Criminal Procedure Outline I - Part 2
Criminal Procedure Outline I - Part 2
Download the PDF version of this outline
F. Arrests & Arrest Warrants
- Arrest = taken into custody by lawful authorities for purposes of being charged w/ crime (“custodial arrest”)
- All arrests = seizure; all seizures not arrest (traffic stop)
- Atwater v. Lago Vista: (2001) 9-0 decision that police can arrest you for anything they can also enforce the law for (this only looked at traffic stop)
- Basic Constitutional Rules for Arrests:
- Arrests must have PC
- May arrest person in public w/o warrant (US v. Watson)
- (1) Must be accompanied by Gerstein hearing to determine PC of arrest
- Person in home = must have warrant (Payton v. New York) UNLESS exigent circumstances
- (1) Exigent Circumstances:
- (a) Hot Pursuit: begin in public → into private place
- (b) Reasonable cause to believe if no immediate entry:
- Evidence will be destroyed;
- Suspect will escape; or
- Harm will result to police or others in/out building
- (c) NOTE: Gravity of Harm AND Likelihood suspect is armed MUST be considered
- (1) Exigent Circumstances:
- Person in another person’s home = need at least a search warrant for 3rd party home (and if only purpose is to arrest that person then you need an arrest warrant) unless exigent circumstances (see above)
- (1) Steagald Principle: arrest warrant protects D. but not the 3rd person whose home is about to be entered and searched
- NOTE: warrantless arrest DOES NOT void Conviction or release suspect → only SUPPRESSES EVIDENCE
- Excessive Force & No Knock Warrants: Graham v. Connor = objective reasonableness test → taken at the time that the police used force (that exact moment)
G. Qualified Immunity
- Was there a violation of a statutory or constitutional right; and
- Was that right CLEARLY ESTABLISHED @ time of alleged misconduct
- I.e. was there a previous case that established that right
- (1) Naturally, no new law will be created then
- I.e. was there a previous case that established that right
H. Search Warrants
- Elements (same for arrest warrant)
- PC
- Oath/Affirmation
- Particularly describing the place to be searched & persons or things to be seized
- (1) Lo-Ji Sales: left warrant blank to be filled out later
- (2) Read in fair context - i.e. if it lists 7 things for a robbery then it’s ok to seize other non-specific things related to a robbery (Anderson v. Maryland)
- (3) Incorporation of other documents if: 1) warrant uses appropriate incorp language and 2) supporting doc accompanies the warrant
- Reviewed and approved by neutral and detached magistrate
- (1) Lo-Ji Sales → magistrate took part in the investigation = not neutral and detached
- Execution
- Knock & Announce rule = norm
- (1) Wilson v. Arkansas → Implicit from CL
- (2) Richards v. Wisconsin → no per se exemption from knock-and-announce rule
- (a) Only need REASONABLE SUSPICION (specific and particularized facts) for exigencies
- Dangerous to officers
- Futile (fugitive)
- Destruction of evidence
- (b) No remedy in criminal court for violating - we learn this b/c it’s still tested and provides for civil remedies
- (a) Only need REASONABLE SUSPICION (specific and particularized facts) for exigencies
- (3) 15-20 seconds = enough time to wait after K&A to enter (US v. Banks)
- After Entry:
- (1) May search containers that could contain searched item (i.e. ring can fit anywhere v. piano)
- (2) May seize object not w/in warrant w/ PC it contains contraband
- (3) Officers may need to adjust their search given new info discovered immediately before or during search
- (a) Maryland v. Garrison → cops able to use evidence obtained prior to realizing search was in wrong house
- (4) Ybarra v. Illinois → police may not search anyone in premises not listed in warrant w/o independent PC to search that person
- (a) Michigan v. Summers → implicit authority to detain occupants of a home that is being searched pursuant to valid search warrant so long as search is conducted
- (b) Bailey → automatic, implicit right to detain and doesn’t require anything besides valid search warrant and a search
- EXCEPTIONS:
- (1) Exigent Circumstances
- (a) Circumstances/Factors:
- Hot Pursuit
- Stanton v. Sims can warrantlessly enter home even for minor offense
- Evidence will be destroyed (MOST COMMON)
- Schmerber: car accident + trip to hospital = no warrant for BAC
- Missouri v. McNeely: no categorical allowance of blood draw
- BUT Mitchell: unconscious driver = no chance for breath test = blood draw is chill
- Suspect will escape
- Harm will result to police/others
- Gravity of Harm & Likelihood suspect is armed
- Warden v. Hayden: armed robbery + fled into home (and didn’t matter if they searched for more weapons anywhere in home)
- “Community Caretaking” Brigham City Utah v. Stuart: police may enter home to respond to emergency and not crim. investigation
- Hot Pursuit
- (b) NOTE: does not apply if police create the exigency BUT it’s ok if they don’t violate the 4th amendment/threaten to engage in conduct that violates (Kentucky v. King)
- (a) Circumstances/Factors:
- (2) Search Incident to Lawful Arrest (SILA)
- (a) Chimel v. California → can search w/ a lawful arrest the (1) person for weapons or evidence and (2) area under D. immediate control (w/in 12 feet?)
- (b) US v. Robinson → automatic justification to SILA & doesn’t matter what the thing is
- (c) Riley v. California → EXCEPTION = CELL PHONES (need search warrant) absent exigency
- (d) Maryland v. Buie → may also search closets/places immediately adjacent to the arrested D. to search for other people that would hurt police (NOTE scope is limited to looking for people and officer safety - not containers)
- (e) NY v. Belton → SILA in car = police may search entire passenger compartment to the car (and all containers inside)
- (f) Thornton → extends Belton to recent occupants of vehicles
- (g) Arizona v. Gant → BELTON IS LIMITED → only search vehicle when D. is unsecured and w/in reaching distance at time of search AND added “reasonable belief” that more evidence will be found in car
- (h) Whren → subjective motivations for pretextual traffic stops doesn’t matter
- (i) Ladson → same
- (3) Automobile Exception
- (a) Carroll → PC only needed (mobility rationale) to search car
- (b) Chambers → added reduced privacy concern
- (c) Coolidge → car in driveway and searched a year after = court said 4th violation b/c cars doesn’t mean abuse whatever
- (d) Carney → mobile homes count as cars, don’t need warrant
- (4) Inventories
- (a) Basically, 4th applies to criminal investigations → towing a car and performing an inventory = A-OK
- (b) Ditto for people
- (c) AS LONG AS it follows a procedure → inventory cannot be used to circumvent the 4th
- (5) Containers (in cars)
- (a) Definition: any object capable of holding another object
- Only thing where there is no privacy is something like a plastic bag
- All other containers treated exactly alike (brown paper bag → locked trunk)
- (b) California v. Acevedo: err on the side that police can search a container in a car w/o warrant if their search is supported by PC
- Two Circumstances:
- As part of valid auto exception search police come across container = may search as long as large enough to hold evidence
- Police may have PC that container has evidence; may search car for container and open it
- Two Circumstances:
- (a) Definition: any object capable of holding another object
- (1) Exigent Circumstances
- Knock & Announce rule = norm
Related Topics
- Criminal Defense
- DUI/DWI
- Drug Crimes
- Larceny, Embezzlement & Fraud
- Domestic Violence, Assault & Battery
- Chapter 15 - Criminal Procedure
- Super Lawyers
The Charlotte lawyers at Powers Law Firm PA are dedicated to compassionate legal representation, predicated on superlative knowledge, trial skills, and conscientious advocacy.
The gift of a legal education extends beyond a fulfilling way to earn a living. Omni autem cui multum datum.