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Jerry Evans and Ruth Evans v. State ( 1990 )


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  • Evans v State

    REVERSED & REMANDED 29 MARCH 1990


    NO. 10-87-165-CR

    Trial Court

    # 7101-B

    IN THE

    COURT OF APPEALS

    FOR THE

    TENTH DISTRICT OF TEXAS

    AT WACO


    * * * * * * * * * * * * *


    JERRY EVANS AND RUTH EVANS,

       Appellants

    v.


    THE STATE OF TEXAS,

       Appellee


    * * * * * * * * * * * * *


    From 12th Judicial District Court

    Leon County, Texas


    * * * * * * * * * * * * *


    O P I N I O N


    * * * * * * *

    This is an appeal by defendants Jerry and Ruth Evans from convictions for possession of cocaine, for which each was assessed 12 years in the Texas Department of Corrections.

    Defendants lived in Buffalo, Leon County, Texas. Pursuant to a search warrant issued by the Justice of Peace in Buffalo, law enforcement officers searched defendants' home on August 21, 1986, and seized cocaine which led to defendants' indictment for possession of cocaine. The search warrant was issued as a result of information supplied to Police Chief Vaughn of Buffalo by a confidential informant. The confidential informant had been in the home of defendants and gathered information which formed the basis of the search warrant. Prior to going to defendants' home the confidential informant was asked by Chief Vaughn to go to defendants' home "to see if he could make a buy". After going to defendants' home the confidential informant supplied the information he had gathered to Chief Vaughn who obtained a search warrant to search the premises. Search was made by several officers pursuant to the search warrant, resulting in confiscation of cocaine and in the arrest and indictment of defendants.

    Defendants were convicted by a jury and punishment was assessed by the judge at 12 years.

    Defendants appeal on 6 points.

    Points 2, 4 and 5 assert the trial court erred: in denying defendants' motion to suppress all items seized in the search; in allowing into evidence, over defendants' objection, the items seized in the search; and in finding the search warrant valid which formed the basis of the search.

    These points assert the search warrant was not valid because it was based on information obtained as a result of an unreasonable search by an agent of the State in violation of the 4th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, and Article 1, Section 9 of the Texas Constitution.

    Defendants filed a motion to suppress the items seized as a result of the officers' search of their home. The trial court conducted a hearing outside the presence of the jury to determine the validity of the search, and held the items seized were admissible. The defendants asserted the confidential informant who supplied the information necessary to establish probable cause for the issuance of the search warrant was an agent of the State because he had been instructed or directed by Chief Vaughn to go to defendant's house for the purpose of obtaining information relating to narcotics.

    The search warrant stated in pertinent part: "Affiant Bill Vaughn is employed as Chief of Police by the City of Buffalo and has been a certified police officer over 13 years. On 8/21/86 affiant was informed by a confidential informant that within the past 36 hours, the informant had personally been to the above described residence and did personally observe Jerry and Ruth Evans in possession of a usable quantity of marijuana. The informant has demonstrated the ability to recognize marijuana in usable form * * * and to recognize cocaine in usable form * * * affiant believes the informant's information to be true and correct because over the past several years informant has provided drug trafficking information that has proven to be correct, and affiant believes informant to be credible and reliable".

    Chief Vaughn testified that the confidential informant contacted him by telephone "about possible narcotics at the Evans house"; that he went over to the informant's house and talked with him; that the informant volunteered to help [Chief Vaughn] with "anything"; that he [Chief Vaughn] asked the informant "if he was willing to try to make a buy"; that the informant replied, "he would"; that the informant went to defendants' house, then reported back to Chief Vaughn; that based on his information, the Chief swore out a search warrant for the house; that the confidential informant purchased cocaine from defendants; that the confidential informant was not a police officer and did not have a criminal record. The informant did not offer to go to defendants' house until Chief Vaughn asked him to do so.

    The trial court found that the confidential informant was not an agent of the State as a matter of law; and admitted all items seized to be introduced in evidence before the jury, including the cocaine which was the subject of the indictment.

    Both the U.S. and Texas Constitutions prohibit law enforcement officers or persons acting as agents for law enforcement officers from making unreasonable searches. This includes activities recited as probable cause in a search warrant. A private citizen, not a law enforcement officer or acting as the agent of a law enforcement officer, is not subject to the constitutional prohibitions.

    Where a search is conducted, as here, by a private individual, i.e., the confidential informant, the search is subject to the constitutional prohibitions when the individual can be regarded as an agent or an instrument of the State, in the light of all of the circumstances in the case. If the police induce a search by an individual, the individual becomes an agent of the State. Bodde v. State, Ct.Crim.Appls, 568 S.W.2d 344; Burdeau v. McDowell, U.S. S.Ct., 41 S. Ct. 574; Hall v. State, Ct.Crim.Appls, 643 S.W.2d 738; Coolidge v. New Hampshire, U.S. S.Ct., 91 S. Ct. 2011.

    Under this record and all of the circumstances in the case, we think the confidential informant was an agent of the State.

    Thus, the items seized as a result of the search conducted under the search warrant were not admissible. The search warrant was obtained on information secured in a search of defendants' home by the confidential informant who was induced by Chief Vaughn to go to defendants' house and make a buy. He became an agent of the State and could only make a valid and legal search if he had a search warrant or had express permission of the defendants.

    Points 2, 4 and 5 are sustained.

    We cannot say that beyond a reasonable doubt the error made no contribution to the defendants' conviction. Rule of Criminal Procedure 81(b)(2).

    Points 1, 3 and 6 are not reached under our view of the case.

    The conviction and judgment are reversed and the caused is remanded to the trial court.

    REVERSED & REMANDED

     

                                   FRANK G. McDONALD

    DO NOT PUBLISHChief Justice (Retired)


    [Participating: Chief Justice Thomas, Justices Hall and Means, and Chief Justice (Retired) McDonald]


Document Info

Docket Number: 10-87-00165-CR

Filed Date: 3/29/1990

Precedential Status: Precedential

Modified Date: 9/10/2015