United States v. Lampkin, No. 72-1066.

• Court: United States Courts of Appeals. United States Court of Appeals (3rd Circuit)
• Writing for the Court: McLAUGHLIN, VAN DUSEN and ALDISERT, Circuit
• Citation: 464 F.2d 1093
• Parties: UNITED STATES of America v. Lonnie F. LAMPKIN, Appellant.
• Decision Date: 27 June 1972
• Docket Number: No. 72-1066.

464 F.2d 1093 (1972)

UNITED STATES of America
v.
Lonnie F. LAMPKIN, Appellant.

No. 72-1066.

United States Court of Appeals, Third Circuit.

Argued April 14, 1972.

Decided June 27, 1972.

464 F.2d 1094

Byrd R. Brown, Pittsburgh, Pa., for appellant.

Charles F. Scarlata, Asst. U. S. Atty., Pittsburgh, Pa., for appellee.

Before McLAUGHLIN, VAN DUSEN and ALDISERT, Circuit Judges.

OPINION OF THE COURT

GERALD McLAUGHLIN, Circuit Judge.

This appeal is from an order of the district court denying appellant's motion to suppress evidence taken from appellant's person under circumstances which he contends were not based on probable cause sufficient to justify the arrest, search, and subsequent seizure.

Three federal narcotics agents, while driving towards the Pittsburgh airport, observed a Cadillac Eldorado with two occupants, proceeding in the same direction. One agent recognized one of the occupants as someone whom he had seen previously while doing undercover narcotics work in the Pittsburgh area. He also recognized the car itself. He therefore radioed his Pittsburgh headquarters and obtained a vehicle registration check on the Eldorado. The reply stated that the vehicle belonged to Lonnie F. Lampkin (Transcript P. 5) and the surname Lampkin was remembered by the agent as the surname of a person suspected by the Narcotics Bureau of being a drug trafficker. He then requested that the Pittsburgh Police Narcotics Squad be consulted for information concerning Lampkin. The Squad advised that there was a state warrant outstanding for the arrest of Lampkin on the charge of illegal sale of narcotics. Moreover, Lampkin's suspected source of supply was in New York City (Transcript P. 7). Due to this information, the federal agents followed the subject automobile to the Pittsburgh airport where the passenger left the car and purchased a ticket on United Airlines flight 688 to Newark, New Jersey, a New York terminal, under the name of Gene McClary. The car was driven back towards Pittsburgh while the passenger inquired about flights returning that day from the New York area to Pittsburgh. He then boarded the flight to Newark, whereupon the agents telephoned the Newark office of the Narcotics Bureau and requested a surveillance of the subject. The Newark officers observed the subject arrive and followed him to New York City where they lost his trail in Harlem, in the vicinity of 149th Street and 10th Avenue (Transcript P. 10). The agents continued their surveillance of the Pittsburgh airport, concentrating on the times of plane arrivals from New York. At about 5:45 P.M. on the same day, the agents observed the individual who had driven the Eldorado that morning, enter the Pittsburgh airport terminal with another person, go to the T.W.A. counter to inquire about the arrival of T.W.A. flight 755 from New York, and then went to Gate 10 where a flight was expected to arrive. The person who had been the passenger in the Cadillac that morning came through Gate 10, joined the driver and his companion, and all three proceeded outside to an automobile parked along the approach driveway. The agents followed them and approached with guns drawn. They stated that they

464 F.2d 1095

were federal agents and asked appellant to identify himself, whereupon he stated that his name was Lonnie F. Lampkin. The agents searched Lampkin for concealed weapons and narcotics. An envelope containing 12.89 grams of heroin was found on Lampkin

The problem involved is whether the arrest, search, and subsequent seizure of narcotics were effected with sufficient probable cause to satisfy the constitutional standard of reasonableness. As to that it is most important to ascertain whether the arrest was proper for if it were, under facts evident at that time, the subsequent search and seizure would plainly be valid. 5 Am.Jur.2d 695, 6 defines arrest as "the taking, seizing, or detaining of the person of another * * * (2) by any act that indicates an intention to take him into custody and that subjects him to the actual control and will of the person making the arrest. * * * To effect an arrest, there must be actual or constructive seizure or detention of the person arrested, or his voluntary submission to custody and the restraint must be under real or pretended legal authority. There can be no arrest where there is no restraint, or where the person sought to be arrested is not conscious of any restraint. * * * If the person arrested understands that he is in the power of the one arresting and submits in consequence, it is not necessary that there be an application of actual force, a manual touching of the body, or a physical restraint that may be visible to the eye." Accordingly, it seems evident that, under the circumstances before us, the arrest was effectuated at the instant the agents, with guns drawn, halted appellant and informed him of who they were. At that instant he was under the control of the officers who had demonstrated an intention to take him into custody under their authority as government agents. There was absolute restraint of appellant which was abundantly clear to him. At that instant there was an intent by the officers to arrest accompanied by a seizure or detention of the person which was so understood by the person arrested. Thus the arrest which needs be examined for probable cause was made at that time, which was before appellant had been asked his name.

In passing on a warrantless arrest and subsequent search, a court must determine whether "at the moment the arrest was made, the officers had probable cause to make it—whether at that moment, the facts and circumstances within their knowledge and of which they had reasonably trustworthy information, were sufficient to warrant a prudent man in believing that the petitioner had been or was committing an offense." Beck v. Ohio, 379 U.S. 89, 91, 85 S.Ct. 223, 225, 13 L.Ed.2d 142 (1964). Reviewing courts may make an independent examination of the facts, the findings, and the record in order to determine whether the criteria of probable cause are met. United States v. Ford Thunderbird, 445 F.2d 1064, 1069 (3 Cir. 1971). It is therefore essential to examine the facts which the agents possessed and relied on in proceeding without a warrant and from those facts to determine whether these were sufficient to establish probable cause. The latter varies with circumstances and must be founded on facts sufficient in themselves, independent from an individual's personal feelings or beliefs. That is, whether at that moment (of arrest) "the facts and circumstances within their knowledge and of which they had reasonably trustworthy information were sufficient in themselves to warrant a man of reasonable caution in the belief that an offense has been or is being committed. Carroll v. United States, 267 U.S. 132, 162 45 S.Ct. 280, 288, 69 L.Ed. 543 (1929)." Brinegar v. United States, 338 U.S. 160, 175-176, 69 S.Ct. 1302, 1311, 93 L.Ed. 1879 (1949). In Beck v. Ohio, supra, it was inferred that an officer's mere knowledge of defendant's physical appearance and previous record alone, would not be enough to constitute probable cause. In this appeal there is much more than a past

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criminal association. There were far too many interrelated factors to have been the result of pure coincidence. First of all, the former undercover agent recognized one of the occupants of the car and associated the car itself with his previous undercover narcotics work. Other pertinent elements were that the auto was registered to one whose name had previously been linked with wrongful narcotics activities; that those activities seemed to center between Pittsburgh and New York; that this suspect's flight was going to the New York area; and that he was interested in an immediate return. Appellant's outward journey actually ended in Harlem in close proximity to a store run by a man already suspected of drug trafficking between New York and Pittsburgh, and a return flight to Pittsburgh took place early that same day. A further reason for the agent's actions was the police report (which is now thought to have been seemingly erroneous) that there was a state warrant existing for Lampkin to whom the car was registered. Considering all these factors, it is obvious that each incident corroborated the existing belief of the agent. There were too many factors which "fell into place" and thus probable cause in such circumstances seems readily existent

With regards to the alleged warrant, Whiteley v. Warden, 401 U.S. 560, 568, 91 S.Ct. 1031, 1037, 28 L.Ed.2d 306 (1971) allows law enforcement officials to rely on radio bulletins in effecting an arrest. It adds, however, that if such bulletins turn out to be false, "an otherwise illegal arrest cannot be insulated from challenge by the decision of the instigating officer to rely on fellow officers to make the arrest." Such rationale might be extended to apply to an instance as is before us. That is, if the arrest, without the added factor of the alleged warrant, would have been considered illegal, then it could not stand, because of the mistaken warrant information. But it is clear in this appeal, that probable cause existed irrespective of the questionable warrant and therefore the arrest could not be termed "otherwise illegal." The agent had stated that the name of the suspect didn't matter to him. Under the existing facts, he would have arrested this individual, no matter what his name, which showed no real dependence on the alleged warrant. The arrest was not based on appellant's identity or the outstanding warrant, but on suspicion of violation of federal narcotics laws which arose due to the totality of circumstances which took place and were observed by the agents on June 3, 1970. This is all that needs to be considered concerning the probable cause to arrest determination. See also the United States Supreme Court decision of June 12, 1972 in Adams v. Williams, ...