telephoned Special Agent William J. Bryant of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and asked him to assist with the search, especially with those technical aspects that were potentially dangerous and for which the sheriff’s department was ill-prepared. Bryant agreed to assist but told Harris that he would have to wait until the next morning. He also notified Harris that if the DEA were to participate in the search, Harris would have to obtain a warrant from a court of record, as required by federal law. Harris agreed to this requirement.

[714]*714Immediately after conferring with Bryant, Harris returned to stake out the suspect house. This time he smelled a strong odor of cooking amphetamine. Based upon his experience, Harris became concerned that a search in the morning might be too late. Accordingly, he decided to procure a warrant immediately.

Shortly thereafter, Harris presented an affidavit of probable cause to Judge Barbara McBurney, a municipal judge for the Cities of Combine and Crandall, Texas, who was not a judge of a court of record. McBurney signed the warrant. She previously had been trained and certified as a reserve police officer but had ceased acting in this capacity. McBurney, who was also the wife of one of the officers who executed the warrant, went to the suspect house and observed the search but did not participate in any way.

Upon executing the warrant, Harris discovered a working amphetamine laboratory in the garage and utility room of the house. He also found chemicals and laboratory glassware scattered throughout the residence. Harris and his deputies arrested the defendants at the scene.

After arresting the defendants and securing the premises, Harris had Bryant notified of the situation and requested his assistance. Bryant, along with a DEA chemist and other agents, arrived on the scene shortly thereafter. Harris testified that the search had been completed before the agents’ arrival. Upon his arrival, Bryant observed the laboratory and, after questioning Harris, learned that Harris had not obtained the warrant from a court of record. The DEA agents dismantled the laboratory and identified chemicals presented to them by Harris’ officers.

Defendants contend that the evidence obtained in the above-described search should have been suppressed for a number of reasons: 1) the warrant was not obtained from a court of record; 2) the judge was not neutral and detached; and 3) the affidavits in support of the warrant application did not establish probable cause to issue the warrant.

II.

Defendants argue first that the district court improperly denied their motion to suppress evidence seized under the authority of a search warrant that was not issued by a court of record. Defendants rely on Fed.R.Crim.P. 41(a) which requires that, “[a] search warrant ... may be issued by a federal magistrate or a judge of a state court of record....”

The government admits that Judge McBurney did not preside over a court of record. The government also concedes that, because of the participation of the federal officers in the search, the search was federal as defined by this court in Navarro v. United States, 400 F.2d 315, 317 (5th Cir.1968).1 Also, the parties agree that the warrant was requested by state officers, alleged violations of Texas law, was issued by a state judge, and is, therefore, a state rather than a federal warrant. United States v. Martin, 600 F.2d 1175, 1180 (5th Cir.1979).

A.

In Navarro, this court held that evidence was inadmissible in a federal prosecution if it had been seized in a federal search pursuant to a search warrant issued by a judge of a state court that was not a court of record. The panel concluded that Rule 41 “binds federal courts and federal officers” even when a state warrant is used. 400 F.2d at 318.

In United States v. Sellers, 483 F.2d 37, reh’g denied, 485 F.2d 688 (5th Cir.1973), cert. denied, 417 U.S. 908, 94 S.Ct. 2604, 41 L.Ed.2d 212 (1974), we limited Navarro’s holding. The specific issue presented in Sellers was whether a federal prosecution could be based on evidence obtained under a state warrant, the application for which did not allege a violation of federal law and could not have been the predicate for a federal [715]*715warrant. The appellant in Sellers asked the Court to apply Rule 41(b)(2) as it had done in United States v. Brouillette, 478 F.2d 1171 (5th Cir.1973). In that case we interpreted Rule 41(b)(2) as authorizing issuance of a federal warrant only if the application for the warrant established probable cause to believe that a federal criminal law had been violated. In admitting the evidence, the Sellers court reasoned that where a “warrant was issued under authority of state law then every requirement of Rule 41 is not a sine qua non to federal court use of the fruits of a search predicated on the warrant, even though federal officials participated in its procuration or execution.” Id. 483 F.2d at 43.

Sellers

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

Related

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
894 F.2d 712, 1990 U.S. App. LEXIS 5766, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/united-states-v-rocky-dale-mckeever-brenda-gayle-mckeever-and-stephen-c-ca5-1990.