United States v. White

• Decision Date: 19 December 1966
• Docket Number: Crim. No. 951-65.
• Citation: 268 F. Supp. 998
• Parties: UNITED STATES of America v. George W. WHITE.
• Court: U.S. District Court — District of Columbia

268 F. Supp. 998

UNITED STATES of America v. George W. WHITE.

Crim. No. 951-65.

United States District Court District of Columbia.

December 19, 1966.

H. Thomas Sisk, Washington, D. C., for defendant.

John A. Terry, Asst. U. S. Atty., for the Government.

MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT OF ORDER ENTERED DECEMBER 13, 1966

CORCORAN, District Judge.

The defendant George W. White is charged in Criminal No. 951-65 with violation of 22 D.C.C. 2401 (First Degree Murder) and 22 D.C.C. 3204 (Carrying Dangerous Weapon). He has moved to suppress certain evidence.

White was arrested May 2, 1965. The arrest was made by a Maryland State Trooper in the State of Maryland for a traffic violation. At the time White was armed with a Colt revolver¹ and was accompanied by a passenger who charged that he had been shot by White in the District of Columbia and transported into Maryland. On the theory that an interstate kidnapping had occurred the F.B.I. entered the case. The passenger died a few days later and White was then charged with first degree murder and carrying a dangerous weapon.

In the course of the investigation it was learned that the defendant White was employed by one Carlton D. O'Neal, a professional photographer/painter, whose principal place of business was located in Norfolk, Virginia. O'Neal also conducted a business in Washington, D. C. and in connection therewith he leased premises at 1722 Connecticut Avenue to which White had access.

The F.B.I. requested O'Neal to come to Washington, D. C. On arrival O'Neal, informed of his constitutional right against search and seizure, signed a written waiver and willingly admitted F.B.I. agents into the premises at 1722 Connecticut Avenue with full permission to make such searches and remove such articles as they desired. O'Neal described his own attitude as fully cooperative with the F.B.I. and his permission as freely given. His waiver was signed and the search was conducted May 4, 1965.

O'Neal described the premises at 1722 Connecticut Avenue and White's relationship thereto substantially as follows. The premises are an apartment-type suite consisting of a front or reception room where O'Neal did his painting and displayed his work; a second room where photographic paraphernalia was employed and kept; a third room in which there was a hide-away couch and other bedroom furniture; and a bathroom which doubled as a darkroom. O'Neal testified that he came to Washington on the average of two days a week and that on such occasions he would use the premises as indicated above and as sleeping quarters. He also testified that he had given permission to White, if White visited Washington, to use the premises as sleeping quarters. He had given White a key. This permission to use the premises was not considered by O'Neal as part of White's remuneration—it was merely the extension of a favor to White to save White unnecessary expense while in Washington. So far as O'Neal was aware, White had taken advantage of this privilege no more than twice during the course of his employment which dated only from mid-April. White contributed nothing to the rent.

F.B.I. Special Agent Erkshell T. Zinn, who participated in the search, testified and described the general layout and character of the premises substantially as described above by O'Neal. He further testified that stains, apparently blood stains, were observed. He noted the presence of liquor bottles and drinking glasses. He observed coins scattered on the floor. He observed papers which apparently belonged to the deceased. He observed bullets in full view on the top of an open satchel. Photographs were taken, and certain items seized and removed from the premises. Tests were made. On cross-examination the agent acknowledged that the F.B.I. knew at the time of the search that White had permission of O'Neal to use the premises.

The defendant has moved to suppress (1) all items taken from the premises at 1722 Connecticut Avenue; (2) any reports or analyses conducted on the items referred to in (1); and (3) all observations made by members of the F.B.I. or the Metropolitan Police inside the premises 1722 Connecticut Avenue.

The defendant did not testify in the preliminary hearing and there was no effort made on his behalf to assert claim of title to any of the articles seized or observed. Defendant's counsel when questioned as to which items, if any, were claimed to be owned by the defendant surmised that a business card and cellophane holder bearing the name George W. White must have belonged to the defendant. Otherwise he was unable to ascribe ownership to any of the articles in question.

The defendant claims that the items taken and tests and observations made were taken or made in violation of the Fourth Amendment ban against unreasonable searches and seizures. Specifically, he contends that the searching officers had no warrant, that the search and seizure was not validated by O'Neal's consent, and that the items seized and the observation and tests made constituted mere evidence and as such must be suppressed.

* * * * * *

A. Although the defendant as a gratuitous guest had relatively little interest in the premises it does seem that he has so-called "standing" to seek suppression of evidence taken from the premises under Jones v. United States, 362 U.S. 257, 80 S.Ct. 725, 4 L.Ed.2d 697 (1960). The defendant argues that this "standing" is also sufficient to invalidate the consent given by O'Neal, again placing his reliance on Jones, supra. The Court rejects this theory as an unwarranted extension of Jones.

That case eliminated hyper-technical distinctions for purposes of "standing"; it did not establish the rule that one with "standing" can without more invalidate the consent willingly given by another who also has "standing." United States v. Eldridge, 302 F.2d 463 (4th Cir. 1962). United States v. Botsch, 364 F.2d 542 (2d Cir. 1966).

In Eldridge the Court (per Sobeloff, J.) held that a bailor of an automobile had "standing" to challenge the search and seizure of his automobile in the possession of the bailee but that the consent given the authorities by the bailee was valid and rendered the search and seizure valid. The Court noted:

"Lower federal courts have deemed searches reasonable if consented to by the person in lawful possession of the articles seized, or the premises on which they are found, as where the defendant's partner consented to a search, where an office manager in sole control of the office and the corporate records consented to the search and seizure, where the owner-occupant of a house consented to search of the living room in which the defendant customarily slept on a couch, where the wife of the defendant consented to a search of their home, and where an owner consented to a search of his garage and the article seized, which had been stored there by the defendant, was not packaged or otherwise concealed." Citations omitted

Here O'Neal had substantial rights—obviously greater rights than White. He was the lessee as well as the principal user and occupier of the premises. Clearly, he could give the authorities consent to enter and search his premises and the evidence disclosed as a result thereof could be used against the defendant. United States v. Sferas, 210 F.2d 69 (7th Cir. 1954); Stein v. United States, 166 F.2d 851 (9th Cir. 1948); Fredricksen v. United States, 105 U.S.App.D.C. 262, 266 F.2d 463 (1959); Woodard v. United States, 102 U.S.App.D.C. 393, 254 F. 2d 312 (1958); United States v. Goodman, 190 F.Supp. 847 (N.D.Ill.1961).

The Court is well aware that there are situations where a party, even though he has some interest in the premises, cannot validly consent to a search of the premises (or portions thereof) to the detriment of another. For example, where a third party consents to the search of areas specifically set aside for the use of the defendant or to the search of his personal effects, such consent has been held invalid. But, the situation presently before the Court involves neither consent to search areas exclusively used by or specifically set aside for the use of the defendant nor consent to enter and search his secured personal effects. Accordingly, the argument of the defendant and the authorities in support thereof are not applicable.²

B. The defendant then argues that even if the consent of O'Neal was valid, the motion to suppress should be granted because the items taken were "merely evidentiary" and therefore not subject to seizure.

Assuming for sake of argument that all the items challenged are "merely evidentiary" the Court must still deny the defendant's motion.³

True, a warrant may not issue for the seizure of objects which are merely evidentiary (Fed.R.Crim. P. 41(b)) and several leading cases have invalidated the search for and seizure of merely evidentiary materials whether with or without a warrant. Boyd v. United States, 116 U.S. 616, 6 S.Ct. 524, 29 L.Ed. 746 (1886); Gouled v. United States, 255 U.S. 298, 41 S. Ct. 261, 65 L.Ed. 647 (1921); Morrison v. United States, 104 U.S.App.D.C. 352, 262 F.2d 449 (1958); Williams v. United States, 105 U.S.App.D.C. 41, 263 F.2d 487 (1959). But it is not true as the defendant suggests that "merely evidentiary items", by their very nature, must be suppressed irrespective of the circumstances under which they came into the possession of the investigating authorities. To the contrary, under certain circumstances mere evidence may be seized. Schmerber v. State of California, 384 U.S. 757, 86 S.Ct. 1826, 16 L.Ed.2d 908 (1966); Abel v. United States, 362 U.S. 217, 241, 80 S.Ct. 683, 4 L. Ed.2d 668 (1959); Morrison v. United States, 262 F.2d 449, 451 n. 6 (1958); see also Morton v. United States, 79 U.S.App.D.C. 329, 147 F.2d 28, cert. denied, 324 U.S. 875, 65 S.Ct. 1015, 89 L.Ed. 1428 (1945).

Those cases which have held the seizure of merely evidentiary materials invalid reflect a blend of property concepts and Fifth Amendment principles

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