STATE EX REL WILSON v DIST COURT
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No, 12302 EN THE SUPREME COURT O THE STATE O M N A A F F OTN 1972 THE STATE O MONTANA, e x r e l . , MICHAEL ALAN WILSON F and GREGORY JAMES HOFFER, Relator, THE DlSTRICT COURT O THE FIRST JUDICIAL DISTRICT F OF THE STATE O MONTANA, I N AND FOR TIIE COUNTY O F F LEWIS AND CLARK, AND THE HONORABLE GORDON R. BENNETT, PRESIDING J U D G E , Respondents. 3 r i g i n a l Proceedings. dounsel of Record : For Appellant: Robert J. S e w e l l , Jr. , Helena, Montana, argued. Robert L. Woodahl, A t t o r n e y G e n e r a l , Helena, Montana 59601, J. C. Weingartner a r g u e d , A s s i s t a n t A t t o r n e y G e n e r a l , Helena, Montana 59601. Lief B. Erickson a r g u e d , Deputy County A t t o r n e y , Helena, Montana 59601. Thomas F. Dowling, County A t t o r n e y , Helena, Montana 59601. Submitted: Decided : Filed : Clerk June 2 1 , 1972 Mr. Justice John Conway Harrison delivered the Opinion of the Court. This is an original proceeding wherein relators Michael Alan Wilson and Gregory James Hoffer seek a writ of supervisory control, on application from the district court of the first judicial district, county of Lewis and Clark, Hon. Gordon R. Bennett presiding. The facts are: At approximately 1:57 a.m., Monday, May 1, 1972, Michael Alan Wilson was apprehended in the company of Gregory James Hoffer by four Helena city police officers in the lumber yard of the Peterson Lumber Company in the city of Helena. The officers were responding to a telephone call indicating that a disturbance was in progress at the lumber company. After their apprehension, Wilson and Hoffer were transported to the Helena police station where they were booked for first degree burglary of Peterson Lumber Company. Shortly after 2:00 a.m., Wilson called his wife to inform her that he had been arrested and would be held in jail overnight. At approximately 3:15 a.m., Mrs. Wilson called the police station and inquired as to the whereabouts of the family car, a red Volkswagen. She spoke with Sgt. Sanguine, one of the arresting officers, who asked Wilson where the car was located as his wife was inquiring. Wilson told the officer the location of the car. Sgt. Sanguine then informed Mrs. Wilson the car had been impounded and she would have to see the chief of police the next morning. The officers then returned to the scene, located the vehicle, drove it to the police garage and there it remained until May 3, 1972. At approximately 4:08 a m the morning of the arrest, .. while on routine patrol, Sgt. Sanguine noted that an overhead .-. *. , . garage door at the Mt. Helena Distributing Co. was damaged. Further investigation revealed that a panel had been broken out and from the appearance of the premises entry had been gained. The owner was notified and a preliminary inventory indicated that three cases of beer had been taken from a truck immediately inside the door. The cases could be readily identified by a serial number which was marked on each of the cases, since none of the beer with that number had been distributed to retail outlets. These serial numbers allegedly match the serial numbers on three cases of beer found in the Wilson vehicle. On May 1, 1972, the county attorney's office was granted leave to file an Information charging Wilson and Hoffer with the crime of "burglary" of Mt. Helena Distributing Co. On May 3, 1972, the Helena city police department obtained a search warrant for the Wilson vehicle to search for and seize various items allegedly connected with the burglary of Mt. Helena Distributing Co., for which Wilson and Hoffer had been charged in district court, and for items taken in other break-ins which had occurred in recent weeks. The search was conducted, a return filed, and various items of property were ordered retained as evidence by the Helena police department. On May 4, 1972, Wilson appeared in district court and entered a plea of "not guilty" to the Information filed against him. The trial court had previously appointed Robert J. Sewell, Jr. to represent both defendants. On May 8, 1972, a trial date for Wilson was set for May 22, 1972. five motions. On May 12, Sewell filed Here, we note that the motions filed by counsel were filed under the case title "The State of Montana vs. Gregory James Hoffer and Michael Alan Wilsonft, but were addressed to the court only in the name of Wilson. filed for both defendants. We shall consider them as motions These motions were: -. * 1 . Motion to suppress evidence illegally obtained. 2 . Motion for continuance. 3. Motion to quash Information. 4 Motion to quash search warrant. . 5. Motion for severance of defendants. On May 15, 1972, the trial court set the time for arraign- ment of Gregory James Hoffer for May 22, 1972, and on the following day changed the trial date for Wilson "without date". Following the filing of briefs, Judge Bennett heard arguments on the motions on June 2, 1972, and denied all five motions, as against both defendants. It is from denial of these motions that application is now made to this Court for a writ of supervisory control. First, we direct our attention to whether or not the trial court erred in denying defendants' motion to quash the Information as it concerns defendant Hoffer. We have carefully reviewed the record as it concerns Hoffer and fail to find that a showing was made for probable cause to grant a leave to file an Information against him for the Mt. Helena Distributing Co, burglary. 95-1301, R.C.M. Section 1947. At the time of the filing of the leave to file an Information no affidavit was made by the county attorney indicating what evidence he had against Hoffer that would warrant an Information charging him with the burglary of the Mt. Helena Distributing Co. P,2d , State ex rel. Wicks v. Dist. Ct. Mont . 20 St.Rep. 506; Petition of Gray, 155 Mont. 510, 473 P.2d 532. Hoffer was arrested with Wilson at the Peterson Lumber Company and booked by the Helena police department on the charge of burglary of the lumber company, but that charge is not before us. The evidence concerning the burglary of the Mt, Helena Dis- tributing co. was obtained from ~ilson's car, impounded several 9 hours after the arrest at the Peterson Lumber Company. Other than being with Wilson when he was arrested, we find no evidence in the record involving Hoffer on the charge before the trial court, the burglary of Mt, Helena Distributing Co. State v. Logan, 156 Mont. 48, 473 P.2d 833; State v. Dunn, 155 Mont. 319, 472 P.2d 288; State ex rel. Glantz v. Dist. Ct., 154 Mont. 132, 461 P.2d 193. The proceedings against relator Hoffer should be dismissed since probable cause for his arrest for burglary of the Mt. Helena Distributing Co. did not exist. Relators in petitioning this Court for a writ of supervisory control raise four issues for consideration. In view of our preceding discussion as to relator Hoffer we consider relators' issue No. 4, that the motion for severance of defendants for trial purposes should have been granted, to be moot, We now consider the remaining issues as they concern relator Wilson. Those issues are: 1 Whether the Information should be quashed on the . basis : a. there was no probable cause for granting motion b. it does not state a public offense; c. the charge stated is not stated in such language to file; that a person of "common understanding" could determine what was charged, or the time of the offense is not stated as definitely d . as can be done. 2. Whether the search warrant issued by the district court should be quashed on the basis that there was no probable cause for its issuance. 3. Whether all evidence seized should be suppressed on the basis that it was seized pursuant to an invalid search warrant and not seized as an incident to a lawful arrest. I s s u e 1. Relator argues t h e Information on f i l e should be quashed on the grounds t h a t i t does n o t s t a t e a public offense; i t does not conform t o t h e requirements of Montana law regarding charging of an offense; and leave was granted t o f i l e t h e Informat i o n without s u f f i c i e n t probable cause being shown f o r i t s issuance. W f i n d no merit t o t h e contention t h e Information was e n o t proper. The question of charging a p a r t i c u l a r degree of burglary has been decided by t h i s Court i n previous cases. v. Board, 135 Mont. 139, 337 P.2d 924. State This Court has h e l d t h a t t h e r e i s no n e c e s s i t y t o s p e c i f y t h e degree of crime i n t h e charge. However, on a s p e c i f i c charge of f i r s t degree burglary, t h e r e may n o t be a c o n J i c t i o n f o r second degree burglary. The Court f i n d s t h a t t h e county a t t o r n e y presented s u f f i c i e n t evidence t o t h e t r i a l c o u r t t o warrant t h e g r a n t i n g of leave t o f i l e an Information charging r e l a t o r Wilson with b u r g l a r y , and s a t i s f i e d t h e judge t h a t t h e r e was s u f f i c i e n t probable cause. Burglary, a s s e t f o r t h i n s e c t i o n 94-901, R.C.M. t h e crime which must be charged. be charged. 1947, i s The question of degree need n o t Whether i t i s f i r s t o r second degree burglary i s a question f o r t h e j u r y , based on t h e evidence. Relator a l l e g e s t h a t he w i l l be s u r p r i s e d by t h e evidence i f t h e time of t h e crime i s not specifically stated. The Court f i n d s t h a t r e l a t o r has a v a i l a b l e t o him s e v e r a l means of discovery which he may u t i l i z e t o prevent s u r p r i s e . The test of t h e s u f f i c i e n c y o f an Information i s whether a person of common understanding would know what i s intended t o be charged. O r , s t a t e d another way, whether t h e defendant i s apprised of t h e charges brought a g a i n s t him and whether he w i l l be suprised and unable t o prepare a defense. 384 P. 2d 749. S t a t e v. Bogue, 142 Mont. 459, W hold t h a t t h e Information and charge a g a i n s t Wilson e now under c o n s i d e r a t i o n , meet t h e s u f f i c i e n c y t e s t and a r e i n conformance with t h e requirements of s e c t i o n 95-1503, R.C,M. 1947, It must be kept i n mind t h a t s e c t i o n 95-1503 i s a g e n e r a l s t a t u t e covering a l l c r i m i n a l charges and cannot be r e l i e d on by r e l a t o r a s r e q u i r i n g more p a r t i c u l a r i t y where a burglary charge i s a l l e g e d , than when any o t h e r felony i s a l l e g e d . 18 Montana Law Review 86, 89. I s s u e 2. Section 95-704, R.C.M. 1947, provides t h a t a judge may i s s u e a search warrant i f s u f f i c i e n t f a c t s a r e presented showing probable cause, I n t h i s i n s t a n c e t h e r e was s u f f i c i e n t probable cause t o support t h e d e c i s i o n t o i s s u e t h e search warrant. The t h i n g t o be searched was p a r t i c u l a r l y described, i.e. "1967 Volkswagen 2-door, r e d i n c o l o r , no l i c e n s e p l a t e s , Vehicle Ident i f i c a t i o n No. 117 537 00 ** *It, The t h i n g s t o be s e i z e d were p a r t i c u l a r l y described, i.e. "3 12-packs Olympia b e e r , Code #LO96 ** *It, etc. Probable cause was shown---that the three 12-packs of Olympia beer and one c a s e of Lucky beer were taken from a truckload shipment bearing s i m i l a r l y marked c a s e s and they had been seen i n t h e Volkswagen by observation through t h e window, I n a d d i t i o n , a hearing on t h e a p p l i c a t i o n f o r issuance of a search warrant was had i n t h e d i s t r i c t c o u r t , Captain Laible of t h e Helena p o l i c e department t e s t i f i e d i n support of t h e a p p l i c a t i o n f o r a search warrant, W f i n d t h a t t h e a f f i d a v i t pree sented t o t h e d i s t r i c t judge with t h e a p p l i c a t i o n f o r a search warrant, p l u s t h e testimony i n support of i t s issuance, provided s u f f i c i e n t probable cause and was proper i n every r e s p e c t , The requirements s e t down by t h i s Court i n S t a t e v. T r o g l i a , 157 Mont, 22, 482 P,2d 143, have been complied with. W f u r t h e r n o t e and c i t e with approval from t h e r e c e n t e opinion United S t a t e s v. Mitchell, 458 F.2d 960, 961, Ninth C i r c u i t Court of Appeals, April 11, 1972, where that court reversed an order suppressing evidence. 4 Mitchell was arrested for speeding in the early hours February 5, 1971. He was driving an out-of-state car and at the time was a parolee. Because he was unable to post bond he was confined in the city jail. Following standard police procedure, a patrolman was instructed to take the car to the city impounding lot. Upon entering the car the patrolman noted a partially opened sample case on the front seat on the passenger side. He also observed some valuable watches on the seat and on the floor. Upon arrival at the lot, the officer put the watches in the sample case and in the process noted a weapon in the case. When charged with possession of a weapon by a felon, Mitchell moved to suppress its admission into evidence. In reversing the order of suppression, the Circuit Court discussed several recent United States Supreme Court cases which found that this type of search is not illegal. Coolidge v. New Hampshire, 403 U.S. 443, 91 S.Ct. 2022, 29 L ed 2d 564; Harris v. United States, 390 U S 234, 88 S.Ct. 992, 19 L ed 2d 1067; Chime1 .. v. California, 395 U.S. 752, 89 Sect. 2034, 23 L ed 2d 685; Preston v. United States, 376 U.S. 364, 84 S.Ct. 881, 11 L ed 2d 777. Mitchell, the Circuit Court said, relying Harris : "This reasoning might easily lead to a conclusion that reasonable measures taken to protect an impounded car and personal property in plain sight within it are not a search within the scope of the Fourth Amendment. However, it is not necessary for us to reach the issue of whether this police conduct was a search, It is enough to hold that under the facts of this case the action of the patrolman in safeguarding valuable property in plain sight in a lawfully impounded car was reasonable, and hence not prohibited by the Fourth Amendment. That amendment, of course, does not prohibit all searches; it forbids only unreasonable searches, United States v, Rabinowitz, 339 U.S. 56, 70 S.Ct. 430, 94 L ed 653; United States v, Novick, 450 F.2d 1111 (9th Cir. 1971) See also State v. Houchin, 149 Mont. 503, 428 P.2d 971. ." r - ... C Issue 3 . * - Finding that the search warrant was proper in all respects, we summarily dispose of relator's third issue that the seizure of the evidence cannot be considered as incident to a lawful arrest. Based on our decision that the search warrant was valid, we hold this issue to be no longer germane. As to relator Wilson, the law and the proceedings of the district court are sustained and the petition for a writ of supervisory control is denied in all particulars. As to relator Hoffer, it is hereby ordered that the cause be returned to the district court with instructions to dismiss the criminal charges against him in its cause No. 3687, State of Montana v. Michael Alan Wilson and Gregory James Hoffer. Associate Justices // Chief Justice .............................. Associate Justices.
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