Read v. State, 53567

Citation430 So.2d 832
Decision Date23 March 1983
Docket NumberNo. 53567,53567
PartiesJohn Walter READ and Cathy Bennett Read v. STATE of Mississippi.
CourtUnited States State Supreme Court of Mississippi

Roy Pitts, Franklin Coleman, Meridian, for appellants.

Bill Allain, Atty. Gen. by Marvin L. White, Jr., Sp. Asst. Atty. Gen., Jackson, for appellee.

En Banc.

PART I--JUSTICE ROY NOBLE LEE

PART II--JUSTICE JAMES L. ROBERTSON

ROY NOBLE LEE, Justice, for the Court:

John Walter Read and Cathy Read, husband and wife, were jointly indicted, tried and convicted in the Circuit Court of Jackson County, Honorable Clinton E. Lockard, presiding, for possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance prohibited by Mississippi Code Annotated Secs. 41-29-115, -117, and -119 (1972). John Read was sentenced to fifteen (15) years in custody of the Mississippi Department of Corrections and a fine of fifteen thousand dollars ($15,000), and Cathy Read was sentenced to ten (10) years and a fine of five thousand dollars ($5,000). They have appealed, and assign five (5) errors in the trial below.

Evidence for the State indicates that on May 24, 1980, Captain Terry Warden of the Jackson County Sheriff's Office, acting on information obtained from a confidential informant, made affidavit before County Judge O.L. McLeod for a warrant to search the house where appellants were living in rural Jackson County. The search warrant was executed in the late afternoon of May 24, 1980, and, in appellant's bedroom, the officers found and seized over fifty-five (55) bottles containing five thousand three hundred eighty (5,380) pills and capsules, several with powder and paste, fourteen thousand two hundred forty dollars twenty-five cents ($14,240.25) in United States currency, and fifteen (15) assorted rifles and pistols, some of which were loaded. Subsequently, the appellants were indicted for possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance, flurazepam.

The officers also found in the bedroom a syringe and spoon on the dresser, and they observed articles of appellants' clothing and family pictures there. Photographs were made of the room and certain items found in it. Appellants were arrested, advised of their constitutional rights, and taken to the sheriff's office for processing.

Dr. Sue Lauderdale, Associate Director of the Gulfport Branch of the Mississippi Crime Laboratory, examined the drugs. She took one sample from groups having identical colors and markings with commercial preparations, and analyzed them to confirm that they were the same substance. If they did not look identical to a commercial preparation, an individual test was conducted. The following is a list of the drugs found, all being controlled substances: Secobarbital, Phenobarbital, Oxycodone, Amobarbital, Hydromorphone, Amphetamine, Flurazepam and Methylphenidate, Methadol, Cocaine, Anilerioine, and Morphine.

I.

Did the lower court err in admitting evidence under an invalid search warrant?

Appellants contend that the information stated in the affidavit for the search warrant was insufficient to support a finding of probable cause, that the search pursuant thereto was illegal, and all evidence obtained under the search is tainted and inadmissible.

The affidavit was in a printed form with blank spaces to be filled for supplying information. Those parts of the printed form which were not applicable were blocked out. Following Aguilar v. Texas, 378 U.S. 108, 84 S.Ct. 1509, 12 L.Ed.2d 723 (1964), in adopting a two-part test for the validity of search warrants, this Court in Strode v. State, 231 So.2d 779 (Miss.1970), said:

The two-part test of Aguilar requires a magistrate to be informed of (1) some of the underlying circumstances from which the informer concluded that the defendant was the one guilty of the offense, and (2) some of the underlying circumstances from which the officer concluded that the informer was reliable. In short, under the basis-of-knowledge test, the informer must have obtained his knowledge by personal observation or in some other dependable manner rather than through casual rumor. The second reliability test is an attempt to guard against tips provided by untruthful or unreliable informers, and suggests that an informer is credible if he has provided truthful tips in the past. Moreover, the information may be deemed reliable if corroborated by independent investigation. Both tests require only that some of the underlying circumstances be sworn to. .

Subsection 3(b) of the form affidavit for the search warrant set forth that the informant advised on May 23, 1980, he

(1) Personally saw controlled substances ... demerol and marijuana, stored, kept, used and sold at the above-described place

(2) Personally saw John (last name unknown) sell controlled substances in the above-described place

* * *

(4) Personally heard John (last name unknown) arrange to sell controlled substances, use controlled substances.

(5) Other: Narcotics Officers Warden and Wilks have received information on John (last name unknown) that he has been selling controlled substances at the address given over one month by no less than three other informants.

Subsection 3(a) of the affidavit states the following underlying circumstances relating to the credibility of the informant:

(1) Your affiant Terry Warden has known this person for a period of over two years and through his association with said person knows this person to be a truthful person.

(2) This person is gainfully employed and works regularly.

(3) Your affiant has interviewed this person and investigated his background and found him to be prudent, trustworthy, and reliable person.

(4) This person has furnished information in the past, which information has proven to be correct, accurate, and reliable.

In addition, Officer Warden gave oral information to Judge McLeod in support of the issuance of a search warrant. This Court has held that such testimony is admissible In Spinelli v. United States, 393 U.S. 410, 89 S.Ct. 584, 21 L.Ed.2d 637 (1969), the United States Supreme Court expanded the two-part test of Aguilar in holding that, "If a tip is found inadequate under Aguilar, the other allegations which corroborate the information ... should be considered." 393 U.S. at 415, 89 S.Ct. at 588, 21 L.Ed.2d at 643. Thus, probable cause may be established by showing corroborating evidence obtained in a different way, viz, through independent police investigation.

and is supportive of a search warrant. Powell v. State, 355 So.2d 1378 (Miss.1978), Prueitt v. State, 261 So.2d 119 (Miss.1972).

Subsection 3(c) of the affidavit contains the following information:

C. Your affiant having received the information ... verified this information by personal observation in that:

(1) The place above described was placed under periodic surveillance for a period of over one month.

(2) Affiant(s) saw (heard)--Not applicable.

Although what was observed and discovered by surveillance of the premises was not specifically set forth, it, together with information about the statement of three (3) other informants, had some relevance to the fact that the appellants had been under suspicion for some time. In Spinelli, supra, the United States Supreme Court further stated:

[W]e do not retreat from the established propositions that only the probability, and not a prima facie showing, of criminal activity is the standard of probable cause. Beck v. Ohio, 379 U.S. 89, 96, 85 S.Ct. 223 , 13 L.Ed.2d 142, 147 (1964); that affidavits of probable cause are tested by much less rigorous standards than those governing the admissibility of evidence at trial. McCray v. Illinois, 386 U.S. 300, 311, 87 S.Ct. 1056 [1062], 18 L.Ed.2d 62, 70 (1967); that in judging probable cause issuing magistrates are not to be confined by niggardly limitations or by restrictions on the use of their common sense, United States v. Ventresca, 380 U.S. 102, 108, 85 S.Ct. 741 , 13 L.Ed.2d 684, 688 (1965); and that their determination of probable cause should be paid great deference by reviewing courts, Jones v. United States, 362 U.S. 257, 270-271, 80 S.Ct. 725 [735-736], 4 L.Ed.2d 697, 707, 708, 78 A.L.R.2d 233 (1960). (Emphasis added) [393 U.S. at 419, 89 S.Ct. at 590-591, 21 L.Ed.2d at 645].

The appellants also contend that the lower court erred in admitting into evidence firearms which were discovered in the bedroom. The firearms were relevant to the issues involved, and the lower court did not abuse its discretion in admitting them in evidence. Martin v. State, 413 So.2d 730 (Miss.1982).

II.

Did the lower court err in declining to require disclosure of the informant's identity?

Appellants next contend that the court erred in declining to require the State to identify the informant for the reason that they were unable to prepare a full and adequate defense to the charges without knowledge of the informant's identity. The law pertaining to this question is well settled. In Pace v. State, 407 So.2d 530, 533 (Miss.1981), the Court said:

There is no absolute rule requiring disclosure of an informer's identity. Recognition of the public interest and effective law enforcement has led to a privilege, although not absolute, of the prosecution to refuse disclosure of the identity of a confidential informer. Roviaro v. U.S., 353 U.S. 53, 77 S.Ct. 623, 1 L.Ed.2d 639 (1957). In Roviaro, the United States Supreme Court stated:

Where the disclosure of the informer's identity, or of the contents of his communication is relevant and helpful to the defense of an accused, or is essential to a fair determination of a cause, the privilege must give way. (353 U.S. at 60, 61, 77 S.Ct. at 628, 1 L.Ed.2d at 645).

The proper rule regarding the circumstances under which the identity of the Ordinarily, disclosure of the identity of an informer, who is not a material witness to the guilt or innocence of the accused, is within the sound discretion of the trial court. Strode v. State, 231 So.2d...

To continue reading

Request your trial
328 cases
  • Walker v. State
    • United States
    • Mississippi Supreme Court
    • March 31, 2005
    ...So.2d 1043, 1045 (Miss.1985); In re Hill, 460 So.2d 792, 799 (Miss.1984); Smith v. State, 434 So.2d 212, 216 (Miss.1983); Read v. State, 430 So.2d 832, 836 (Miss.1983). We find that all subsections of this issue except for the subsection regarding the safety of the prison guards is procedur......
  • McCamey v. Epps
    • United States
    • U.S. District Court — Northern District of Mississippi
    • March 12, 2010
    ..."It is absurd to fantasize that a lawyer might effectively or ethically litigate the issue of his own ineffectiveness." Read v. State, 430 So.2d 832 (Miss.1983).18 It is equally absurd to think they may effectively or ethically counsel their clients leading to a valid waiver of the claim. N......
  • Lambert v. State
    • United States
    • Mississippi Supreme Court
    • October 31, 1984
    ...(5th Cir.1960). The issue of ineffective assistance of counsel may be raised by a convicted defendant on direct appeal. Read v. State, 430 So.2d 832, 841 (Miss.1983). In the absence of any standard of review from the United States Supreme Court on the question of counsel ineffectiveness, th......
  • Hill, In re
    • United States
    • Mississippi Supreme Court
    • November 14, 1984
    ...when presented on the first application for post-conviction relief, will seldom, if ever, be procedurally barred. Read v. State, 430 So.2d 832, 837-842 (Miss.1983); King v. Thigpen, 441 So.2d 1365, 1368-1369 (Miss.1983); Smith v. State, 434 So.2d 212, 218-220 (Miss.1983); Mason v. State, 42......
  • Request a trial to view additional results

VLEX uses login cookies to provide you with a better browsing experience. If you click on 'Accept' or continue browsing this site we consider that you accept our cookie policy. ACCEPT