State v. Herber

Decision Date09 May 1979
Docket NumberNo. 2,CA-CR,2
Citation123 Ariz. 214,598 P.2d 1033
PartiesThe STATE OF Arizona, Appellee, v. Peter Mendoza HERBER, Appellant. 1259.
CourtArizona Court of Appeals
Robert K. Corbin, Atty. Gen., by William J. Schafer, III, Carol Benyi and Crane McClennen, Asst. Attys. Gen., Phoenix, for appellee
OPINION

RICHMOND, Chief Judge.

This court originally reversed appellant's conviction of unlawful possession of marijuana for sale on the ground that his arrest on the Papago Indian Reservation by agents of the Arizona Department of Public Safety and the subsequent search of his vehicle were illegal under Francisco v. State, 113 Ariz. 427, 556 P.2d 1 (1976). On motion for rehearing, however, we are convinced that the Francisco case is inapposite. Consequently, we affirm and this opinion is substituted in place of our former opinion, which shall remain unpublished.

Appellant is a non-Indian whose arrest followed a series of events beginning with a telephone call informing the Department of Public Safety that a green two-and-one-half-ton stakebed truck traveling approximately 40 miles from Sells, Arizona, might be transporting contraband. The caller had obtained his information by monitoring a citizens band radio transmission from a Radio Emergency Associated Citizen Team center in San Antonio, Texas, which in turn had picked up the information from a mobile CB operator in Arizona.

A DPS officer relayed the information to the Sells Police Department, a tribal Indian authority, and asked if they could locate the vehicle. He also contacted his supervisor, who arranged for a search of the area in a state plane and subsequently located the truck on State Highway 86. By flying over it, he was able to observe boxes and light-colored burlap bags containing rectangular shapes which in his experience might be marijuana.

Appellant, after observing the plane, turned off highway 86 onto San Pedro Road on the Papago reservation, proceeded some distance and stopped, ran from the truck and hid under some trees. When the DPS ground units arrived he was arrested and a look into the open top truck revealed what later proved to be more than 9,000 pounds of marijuana. 1

After appellant had waived his right to a jury trial and the case had been submitted to the court on the testimony at a suppression hearing, he was found guilty of unlawful possession of marijuana for sale and sentenced to a prison term of not less than two nor more than five years. On appeal he challenges the legality of his arrest and the search on two grounds. In addition to his argument that the DPS agents lacked authority for the arrest, he contends the anonymous tip originating with the mobile CB operator in Arizona was insufficient to establish probable cause.

In Francisco v. State, supra, the Supreme Court of Arizona...

To continue reading

Request your trial
5 cases
  • Kaul v. Stephan, 94-3428
    • United States
    • U.S. Court of Appeals — Tenth Circuit
    • April 30, 1996
    ...235, 235 (1976) (upholding arrest on Indian reservation of non-Indian found to be in possession of marijuana); State v. Herber, 123 Ariz. 214, 598 P.2d 1033, 1034-35 (Ct.App.1979) (same). Because Stephan would have criminal jurisdiction to execute search warrants against a non-Indian under ......
  • State v. Verdugo
    • United States
    • Arizona Court of Appeals
    • January 17, 1995
    ...court has jurisdiction over criminal offense committed on Indian reservation involving persons who are not Indians); State v. Herber, 123 Ariz. 214, 598 P.2d 1033 (App.1979) (same). Nor does the state challenge the corollaries of that rule that, if a crime that occurs on an Indian reservati......
  • State v. Burrola
    • United States
    • Arizona Court of Appeals
    • May 10, 1983
    ...in state court where the non-Indian defendant was arrested by state law enforcement officers on Indian land. See State v. Herber, 123 Ariz. 214, 598 P.2d 1033 (App.1979). Burrola also contends that because the Indian tribal courts have no criminal over a non-Indian defendant, tribal law enf......
  • State v. Thomas, 88-152
    • United States
    • Montana Supreme Court
    • August 25, 1988
    ...of marijuana, have analyzed the issue in a similar manner. See State v. Warner (1963), 71 N.M. 418, 379 P.2d 66; State v. Herber (App.1979), 123 Ariz. 214, 598 P.2d 1033. And one authority has explained Under the logic of United States v. McBratney and Draper v. United States, victimless cr......
  • 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