State v. Nelson, 20040284.

• Decision Date: 23 March 2005
• Docket Number: No. 20040284.,20040284.
• Citation: 2005 ND 59,693 N.W.2d 910
• Parties: STATE of North Dakota, Plaintiff and Appellee. v. Randy NELSON, Defendant and Appellant.
• Court: North Dakota Supreme Court

693 N.W.2d 910

2005 ND 59

STATE of North Dakota, Plaintiff and Appellee. v. Randy NELSON, Defendant and Appellant.

No. 20040284.

Supreme Court of North Dakota.

March 23, 2005.

James M. Vukelic (on brief), Assistant State's Attorney, Bismarck, N.D., for plaintiff and appellee.

Todd A. Schwarz (on brief), Bismarck, N.D., for defendant and appellant.

KAPSNER, Justice.

[¶ 1] Randy Nelson appealed from a judgment of conviction, upon jury verdict, for manufacture of methamphetamine, a class A felony; possession of methamphetamine, a class C felony; possession of methamphetamine paraphernalia, a class C felony; and fleeing from a law enforcement officer, a class B misdemeanor. On appeal, Nelson asserts the trial court erred in denying his motion to suppress. We hold there was not probable cause to support the warrant to search Nelson's home, and we reverse Nelson's conviction and remand for entry of an order granting the motion to suppress.

I

[¶ 2] A warrant was issued to search Nelson's home for contraband and drug paraphernalia, based upon an affidavit of Special Agent Todd DeBoer of the Bureau of Criminal Investigation. As a result of the search, law enforcement officers found drugs and drug paraphernalia ultimately resulting in Nelson's conviction on the drug-related charges brought against him. On appeal, Nelson asserts DeBoer's affidavit in support of the request for the search warrant contained false and inaccurate information which, if eliminated from the affidavit, would leave inadequate factual allegations to support a finding of probable cause for issuance of the search warrant. Nelson asserts the evidence obtained as a result of the search warrant should be suppressed and his conviction on the drug-related charges reversed.

II

[¶ 3] The Fourth Amendment of the United States Constitution, made applicable to the states by the Fourteenth Amendment, and Art. I, § 8 of the North Dakota Constitution require searches and seizures to be reasonable and warrants to be issued only upon a showing of probable cause. State v. Ballweg, 2003 ND 153, ¶ 11, 670 N.W.2d 490. The existence of probable cause to issue a search warrant is a question of law. Id. Probable cause to search exists" `if the facts and circumstances relied on by the magistrate would warrant a person of reasonable caution to believe the contraband or evidence sought probably will be found in the place to be searched.'" State v. Corum, 2003 ND 89, ¶ 22, 663 N.W.2d 151 (quoting State v. Guthmiller, 2002 ND 116, ¶¶ 10-11, 646 N.W.2d 724). Probable cause to search does not require the same standard of proof necessary to establish guilt at a trial; rather, probable cause to search exists if it is established that certain identifiable objects are probably connected with criminal activity and are probably to be found at the present time at an identifiable place. State v. Damron, 1998 ND 71, ¶ 6, 575 N.W.2d 912. All of the information presented to establish probable cause should be taken together, not analyzed in a piecemeal fashion, and the magistrate is to make a practical commonsense decision whether probable cause exists to search that particular place. Id.

[¶ 4] When the defendant alleges false or misleading statements have been made in the application for a search warrant, we address the issue under the standard set forth by the United States Supreme Court in Franks v. Delaware, 438 U.S. 154, 155-56, 98 S.Ct. 2674, 57 L.Ed.2d 667 (1978):

[W]here the defendant makes a substantial preliminary showing that a false statement knowingly and intentionally, or with reckless disregard for the truth, was included by the affiant in the warrant affidavit, and if the allegedly false statement is necessary to the finding of probable cause, the Fourth Amendment requires that a hearing be held at the defendant's request. In the event that at that hearing the allegation of perjury or reckless disregard is established by the defendant by a preponderance of the evidence, and, with the affidavit's false material set to one side, the affidavit's remaining content is insufficient to establish probable cause, the search warrant must be voided and the fruits of the search excluded to the same extent as if probable cause was lacking on the face of the affidavit.

Under Franks, if the defendant makes a substantial preliminary showing to justify an evidentiary hearing, the defendant has the burden at that hearing to prove, by a preponderance of the evidence, false statements in the warrant affidavit were made intentionally or with reckless disregard for the truth. State v. Schmitt, 2001 ND 57, ¶ 11, 623 N.W.2d 409. A false statement under Franks is one that misleads the neutral and detached magistrate into believing the stated facts exist, and those facts in turn affect the magistrate's evaluation of whether there is probable cause. State v. Duchene, 2001 ND 66, ¶ 8, 624 N.W.2d 668. The determination whether false statements in a warrant affidavit were made intentionally or with reckless disregard for the truth is a finding of fact reviewed under the clearly erroneous standard. Schmitt, 2001 ND 57, ¶ 11, 623 N.W.2d 409. A finding of fact is clearly erroneous if it is induced by an erroneous view of the law, if there is no evidence to support it, or if, although there is some evidence to support it, on the entire evidence, we are left with a definite and firm conviction a mistake has been made. Id. at ¶ 12.

III

[¶ 5] On appeal, Nelson asserts there were numerous false or misleading statements in Special Agent DeBoer's affidavit in support of the request for a search warrant which, if set aside, would leave inadequate factual allegations to support a finding of probable cause for issuance of the search warrant.

A

[¶ 6] DeBoer's affidavit states "a reliable informant provided Elgin Police Chief, Roger Riedlinger with" information about Randy and Monte Nelson carrying marijuana plants into Monte Nelson's residence. Nelson asserts the affidavit does not identify the informants or show how the information is reliable. A confidential informant is known to the police officer, but his or her identity is concealed from the magistrate. State v. Roth, 2004 ND 23, ¶ 11, 674 N.W.2d 495. A higher degree of reliability attaches to a confidential informant than to an anonymous informant. Id. at ¶ 13. Nevertheless, the trial court indicated in its order following the suppression hearing that it did not rely on this information in issuing the search warrant, stating "the fact that these items were brought into the defendant's brother's house does not make it probable that something illegal would be found at the defendant's house."

B

[¶ 7] In his affidavit, DeBoer states a concerned citizen, known to Sheriff Steven Bay, advised the sheriff he had noticed a lot of suspicious activity in the outbuildings and grain building located at Randy Nelson's residence. On appeal, Nelson objects that the affidavit failed to explain what was the suspicious activity from which one could infer a possible connection of criminal activity by Randy Nelson. In his order following the suppression hearing, the judge indicated he afforded no weight to this information in issuing the search warrant:

A "concerned citizen" noticed "suspicious activity" near the outbuildings on the defendant's property. No information is provided as to the reliability of the "concerned citizen," nor is there any elaboration on why the "suspicious activity" is suspicious, except that it occurred late at night and early in the morning. Without more detail, this information adds nothing.

C

[¶ 8] DeBoer's affidavit states on numerous occasions Randy and Monte Nelson purchased substantial quantities of pseudoephedrine, lithium batteries, heat lamps, and light bulbs. The affidavit states that on April 8, 2003, Randy purchased 20 boxes of pseudoephedrine from a business in Elgin, and Monte purchased 25 boxes of pseudoephedrine from the same business; that on April 22, 2003, Randy purchased two packs of lithium batteries from a business in Carson; that on May 2, 2003, Randy purchased seven to eight lithium battery packs at stores in Carson and New Leipzig; and that on May 10, 2003 Randy purchased two boxes of pseudoephedrine from a business in Elgin.

[¶ 9] At the suppression hearing Charles Oien, the owner of the Economy Drug Store in Elgin, testified that altogether Randy purchased between 20 and 25 boxes of pseudoephedrine. Although he was unable to specifically pinpoint each date of purchase, he testified Randy and Monte Nelson purchased substantial quantities of pseudoephedrine during the winter and spring of 2003. Although this evidence shows some details of DeBoer's affidavit may have been inaccurate, it falls short of demonstrating the allegations in DeBoer's affidavit about the dates of pseudoephedrine purchases were intentionally false or issued in reckless disregard of the truth. [¶ 10] The trial court found these purchase activities very relevant to establishing probable cause to justify issuance of the search warrant:

The Court is left with whether purchases of large quantities of pseudoephedrine, lithium batteries, and heat lamps and light bulbs is enough to provide probable cause for the issuance of the warrant. The Court finds that the purchase of the quantity and combination of the items is enough to provide probable cause to search for evidence of the manufacture of methamphetamine. The officer's experience with those items tells him that the items will probably be used to make methamphetamine.

[¶ 11] In the affidavit, DeBoer states that, in his experience as a law officer since 1993, with seven years as an employee of the North Dakota Bureau of Criminal Investigation, lithium batteries, pseudoephedrine, anhydrous ammonia, heat lamps, and light bulbs are all used in the manufacture of methamphetamine. See State v. Corum, 2003 ND 89, ¶ 4, 663 N.W.2d 151. The suppression hearing testimony demonstrates DeBoer...