DocketNumber: Docket No. 4196-67
Citation Numbers: 58 T.C. 792, 1972 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 76
Judges: Hoyt,Drennen,Sterrett,Tannenwald,Featherston,Goffe,Simpson,Raum
Filed Date: 8/10/1972
Status: Precedential
Modified Date: 10/19/2024
*76 The petitioners filed several pretrial motions in which they alleged the respondent based his determination in the statutory notice upon evidence which was obtained from the petitioner, Efrain T. Suarez, in violation of his constitutional rights.
1. The protections encompossed in the
2. The order of a Federal District Court in a habeas corpus proceeding that a new trial be granted to petitioner, Efrain T. Suarez, was not a final and binding determination that evidence used against petitioner in a State criminal proceeding was seized in violation of his constitutional rights. An "independent inquiry" must be made by this Court to ascertain the legality of the seizure.*77
3. Evidence employed by the respondent in making his determination was obtained as the result of an unreasonable search and seizure proscribed by the
4. Because the respondent's determination in his statutory notice was based solely on constitutionally tainted evidence, the presumption of correctness normally attached to such determination is destroyed. The burden of producing and going forward with proof shifts to the respondent who must present independent, untainted evidence to sustain his asserted deficiency.
*792 The respondent has determined the following deficiencies in the petitioners' income tax and has imposed the following penalties: *793 *79
Penalty | ||
Taxable year | ||
ended | Deficiency | sec. 6653(a)) |
Dec. 31, 1963 | $ 354,959.96 | $ 17,748.00 |
Dec. 31, 1964 | 358,649.62 | 17,932.48 |
The petitioners filed several motions in advance of trial in which they alleged that the respondent based his determination upon evidence which was obtained from them in violation of their rights under the United States Constitution. *80 Basically, the motions present the issues of (1) whether
In early 1964, an information was returned against Efrain and several other individuals, charging them with conspiracy to perform an abortion and charging Efrain with an attempt to procure a miscarriage of a woman, which alleged crimes are felonies under Florida law. (See
A general plan for the raid was developed, and two policewomen were enlisted to assist -- Barbara Williams and Myrtle Ellison. Barbara came to Miami on December 27, 1963, and she received instructions from representatives of the State attorney's office. She was told to go to Tampa, Fla., and call the clinic to make an appointment for an abortion.
Barbara contacted the Ayala Clinic on December 28, 1963, and made another call on January 2, 1964. She was able to make an appointment with Efrain to have an abortion performed on the morning of January 3, 1964. The price for the scheduled abortion was to be $ 1,000.
After making the appointment, Barbara contacted the State attorney's office. She returned to Miami on the evening of January 2, 1964. In Miami, she executed an affidavit as requested by Arthur Huttoe, assistant State attorney. At that time in order to review the arrangements for the raid, she met with Glen L. Baron, assistant chief of the Miami Police Department, Michael Daugherty, special investigator from the State attorney's office, and Malcolm*83 E. Gracey of the Miami Police Department, the commanding officer of the Internal Security Squad. Also present at this meeting was Myrtle Ellison. The participants discussed the general plans for the raid that had been formulated.
As part of the plan, both policewomen -- Barbara and Myrtle -- would enter the premises of the Ayala Clinic and after money was paid over and arrangements made for the abortion, Myrtle would step outside *795 the building as a signal for the raiding officers to enter the building and make the arrests. In the event that the raiding officers were unable to get into the clinic, the participants agreed that Barbara would arrest the doctor who was to perform the abortion before he commenced the medical procedure.
Barbara was a trained policewoman and had received normal police recruit training, including judo technique. She knew that the police officers would be at the back door of the Ayala Clinic, as well as at the front door. She knew that, when Myrtle left the clinic building, the raiding officers would enter, and that Myrtle's departure from the building would be a signal that the money had been paid over and the abortion was about to be performed.
*84 A female informant had given information to Barbara as to the floor plan of the clinic, and Barbara had received a diagram. In addition, she was told that a person inside the clinic would place a bar across the door. Barbara advised the raiding officers of what she had been told by the informant.
Barbara was also aware that patients receiving abortions were put to sleep with an injection. She advised Daugherty that, as part of the "abortion procedure," she "would be there for a period of an hour or two and would get a needle, and it would be all over and she could leave in a couple of hours."
The raiding officers, prior to the raid, had investigated Efrain for attempted abortion. They had received information that Efrain was operating the Ayala Clinic (previously run by Dr. Ayala) and that he was using the cards and letterheads of the Ayala Clinic. The raiding officers had also read affidavits from people in New Jersey, who stated they had been to the clinic for abortions. In addition, Barbara executed an affidavit stating that she had contacted a person in the clinic for the purpose of obtaining an abortion.
The persons who actually took part in the raid on the clinic on January*85 3, 1964, were Chief Baron, Gracey, Daugherty, Detective Jack Elmore, Barbara, and Myrtle.
On the morning of January 3, 1964, the plan devised by the State attorney's office and the Miami police was implemented. Barbara was given $ 1,000. The serial numbers on these bills were read off by Chief Baron. Gracey and Myrtle recorded the numbers. Then Barbara and Myrtle were driven to the Ayala Clinic.
The raiding party proceeded to follow their prearranged plan. Each of the raiding officers, including the policewomen, intended to arrest everyone in the clinic on abortion charges or on charges of conspiracy to commit abortion. However, the raiding officers had neither an arrest warrant nor a search warrant.
*796 In carrying out her roles in the raid plan, Barbara "intended to go as far as necessary." If the other officers were unable to arrest Efrain, she would arrest him herself if he started the abortion or attempted to give her an injection.
Barbara and Myrtle entered the clinic at 8 a.m. on January 3, 1964, through an unlocked public front door which was marked "open." The front door opened into a waiting room. Above the front door was a sign on which Efrain's name appeared.
*86 Gracey, Daugherty, and Baron parked about a block away. The police officers remained on station during the time that the policewomen were in the clinic.
Barbara rang a bell which was located in the waiting room near an inner door. After she rang the bell, Barbara and Myrtle could hear a key unlocking the inner door. This inner door had a steel bar across it on the inside. *87 give her a shot with a needle. Barbara stated that she did not want the shot since she could stand the pain. After receiving the marked money, Efrain asked Barbara to get undressed. Myrtle told Efrain she was leaving to get breakfast and would return.
Myrtle then attempted to leave by the door through which she entered. She removed the steel bar but was still unable to open it. After about a minute of shaking the door, Efrain came up behind her and unlocked it. As she left, she could hear the inner door being relocked.
After Myrtle left, Barbara went into a bathroom to "undress." Barbara was not armed and had nothing with her to identify her as a policewoman.
The policewomen were in the clinic for between 20 to 25 minutes before Myrtle came out.
Myrtle signaled to the other officers who came to the front of the clinic. Myrtle told the raiding officers that Barbara was inside, that the money had passed hands, and that Barbara was about to receive an injection.
*797 Daugherty, Chief Baron, Gracey, and Mytle went through the public street door and knocked on the closed inside door off the public waiting room. They received no response. They immediately knocked again and *88 announced that they were police officers and were from the State attorney's office, and they said: "Open up." They heard no sounds coming from the clinic. Myrtle told them to hurry, repeating that Efrain was going to give Barbara a shot. They waited for 15 to 30 seconds, and when they received no response, they knocked one more time. Then they proceeded to break the door down. No announcement of purpose was made by the raiding officers.
The officers broke down the inside door and entered the clinic in order to arrest Efrain and others in the building and to obtain evidence of their suspected crimes. There was considerable confusion as they made their entry. Barbara was still in the bathroom and could hear the ensuing commotion.
Once in the clinic, Daugherty and Gracey saw Efrain coming toward them down the hallway. They arrested him and told him to sit on a couch in the front room. While Gracey secured Efrain, Daugherty attempted to find Barbara. He located her when he kicked in the locked bathroom door (an act which startled her). Daugherty then continued to search the clinic to arrest other persons employed there.
In the meantime, Gracey was looking for the marked money. *89 He searched Efrain but could not find it on his person. He then began a search of the clinic to locate the money.
A short time later, Daugherty requested that Efrain open a wall safe discovered by Elmore. When Daugherty indicated he would open it with a sledge hammer if Efrain would not comply, Efrain opened the safe. Papers removed therefrom were placed in Gracey's custody.
One of the clinic's female employees disappeared after Efrain was arrested, and the raiding officers had to make a search to locate her. She was found in a room which she had entered through a trapdoor located in a broom closet.
Chief Baron had stayed outside the building until he was relieved by a uniformed police officer. He then entered the building. The names of the people arrested were then being taken down. Gracey was with Efrain and with women who had been arrested by the raiding officers. Daugherty returned to the front room area, where the people who had been arrested were seated, and he proceeded to assist Chief Baron and Gracey.
While searching for the marked $ 1,000, Gracey seized 41 pages of Efrain's daily records, with names and dates on them (hereinafter *798 referred to as the disputed*90 records), from the office portion of the clinic. *91 disputed records, and $ 2,650 in currency, including the marked $ 1,000. No evidence was seized from the room off the broom closet. All of the seized evidence was taken only from the clinic.
When Daugherty returned to his office the day of the raid, he had in his custody the daily records seized at the Ayala Clinic. Upon his return he was advised of a telephone call that had been received from the Internal Revenue Service. He returned the call and arranged a meeting with representatives of the Internal Revenue Service, which was held 3 or 4 days later. At that time, Daugherty made available to the Revenue Service representatives copies of the daily records (i.e., the disputed records) that had been taken from the clinic in the January 3, 1964, raid. The parties have stipulated that these daily records, together with leads derived therefrom, are the sole basis for respondent's determination contained in the statutory notice of deficiency for 1963 and 1964.
The Internal Revenue Service investigation was instituted by the Revenue Service's Intelligence Division. The revenue agent's report in this case was made by Agent John Mierow, who first obtained knowledge of the raid on the*92 clinic 2 or 3 days later from the newspapers or news media.
In May of 1964, Efrain's motion to suppress certain evidence taken at the raid was heard and denied by the Criminal Court of Record in and for Dade County, Fla.
Efrain's criminal case was tried in the said court in January of 1965. The jury returned a verdict of guilty on two counts of the information against Efrain, charging conspiracy to commit abortion and attempted abortion. He then took an appeal to the Third District *799 Court of Appeals of the State of Florida. That court affirmed the attempted abortion conviction. See
In June of 1966, Efrain filed a petition for a writ of certiorari in the Supreme Court of the State of Florida. On February 14, 1967, that court denied the petition for lack of jurisdiction.
A petition for a writ of certiorari was filed in the Supreme Court of the United States in its October 1967 term. That petition was denied.
On May 2, 1968, a petition for a writ of habeas corpus was filed in the Supreme Court of Florida on Efrain's behalf, which petition was subsequently denied.
A petition for a writ*93 of habeas corpus was filed and granted by the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida in August 1969. The District Court observed that the raiding officers announced only their identity and not their purpose when they broke into the Ayala Clinic. The court's order states "that no exigency existed which excused the making of the other half of the [constitutionally required] announcement" and that "the entry of the officers into the clinic was illegal and the motion to suppress the evidence obtained thereafter should have been granted." The court concluded that the finding of the State court was not fairly supported by the record and ordered "that the judgment of conviction be vacated and a new trial granted to the petitioner within a reasonable time or the petitioner set free."
Subsequent to the order of the Federal District Court, the Criminal Court of Record of Dade County, Fla., ordered on May 22, 1970, "that the State of Florida, its attorneys, investigators, agents, agencies, and representatives, and any parties in privity with any of them, be and they shall forthwith return to the within Defendant, Efrain T. Suarez, * * * all books, records, papers, documents*94 and other items seized, and any and all copies of the same."
On January 8, 1968, the petitioners filed a motion in this Court, requesting that affirmative allegations of the respondent's amended answer be stricken and that judgment on the pleadings be entered. On May 20, 1968, the respondent moved to continue a hearing on the motion on the grounds that it was premature because of pending collateral attacks on Efrain's conviction. The continuance was granted. By joint motion of the parties, two additional continuances were granted. The trial of the case was then set for June 8, 1970.
On June 5, 1970, Judge Mehrtens, U.S. District Court Judge, Southern District of Florida, issued a temporary restraining order prohibiting the Internal Revenue Service from using the records seized in the raid on the clinic in any criminal or civil proceeding; this was done for the purpose of holding the problem in status quo until a full hearing could be held on the matter.
*800 On June 8, 1970, when this case was called from the trial calendar at Miami, hearing on all pending motions was set for June 12, 1970, to be followed by trial thereafter.
On June 11, 1970, a full hearing was held in the*95 U.S. District Court at which Judge Mehrtens dissolved the temporary restraining order against the Internal Revenue Service "because the plaintiffs have an adequate remedy at law in the Tax Court."
Petitioners' motions filed in this case were heard on June 12, 1970. The motions are as follows:
1. Motion to Strike the Affirmative Allegations of the Amended Answer and Judgment on the Pleadings;
2. Motion to Strike and Suppress Evidence and to Quash Subpoenas and Subpoenas Duces Tecum; *96 were ordered to be filed.
In his Motion to Strike the Affirmative Allegations of the Amended Answer and Judgment on the Pleadings, Efrain points out the respondent's admission in his amended answer that the deficiences in income taxes determined against Efrain for the years 1963 and 1964 were based upon information and leads obtained from records seized in a raid on January 3, 1964. Efrain contends that the said records were taken from him in a search and seizure which violated his constitutional rights. Efrain moves that the affirmative allegations made in the respondent's amended answer (based on information and leads from the said records) be stricken and that the Court hold for petitioners on the pleadings.
In his Motion to Strike and Suppress Evidence and to Quash Subpoenas and Subpoenas Duces Tecum, Efrain states that the respondent based his determination in the statutory notice upon evidence which was taken from Efrain in a search and seizure which violated his constitutional rights, and the motion maintains:
Evidence to be submitted by the Internal Revenue Service at the trial based solely upon the fruits of an illegal search and seizure should be suppressed and all Subpoenas*97 directed to individuals (unknown to Petitioners) ascertained from leads obtained in said search should be quashed.
In his Motion to Quash the Statutory Notice of Deficiency and *801 to Dismiss for Lack of Jurisdiction, Efrain states that the respondent based his determination in the statutory notice upon evidence which was taken from Efrain in a search and seizure which violated his constitutional rights and that the statutory notice is therefore a direct product of such evidence and leads obtained therefrom. Efrain moves that the notice be quashed and stricken and that the Court thereupon dismiss this cause for lack of jurisdiction.
In his Motion to Return Property, Efrain states that the respondent based his determination in the statutory notice upon copies of records which were taken from Efrain in a search and seizure which violated his constitutional rights. Efrain states that he has made demand upon officials of the Internal Revenue Service to return the copies in their possession, and he moves that the Court order their return.
In his Motion to Shift the Burden of Proof, Efrain states that the respondent based his determination in the statutory notice upon evidence which*98 was taken from Efrain in a search and seizure which violated his constitutional rights. Efrain concludes that the statutory notice thereby has lost its presumption of correctness, and he moves that the Court hold the respondent has the burden of proof to establish allegations in the notice.
OPINION
We are confronted herein with an important and fundamental question: To what extent are the prohibitions against unreasonable searches and seizures enunciated in the
The
The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.
It has been clearly established that evidence seized in violation of a defendant's rights under the
The Supreme Court has applied the exclusionary rule in civil proceedings which had criminal overtones or involved forfeitures.
Thus far, the high *100 court has not faced the exact issue presented herein. But it has repeatedly stated that the rule's purpose is to deter unconstitutional conduct, and its prior opinions, as well as decisions by other Federal courts, clearly delineate the path we should follow. Thus, in
This protection reaches all alike,
In
The essence of a provision forbidding the acquisition of evidence in a certain way is that not merely evidence so acquired shall not be used before the Court but that
Subsequently, the Court, in
The rule is calculated to prevent, not to repair. Its purpose is to deter -- to compel respect for the constitutional guaranty in the only effectively available way -- by removing the incentive to disregard it.
And in
we cannot agree that the
The foregoing statements are a reflection of the view stated for the Court by Mr. Justice Butler some 40 years ago, that:
The Amendment is to be liberally construed and all owe the duty of vigilance for its effective enforcement lest there shall be impairment of the rights for the protection of which it was adopted. [See
The Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit faced the question of the
This case, however, while civil in nature is not between private parties and there are no analogous independent deterrents to, or remedies against, government violations of the
In
Where, as here, there is a correlative civil action open to the Government which imposes a penalty upon the citizen commensurate with the criminal sanctions to which an accused, victimized by an illegal search, would be exposed, then we see no distinguishable difference between the two forms of punishment which excuses the government from complying with constitutional mandates when prosecuting their action in a civil forum. * * *
See also the dissenting opinion of Mr. Justice Brennan in
Other Federal courts have indicated similar views.
See also the annotation, "Admissibility, In Civil Case, of Evidence Obtained by Unlawful Search*107 and Seizure,"
In
It is clear that the protections of the
* * * *
There is no question here but that the basis for the Government's tax assessment against Joseph Chase is evidence which it obtained in violation of the
*805 In
We are not unmindful of the competing considerations involved in applying the protection of the
In view of the foregoing, we conclude that any competing consideration based upon the need for effective enforcement of civil tax liabilities (compare
Our Government is the potent, the omnipresent teacher. For good or for ill, it teaches the whole people by its example. * * * If the Government becomes a lawbreaker, it breeds contempt for law; it invites every man to become a law unto himself; it invites anarchy.
We hold that, as a matter of law, the protective rule of the
We must now consider whether the action taken by the Federal District Court for the Southern District of Florida in the habeas corpus proceeding, discussed in our findings, should have a binding effect on the determination to be made herein regarding the constitutionality of the raid.
Efrain argues that the United States is in privity with the State of Florida and is barred*112 by the principle of collateral estoppel from relitigating the search and seizure issue.
The rule [res judicata] provides that when a court of competent jurisdiction has
* * * *
But where the second action between the same parties is upon a different cause or demand, the principle of
[Citations omitted. Emphasis added.]
*114 We do not agree with Efrain that the District Court made a determination that the raiding officers acted in an unconstitutional manner when they broke into the Ayala Clinic and that this determination is binding on all courts and on all parties.
The District Court order on its face states that it is based on
Accordingly, it is evident that the District Court order (despite its strong language quoted in our findings) was not a final and binding determination of the constitutionality of the raid. *115 We hold that the District Court order in the prior habeas corpus proceeding does not dictate the determination to be made herein. As a Federal court, we shall make "an independent inquiry" in applying Federal law in order to ascertain "whether there has been an unreasonable search and seizure by state officers."
The critical question before us in this case is whether the raid on the Ayala Clinic on January 3, 1964, resulted in a search and seizure which violated Efrain's rights under the
It is therefore clear that, unless the officers in the instant*117 case were for some reason excused from making an announcement as to the purpose for the raid, the records at issue herein were obtained as the result of an unreasonable search and seizure.
It is recognized in the authorities which we have cited above that an announcement as to purpose is not required in all instances, and that there are exceptions to the general rule. When the criminal case arising out of the raid was presented on appeal in the Florida courts, it was held that the officers' fear for Barbara's safety excused their failure to announce their purpose. See
The respondent admits that there was no direct evidence relating to this question in the earlier State court trial. At the hearing before this Court, therefore, an attempt was made by the respondent to elicit testimony*118 on this point. The testimony did not add much of substance to the record in the State court trial, and in any event, we found it to be less than convincing. *809 have bothered with repeated knocking. Cf.
There is no doubt that the raid was well planned and that the raiding officers knew well in advance the situation*119 into which Barbara would be placed pursuant to their plan. They also knew that before any medical procedure could be commenced and before any needle would be administered, Barbara, an experienced and trained policewoman, would make an arrest. This, too, was part of their plan. We do not believe that the raiding officers intended to place Barbara in a dangerous situation, and we do not believe that the officers, in following their plan on the day of the raid, in fact placed her in a position of jeopardy. We seriously question whether the officers entertained a contrary belief.
We do not regard as credible the testimony of the raiding officers who allegedly had increasing fear for Barbara's safety and suddenly decided Barbara needed to be rescued. Clearly they had ample time within which to make the requisite announcement as to purpose since they delayed from 15 to 30 seconds before breaking the door down. We conclude that Barbara was not in any real peril and that the members of the raiding party in failing to announce their purpose, were not motivated by a concern for her well-being; no exigency existed which excused the raiding party from making the other half of the constitutionally*120 required announcement after they identified themselves at the clinic door.
The respondent further argues that the raiding party did not have to make an announcement as to purpose because Efrain knew their purpose and, therefore, such an announcement would have been a useless gesture.
In
It goes without saying that in determining the lawfulness of entry * * * we may concern ourselves only with what the officers had reason to believe
Mr. Justice Clark further pointed out that a search does not change its character from "what is subsequently dug up."
*810 The respondent contends that, from an examination of the circumstances of this case, it is reasonable to conclude that Efrain knew why the officers were there. Even if the record were to establish that Efrain knew why the officers were there (and we do not agree that it does), we would not be able to hold that the officers were excused from announcing their purpose unless the record also established that the members of the raiding party
Our careful examination of the entire record leads us to conclude that the officers entertained no such belief. We hold that the members of the raiding party improperly failed to make an announcement as to purpose. The raiding officers further violated Efrain's rights under the The parties are in agreement that, if Efrain was validly arrested, a warrantless search and seizure, with some limitations, could properly follow such arrest. In his reply brief, the respondent contends that Efrain's arrest was lawful because he committed a felony in the presence of Myrtle Ellison, one of the raiding officers. It is a "well established right of law enforcement officers to arrest without a warrant for a felony committed in their presence," With regard to whether the officers had probable cause to believe a felony was being committed in their presence, the respondent argues on brief: the raiding officers had no way to know positively in advance that petitioners would accept the marked $ 1,000 from Barbara Williams until Mrs. [Myrtle] Ellison so advised them immediately before knocking on the door. However, at *812 the moment of their knocking and announcement of their identity, *128 they had reasonable belief that a felony was being committed inside the clinic by virtue of their knowledge that the marked money had been accepted and that petitioner had agreed to perform the abortion, combined with other knowledge from affidavits and from an informer. * * * We cannot agree that the officers had probable cause to believe that a felony was being committed in their presence once they knew that Efrain had accepted the $ 1,000. They were aware (because it was part of their plan) that Barbara would not permit Efrain to commence any medical procedure relating to her "abortion." They were also aware that Barbara was not even pregnant. It is likely that if they had probable cause to believe anything, it was that Efrain was Finally, the respondent argues that the raiding party's rising fears for Barbara's safety permitted them to enter the clinic without warrants for the purposes of rescue*129 and thereafter to make arrests and to search for and seize items within the clinic. As we pointed out in our discussion above, we do not believe that the raiding offices developed any sudden concern for Barbara's well-being. They knew in advance the situation that would exist, and they had ample opportunity to obtain warrants. The position in which Barbara found herself was not only foreseeable by the raiding officers but was arranged by them. We do not believe that there were any surprise developments or any unexpected emergency which would excuse their forcible entry into the clinic without the requisite warrants. In any event, its seems doubtful to us that the placing of a raiding officer, pursuant to a prearranged plan, in a position of alleged jeopardy can serve to negate constitutional requirements. "If * * * there was a semblance of emergency requiring the breaking of the door, it was created by the officers." We must now consider what effect the conclusions we have reached herein have on respondent's determination in the statutory*131 notice in this case. As we have already noted the parties have stipulated that the determination here is based entirely upon the items seized by the Florida and Miami officials in their raid on the clinic and leads derived therefrom. Because of our conclusion that this evidence is subject to the exclusionary rule developed under the The respondent contends that the notice is valid because it satisfies the requirements of section 6212(a) and (b) of the 1954 Code and because it is not proper for this Court to go behind the statutory notice to examine the facts or circumstances upon which its determinations are based. *132 As a general rule, this Court will not look behind a deficiency notice to examine the evidence used or the propriety of the respondent's motives or of his administrative policy or procedure in making his determinations. We regard the general rule enunciated in the cases cited above as sound. In reality, we are not called upon to depart from*133 that principle in the instant case in view of the fact that the respondent has admitted by stipulation the nature of the evidence upon which he relied in preparing his statutory notice. We are not simply confronted herein with a case in which the respondent based his determination on evidence which is inadmissible under the usual rules of evidence, e.g., hearsay. On the contrary, it must be emphasized that the respondent, in preparing his statutory notice, relied solely on evidence which was illegally seized in violation *814 of the provisions of the Where infringements of constitutional rights are involved, we are convinced that the determination in a statutory*134 notice should be carefully scrutinized and that some sanction should be imposed to discourage the Commissioner's use of and reliance on constitutionally inadmissible evidence. We are unable to agree, however, with the suggestion that the statutory notice here must be declared a nullity. We find no authority for this conclusion. On the contrary, We are also unable to agree with petitioners' argument that the burden of proof in the case should be shifted to respondent. In situations where illegally obtained evidence has appeared, the courts have done no more than place the burden on the prosecutor to cleanse the evidence. However, in the realm of the criminal law, where the exclusionary rule was born, suppression of tainted evidence serves as an effective disincentive to its use by the Government because the Government has the burden of proof. Clearly such disincentive does not exist in a civil tax case if the sole action taken is to suppress such evidence and the burden of proof and of going forward with the evidence remains on the taxpayer. We therefore conclude that in addition to suppression of the tainted evidence here we must also take further action. We believe the respondent has a duty in the case at bar not only to cleanse the evidence but also, if he wishes to be sustained in his determination herein, to present evidence to support it which is free*136 of unconstitutional taint. *815 We therefore conclude and hold that the determination before us, based entirely on constitutionally inadmissible evidence, carries no presumption of correctness. Because the presumption of correctness has disappeared, the respondent now has the burden of going forward with the proof to establish the existence of a deficiency with independent evidence, separate and apart from the tainted evidence. See In accordance with the foregoing discussion, an order will be entered by the Court in which we will take the following action with regard to the motions Efrain has filed with the Court. (1) Motion to Strike the Affirmative Allegations of the Amended Answer and Judgment on the Pleadings: (2) Motion to Strike and Suppress Evidence and to Quash Subpoenas and Subpoenas Duces Tecum: (3) Motion to Quash the Statutory Notice of Deficiency and to Dismiss for Lack of Jurisdiction: (4) Motion to Return Property: (5) Motion to Shift Burden of Proof:
it is well established that --
Drennen,
The majority does not hold that the notice of deficiency is invalid, even where it is based entirely on tainted evidence. If it were otherwise this Court would have no jurisdiction to proceed.
The dual need to protect the integrity of the Court's procedures and the need to discourage constitutional violations are both adequately met by removing the presumption of correctness of respondent's determination and by excluding the tainted evidence.
I cannot agree with the implications of Judge Simpson's dissenting opinion that*140 the application of the exclusionary rule in civil tax cases will necessarily permit those engaged in illegal activities to avoid paying a tax on their income because a court determines that the police acted improperly in securing evidence. The Internal Revenue Service has a variety of methods for determining a taxpayer's taxable income without reliance on tainted evidence or the fruits thereof.
Tannenwald,
*817 First, I think it should clearly be understood that the majority opinion in no way impinges on the validity of respondent's deficiency notice as such. Section 6212 provides for the issuance of a notice of deficiency where the Commissioner determines that there is a deficiency in respect of certain taxes. Nowhere in the Code is there a provision which specifies the nature and quality of the evidence which the tax administrator must gather to support his determination. The absence of statutory guidelines suggests that Congress intended that the Internal Revenue Service should have great latitude in making determinations*141 of liability.
Cases such as
In a civil tax case, however, the knowledge that illegally obtained evidence will be inadmissible at trial may not be a sufficient disincentive *818 due to the fact that the taxpayer, not the Commissioner, has the burden of proof. A large number of tax cases are decided almost exclusively on the basis of the taxpayer's failure to carry his burden. The majority opinion recognizes that fashioning an appropriate disincentive for law violations in the preparation of a civil tax case thus presents a much more difficult problem. The majority's solution is to impose the further sanctions of destroying the presumption of correctness of the respondent's*143 determination and shifting the burden of going forward to him. However, it still leaves the burden of proof upon the petitioner.
Clearly the majority action is in the right direction. But I am not satisfied that such judicial sanctions will always fully implement the policy of deterrence and the need to protect the integrity of the judicial process which the courts have articulated as the foundation for the exclusionary rule. For example, there can be a situation where the respondent makes extensive use of illegally obtained evidence to develop a net worth statement and to make a determination based upon such statement. In
I believe that, in some instances, it may be necessary to go further than the majority, e.g., where there is a complicated or reconstructed factual situation such as a net worth case, or where there are substantial difficulties in determining what evidence is "tainted" and what is not. In such situations, a shift to the respondent of the burden of persuasion may be justified *819 *145 distinguished from the burden of going forward with the evidence, is usually of little consequence. But such situations can occur and I do not think this Court should abandon, under all circumstances, *146 I am not impressed with the argument that applying the protection of the
Nor is it material that the respondent's agents themselves did not conduct the illegal raid. It is enough that the evidence was acquired by them from local government officials who seized it in violation of the petitioners' constitutional rights.
Any analogy to grand jury proceedings is beside the point. A comparison of such proceedings to the process by which the respondent arrives at his determination ignores the cardinal fact that, after an indictment, the burden of persuasion remains with the Government -- a burden which is measured by a very high standard of proof, i.e., beyond a reasonable doubt -- while, in the case of a determination by respondent, the burden of proof as to the underlying deficiency remains with the taxpayer. Similarly, in respect of sentencing and parole proceedings, the question is merely the measure of the penalty which the defendant should pay after the Government has first satisfied its burden of proof that a penalty should in fact be imposed.
I find the contention that the majority decision will benefit persons with unclean hands by relieving them from the responsibility of paying their share of taxes completely unacceptable. The fact of the matter is that respondent*148 is afforded many weapons by means of which he *820 can require such persons to pay the taxes they owe. He has the power of subpoena and he has available to him various broad techniques for developing a person's taxable income, e.g., net worth, bank deposits, and cash expenditures. The question in this case is not whether we are depriving respondent of the means of requiring petitioners to bear their share of the tax burden, but whether we should add a further weapon to respondent's arsenal at the expense of petitioners' constitutional rights. The choice between constitutional protections and the conveniences of litigation to the Government seems to me to be obvious, particularly in light of the fact, as the majority points out, that "The costs to society of applying the exclusionary rule to civil tax cases are substantially less than in the criminal area."
The essence of a democratic society demands that the protection of law be accorded to
Our democratic institutions, *149 including our judicial system, can survive the present onslaught upon them only if they are tempered with qualities of respect and understanding for the rights of the individual. This does not mean that we should confer an open-ended license for each person to do as he wants and to ignore his obligations to his fellow citizens, including the payment of taxes. Similarly, it does not mean that the Government, in the name of law and order, should be able to discharge its responsibilities to enforce its civil claims for taxes free of the procedural requirements of due process.
The continued concern that our citizens be protected from violations of law by public officials in the area of illegally obtained evidence is reflected in the enactment of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 (82 Stat. 211) and the recent implementation of section 802 thereof (
Neither the articulation of that concern in resolving*150 the issues in this case, nor the characterization of that articulation as rhetoric, should obscure or change the fundamental constitutional demand that the
Simpson,
*821 In its carefully reasoned opinion, the majority rests its conclusion in part on the classical reason for the exclusionary rule, that is, evidence is excluded in order to deter violations of the
I do not question the need for some remedy to give meaning and teeth to the constitutional guarantees against unlawful conduct by government officials. * * * But the hope that this objective could be accomplished by the exclusion*151 of reliable evidence from criminal trials was hardly more than a wistful dream. Although I would hesitate to abandon it until some meaningful substitute is developed, the history of the Suppression Doctrine demonstrates that it is both conceptually sterile and practically ineffective in accomplishing its stated objective. * * * [
He also pointed out that many others who have studied the operation of the rule have judged it to be ineffective. One of the most extensive of those studies was conducted by Mr. Dallin H. Oaks, who summarized his findings as follows:
As a device for directly deterring illegal searches and seizures by the police, the exclusionary rule is a failure. There is no reason to expect the rule to have any direct effect on the overwhelming majority of police conduct that is not meant to result in prosecutions, and there is hardly any evidence that the rule exerts any deterrent effect on the small fraction of law enforcement activity that is aimed at prosecution. What is known about the deterrent effect of sanctions suggests *152 that the exclusionary rule operates under conditions that are extremely unfavorable for deterring the police. The harshest criticism of the rule is that it is ineffective. It is the sole means of enforcing the essential guarantees of freedom from unreasonable arrests and searches and seizures by law enforcement officers, and it is a failure in that vital task.
The use of the exclusionary rule imposes excessive costs on the criminal justice system. It provides no recompense for the innocent and it frees the guilty. It creates the occasion and incentive for large-scale lying by law enforcement officers. It diverts the focus of the criminal prosecution from the guilt or innocence of the defendant to a trial of the police. Only a system with limitless patience with irrationality could tolerate the fact that where there has been one wrong, the defendant's, he will be punished, but where there have been two wrongs, the defendant's and the officer's, both will go free. This would not be an excessive cost for an effective remedy against police misconduct, but it is a prohibitive price to pay for an illusory one. * * * [Oaks, "Studying the Exclusionary Rule in Search and Seizure." U. *153 Chi. L. Rev. 755-756 (1970).]
It is not for us to decide whether the exclusionary rule should continue to be applied in criminal cases, or whether that rule should be replaced by some other device for the protection of the right of privacy. *822 should be extended and applied in a new class of cases -- civil tax cases. Grave doubts have been presented as to the efficacy of the exclusionary rule, and surely we are not required to extend a rule of such doubtful utility. When others are seeking to restrict the rule and to find an alternative that better serves the public interests, we should not compound the present difficulties by undertaking to apply the rule to additional cases.
*154 There is additional reason for doubting the deterrent effect of applying the exclusionary rule in this case. In
The majority also relies upon the concept that evidence secured in violation of the
In our self-assessment tax system, all people are required to report their income and to pay the tax due thereon, however painful that process may be. Yet, how are the people going to react if they learn that those who are engaged in illegal activities are excused from paying a tax on their income because a court determines that the police acted improperly in securing evidence? Although the exclusionary rule has been applied in some civil proceedings, the consequences of doing so in tax cases will be altogether different. Applying the rule in a case involving an alleged violation of a housing code or involving a dispute over customs duties is not going to have any widespread effect upon the compliance with those laws, but the application of the rule in civil tax cases raises the prospect of seriously undermining the practice of voluntary compliance with the tax laws.
In several cases, the Supreme Court has held that a grand jury must be free to consider whatever evidence comes to its attention; it must not to be shackled in its operations by the nice rules of evidence.
The grand jury is an English institution, brought to this country by the early colonists and incorporated in the Constitution by the Founders. There is every reason to believe that our constitutional grand jury was intended to operate substantially like its English progenitor. The basic purpose of the English grand jury was to provide a fair method for instituting criminal proceedings against persons believed to have committed crimes. Grand jurors were selected from the body of the people and their work was not hampered by rigid procedural or evidential rules. In fact, grand jurors could act on their own knowledge and were free to make their presentments or indictments on such information as they deemed satisfactory. * * * *824 outweighed any reasons for excluding it. In
*161 In deciding not to apply the exclusionary rule to proceedings before the grand jury, the Supreme Court recognized that if the rule was made applicable in such proceedings, it would delay them and result in increased litigation.
The majority also concludes that the police were at fault in failing to announce their purpose when they knocked. That conclusion also seems to me to ignore reality. When a person is engaged in the illegal activities allegedly performed by Mr. Suarez, and the police knock at his door, it would not require much imagination on his part to know why they were there; he could guess the answer with virtual certainty. To say that under those circumstances, the police should have stated their purpose, in my opinion, insists upon a technical compliance with the law which is not at all necessary to protect one's constitutional rights.
In conclusion, I suggest that whatever may be the justification for applying the exclusionary rule in criminal cases, there is sufficient doubt about its efficacy so that it should not now be extended to*163 civil tax cases. Moreover, if it is extended at all to such cases, it should not be applied with respect to the information on which a notice of deficiency is based, and it should only be done when the Internal Revenue Service is involved in a violation of the
1. Five motions are considered herein. They are outlined in our Findings of Fact.
The respondent has agreed that for the purposes of this case, this Court may properly consider the petitioners' motion to suppress evidence in advance of the trial. On brief, he states:
"there is no rule of the Tax Court or even a rule of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure which provides for a procedure under which motions to suppress evidence are heard prior to the trial of the case. * * * in our view, normally the proper time for the Court to pass upon the admissibility of evidence is when it is offered at the trial. * * *
* * * *
"Nevertheless, the respondent has construed the hearing on petitioners' motions as in effect a hearing under
While we express no opinion as to the soundness of these conclusions, we note that where constitutional issues are presented, consideration of these issues in advance of trial may be necessary. We have considerable discretion with respect to the manner in which we accord and conduct a hearing into such questions. See
2. As to
3. See fns. 20 and 21
4. At the time of the raid, all of the officers knew about this bar.↩
5. Barbara saw her name on one page of these disputed records, but she could not recall whether it was before or after the raid.↩
6. During the course of this search, the raiding officers observed that windows and doors in the clinic were covered with aluminum foil or film.↩
7. We are not considering herein a similar motion filed by Stanley J. Bartel, Esq., which the parties stipulated would be heard, if necessary, when the trial resumes.↩
8. Our discussion herein will be limited to the constitutional grounds stated in the motion.↩
9. "it will not do to forget that the
10. The
11. On the question of collateral estoppel and privity, see, generally,
It seems doubtful to us that the United States and the State of Florida can be considered as privies. No Federal agent or employee participated in the raid, and the Federal Government was not a party to any of the prior criminal litigation. The State of Florida did not represent the interests of the United States in the prior litigation, and the United States did not control or influence the manner in which the State pursued that litigation. The United States had no right to introduce testimony, cross-examine witnesses, or appeal the judgment. While officials of the
Efrain maintains that the respondent, in earlier hearings before this Court, indicated that he believed the doctrine of collateral estoppel would apply. However, the applicability of the doctrine is dependent upon legal principles and not upon the consistency of the respondent's contentions. We have not been shown how Efrain was put to any disadvantage.↩
12. At a subsequent hearing on June 11, 1970, Judge Mehrtens, who issued the habeas corpus order, stated:
"The effect of that order, in my opinion, would not have foreclosed the State, for example, from coming in on a retrial of the case and introducing [additional factors] into evidence * * *. * * * I had no intention of trying to stop them.
* * * *
"You see, * * * what you are arguing is the effect of my holding was that that was an illegal search and seizure under any or all possible circumstances and that there was no way that anybody could make it legal. And I didn't hold that. * * *"↩
13. Efrain also argues, without being specific, that the raiding officers violated his rights under the
14. We do not accord much weight to unsupported testimony, offered for the first time at the hearing in the instant matter, relating to statements made by unidentified informants as to alleged unprofessional conduct by Efrain in treating his patients.↩
15. The respondent also suggests that the clinic was soundproofed and that the announcement of purpose could not be heard inside. This fact has not been established by the record. Nevertheless, we are unable to find that the officers actually believed the clinic was soundproofed; if they did, they would not have even bothered to announce their identity.↩
16. It is interesting to note that the respondent, on brief, has suggested the evidence can indicate that the police had reasonable justification to believe Efrain did not even hear them. See fn. 15
17. Only a "reasonable" search is permissible. On the question of the scope of a "reasonable" search,
18. It is readily apparent from the record that the planning for the raid began as early as November 1963; that the police conducted an investigation for 4 to 6 weeks prior to the raid; that Efrain was "known" to the raiding officers as an alleged abortionist from their prior investigations; that the raiding officers knew that Efrain was using the Ayala Clinic; that the State officials had affidavits and other information from individuals alleging that abortions had occurred in the clinic; and that Barbara Williams had made an appointment for an abortion at the clinic. Doubtless, these factors would have constituted probable cause for the securing of an arrest warrant for Efrain and others in the clinic and for the securing of a search warrant relating to the premises of the clinic.
19.
20.
"Any crime punishable by death, or imprisonment in the state prison, is a felony, and no other crime shall be so considered. Every other offense is a misdemeanor."↩
21.
"Whoever with intent to procure miscarriage of any woman unlawfully administers to her, or advises or prescribes for her, or causes to be taken by her, any poison, drug, medicine or other noxious thing, or unlawfully uses any instrument or other means whatever with the like intent, or with like intent aids or assists therein, shall, if the woman does not die in consequence thereof, be punished by imprisonment in the state prison not exceeding seven years, or by fine not exceeding one thousand dollars."↩
22.
"Whoever attempts to commit an offense prohibited by law and in such attempt does any act toward the commission of such an offense, but fails in the perpetration, or is intercepted or prevented in the execution of the same, shall, when no express provision is made by law for the punishment of such attempt, be punished as follows:
* * * *
"(2) If the offense attempted to be committed is punishable by imprisonment in the state prison for life, or for five years or more, the person convicted of such attempt shall be punished by imprisonment in the state prison not exceeding five years, or in the county jail not exceeding one year."↩
23. Under
24. The respondent points out that the provisions of the Tax Reform Act of 1969, establishing the United States Tax Court under
1. Compare
"Even if we assume that the Government did acquire incriminating evidence in violation of the
The case was remanded to the District Court for proceedings on the merits, leaving Blue free to pursue his
2. I am not unaware of the fact that the exercise of judicial discretion to shift the burden of proof may be inhibited by the fact that Rule 32 of the Court's Rules of Practice categorically places that burden on the petitioner and by the opposite inferences as to legislative intent which can be drawn from the fact that the Internal Revenue Code specifically places that burden on respondent in well-defined situations. See secs. 534, 6902(a), and 7454. But, compare
3. I note that, given respondent's stipulation herein as to the sources of his evidence, the majority action may well have the same practical effect as a shift in the burden of proof.↩
4. I recognize that civil tax cases involving the use of illegally obtained evidence may also involve a determination of additions to tax for fraud as to which the respondent has the burden of proof. But the instant litigation bears mute witness to the fact that this is not always the case. Moreover, it cannot be gainsaid that the concomitant placing of the burden of proof as to the basic deficiency upon the taxpayer can result in a decision against him for a susbtantial amount even though respondent fails to carry his burden of proof as to the fraud issue. See
1. As an alternative to the exclusionary rule, the present Chief Justice has suggested a procedure for awarding damages to anyone who has been the victim of an illegal search and seizure. Such a remedy, he suggested, would be more effective because it could be invoked with respect to any illegal search.↩
2. Such comment is not inconsistent with
3. In its recent decision in
4. I am suggesting merely that the roles of the Commissioner and the grand jury are similar in that they both are expected to consider all available information in order to determine what actions should be initiated. I recognize that in a criminal case, the prosecutor still has the burden of establishing the defendant's guilt by admissible evidence; thus, the grand jury's consideration of evidence improperly obtained may not be decisive. However, the exclusionary rule has also been applied in the sentencing and parole revocation proceedings, even though the evidence secured by an improper search may be decisive in those situations.↩
Commissioner v. Sunnen , 68 S. Ct. 715 ( 1948 )
Nardone v. United States , 60 S. Ct. 266 ( 1939 )
Rodriquez v. State , 189 So. 2d 656 ( 1966 )
Lord v. Kelley , 223 F. Supp. 684 ( 1963 )
Go-Bart Importing Co. v. United States , 51 S. Ct. 153 ( 1931 )
Matles v. United States , 78 S. Ct. 712 ( 1958 )
Johnson v. United States , 68 S. Ct. 367 ( 1948 )
United States v. Barrow , 212 F. Supp. 837 ( 1962 )
Tovar v. Jarecki , 173 F.2d 449 ( 1949 )
Accarino v. United States , 179 F.2d 456 ( 1949 )
United States v. Physic , 175 F.2d 338 ( 1949 )
McKnight v. United States , 183 F.2d 977 ( 1950 )
State of Iowa v. Union Asphalt & Roadoils, Inc. , 281 F. Supp. 391 ( 1968 )
United States v. Frank Costello , 247 F.2d 384 ( 1957 )
Lewis L. Wayne v. United States , 318 F.2d 205 ( 1963 )
Charles Crowther and Ivy L. Crowther v. Commissioner of ... , 269 F.2d 292 ( 1959 )
Laprease v. Raymours Furniture Company , 315 F. Supp. 716 ( 1970 )
Lawn v. United States , 78 S. Ct. 311 ( 1958 )
Mapp v. Ohio , 81 S. Ct. 1684 ( 1961 )
Silverthorne Lumber Co. v. United States , 40 S. Ct. 182 ( 1920 )
Johnson v. Comm'r , 105 T.C.M. 1548 ( 2013 )
george-c-clapp-jr-margaret-clapp-life-health-services-double-d-donuts , 875 F.2d 1396 ( 1989 )
TG Missouri Corporation f.k.a. TG (U.S.A.) Corporation, a ... , 133 T.C. No. 13 ( 2009 )
Johnston v. Commissioner , 80 T.C.M. 477 ( 2000 )
Bhagwan D. Raheja and Krishna K. Raheja v. Commissioner of ... , 725 F.2d 64 ( 1984 )
Charlotte's Office Boutique, Inc. v. Commissioner , 121 T.C. No. 6 ( 2003 )
Alberto Delgado & Virginia Delgado ( 2023 )
Bennett v. Commissioner , 74 T.C.M. 1144 ( 1997 )
Fankhanel v. Commissioner , 76 T.C.M. 809 ( 1998 )
Lizcano v. Comm'r , 95 T.C.M. 1157 ( 2008 )
Constantine Gus Cristo v. Commissioner , 2017 T.C. Memo. 239 ( 2017 )
Birdsill v. Comm'r , 2008 Tax Ct. Summary LEXIS 58 ( 2008 )
thomas-a-graham-and-elizabeth-graham-v-commissioner-of-internal-revenue , 770 F.2d 381 ( 1985 )
Charlotte's Office Boutique, Inc. v. Commissioner of ... , 425 F.3d 1203 ( 2005 )
Hoffman v. Comm'r , 2015 Tax Ct. Summary LEXIS 77 ( 2015 )
Sutherland v. Commissioner , 71 T.C.M. 1665 ( 1996 )
Acme Steel Co. v. Comm'r , 85 T.C.M. 1208 ( 2003 )