United States v. Wilson

307 F. App'x 880
CourtCourt of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit
DecidedJanuary 8, 2009
Docket06-2616
StatusUnpublished

This text of 307 F. App'x 880 (United States v. Wilson) 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. Wilson, 307 F. App'x 880 (6th Cir. 2009).

Opinion

CLAY, Circuit Judge.

Defendant Clinton Earl Wilson (“Wilson”) appeals his conviction for possession with intent to distribute more than five grams of cocaine base in violation of 21 U.S.C. § 841(a)(1), and for being a felon in possession of a firearm in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 922(g). On appeal, Wilson challenges the district court’s denial of his motion to suppress evidence of narcotics and a gun that police found during a search of his residence pursuant to a warrant. For the following reasons, we AFFIRM the judgment of the district court.

BACKGROUND

Wilson resided at 1200 Webb Street (“1200 Webb”), a two-and-a-half story, two-family dwelling in Detroit with two front doors, one leading to a downstairs residence and one leading to an upstairs residence.

On August 9, 2004, Rebecca McKay (“McKay”), a Detroit narcotics officer, was investigating an anonymous tip that six to twelve African American males were selling drugs from the lower window of 1200 Webb. As part of her investigation that day, McKay gave a confidential informant money to purchase drugs at 1200 Webb. Before sending the informant to the residence, McKay made sure the informant *881 did not have any drugs or money on his person and then gave him funds to purchase drugs. McKay watched as the informant met an unidentified African American male (the “seller”) on the porch in front of 1200 Webb and gave the seller money. The informant waited on the porch as the seller went into the right front door of the residence and returned with marijuana. The informant gave McKay the marijuana he had purchased and told her that the seller, after taking the money, had gone into the downstairs residence to retrieve the drugs. McKay testified that Wilson was not the seller, but was sitting on the porch “[a] couple of feet” from where the transaction took place. (Joint Appendix (“J.A.”) at 271.)

McKay continued investigating 1200 Webb, and on August 11, 2004, observed the seller from the August 9 sale conduct two more transactions on the front porch. Each time, McKay saw the seller take the purchaser’s money, go into the residence via the right front door, and return with drugs to sell. McKay also observed the seller carrying out a sale on a street corner approximately thirty yards from 1200 Webb to a buyer in a vehicle.

On August 12, 2004, McKay obtained a search warrant for 1200 Webb. Her supporting affidavit, which was incorporated into the warrant, described the location to be searched:

Known as the entire premises and curtiledge of 1200 Webb. The above location is described as a brown brick, two and a half story, two family dwelling, with a single common entrance. The area to be searched is the lower portion of the dwelling. The location is located on the north side of the street between Byron and Hamilton. The location is located in the City of Detroit, County of Wayne, State of Michigan.

(J.A. at 50.) McKay’s affidavit also recounted the August 9 purchase by the confidential informant and the three drug sales she observed on August 11, and stated that, based on her experience, the volume of drug dealing at 1200 Webb indicated that a firearm would likely be found on the premises as well.

Later that day, a team of Detroit police officers that included McKay raided and searched the lower residence at 1200 Webb. McKay testified that before going to 1200 Webb, she briefed the other officers who were involved in the raid regarding “the location, the surroundings, everything.” (J.A. at 272.) As the officers exited their police van, one of them spotted Wilson observing them through the “south window of the house” in the “lower flat,” and alerted the other officers, including McKay; McKay testified that she heard the officers “yelling, he’s in the window.” (J.A. at 80-81, 272.) Upon entering the residence, the officers encountered Wilson and an older male. One officer placed Wilson up against the wall of the dining room, handcuffed him, and detained him there while the search was taking place. McKay, who was responsible for securing 1200 Webb from the back of the premises while the other officers conducted an initial security sweep of the residence, came into the apartment once it had been secured and joined the search. She found narcotics, while another officer found a weapon.

On November 10, 2004, Wilson was indicted on one count of possession with intent to distribute more than five grams of cocaine base in violation of 21 U.S.C. § 841(a)(1), and one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 922(g). On February 7, 2005, Wilson moved to suppress the drugs and the firearm seized during the search of his residence. The district court held an evidentiary hearing on April 18, 2005, and continued the hearing on August 18, 2005. *882 The court also held an in camera hearing to examine the confidential informant on April 27, 2005.

At the April 18, 2005 suppression hearing, McKay acknowledged that she erred in her affidavit when she stated that 1200 Webb had “a single, common entrance.” (J.A. at 67.) She testified that she did not know why she had made that mistake, and that what she meant was that the location had a “single common address.” (J.A. at 67, 74.) Four witnesses for the defense testified during the suppression hearings that on August 9, they had been with Wilson at an all-day - party at the yard beside 1200 Webb and never saw him leave to go onto the front porch. At the conclusion of the August 18, 2005 suppression hearing, the court denied Wilson’s motion to suppress from the bench.

On May 10, 2006, a jury convicted Wilson of both counts in the indictment. Wilson timely appealed his conviction.

DISCUSSION

I. Standard of Review

In reviewing a district court’s suppression determination, this Court reviews findings of fact for clear error and legal conclusions de novo. United States v. Hudson, 405 F.3d 425, 431 (6th Cir.2005). When a district court denies a motion to suppress, “we consider the evidence in the light most favorable to the government.” United States v. Carter, 378 F.3d 584, 587 (6th Cir.2004) (en banc). “In reviewing the denial of the motion, we may consider trial evidence in addition to the evidence admitted at the suppression hearing.” United States v. Hardin, 539 F.3d 404, 417 (6th Cir.2008).

II. Analysis

Wilson argues that the warrant to search 1200 Webb on August 12, 2004 was defective, because it inaccurately stated that the location had a single common entrance.

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307 F. App'x 880, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/united-states-v-wilson-ca6-2009.