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SearchWarrantsHB361andSB247

October3,2016

2

Overview

• StudyAuthorization

• Background

• LegalAnalysis

• Recommendation

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StudyAuthorization

• DuringtheRegularSessionofthe2016GeneralAssembly,HouseBill361(HB361)wasintroducedbyDelegateG.ManoliLoupassi andSenateBill247(SB247)wasintroducedbySenatorsRichardBlackandJillHoltzman Vogel.

• Bothbillswereidenticalasintroduced.

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StudyAuthorization

• SenateBill247wasamendedintheSenateCourtsofJusticeCommitteeandpassedtheSenate.

• BothHB361andSB247wereleftintheHouseCourtsofJusticeCommittee.

• AletterwassenttotheCrimeCommissionrequestingareviewofthesubjectmatterofthetwobills.

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Background

• Asintroduced,bothSB247andHB361soughttoaddtheauthoritytoobtainasearchwarrantfor“anypersontobearrestedoranypersonwhoisunlawfullyrestrained”totheVirginiasearchwarrantstatutes(Va.Code§§ 19.2‐53,19.2‐54and19.2‐56).

• ThelanguageofthebillswasidenticaltotheterminologyusedinRule41oftheFederalRulesofCriminalProcedure.

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Background

• SenateBill247wasamendedintheSenateCourtsofJusticeCommittee;twooftheprimaryamendmentswerethefollowing:– Thephrase“anypersontobearrested”wasamendedto“anypersontobearrestedforwhomawarrantorprocessforarresthasbeenissued.”

– Thephrase“anypersonwhoisunlawfullyrestrained”wasdeletedfromthebill.

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Background

• Bothbillswereintendedtofixanissuethatariseswhenapersonwhoisonprobation(orparole)violatesthetermsofhisprobation,butdoesnotcommitanew“crime.”

• Ifaprobationerisbelievedtobeintheresidenceofathirdparty,howcanlawenforcementgainaccesstoathirdparty’sresidencetoarresttheprobationerforaviolationoftherulesofprobation?

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LegalAnalysis

• Inthe1980caseofPaytonv.NewYork,445U.S.573,theU.S.SupremeCourtheldthatintheabsenceofexigentcircumstances,theFourthAmendmentprohibitslawenforcementfrommakingawarrantlessentryintoaperson’shomeforthepurposeofexecutingaroutinefelonyarrest.– Inordertoenteraperson’sresidencetoexecutearoutinefelonyarrest,lawenforcementmustfirstobtainanarrestwarrantforthatperson.

• Payton didnotaddressenteringtheresidenceofathirdpartytoexecuteanarrestofanindividual.

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LegalAnalysis

• Inthe1981caseofSteagaldv.UnitedStates,451U.S.204,theU.S.SupremeCourtheldthatintheabsenceofexigentcircumstancesorconsent,lawenforcementmaynotenterthehomeofathirdpartytoexecuteanarrestwarrant,eveniftheybelievethesubjectofthearrestwarrantwillbefoundthere.– Warrantlessentryintotheresidenceisaviolationofthehomeowner’sFourthAmendmentrights.

– Thepropercourseofconductistoobtainasearchwarrant,allowingentryintotheresidencetosearchforthepersonwhoisthesubjectofthearrestwarrant.

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LegalAnalysis

• Thereisadistinctionbetweenawarrantlessarrestforaprobationviolationandawarrantlessarrestforacriminaloffense.

• Ifaprobationofficerdesirestohaveaprobationerarrestedforviolatingthetermsoftheirprobation,theofficerhastwooptions:– Requestthatajudgeissueacapias forviolationofacourtorder;or,

– Authorizeawarrantlessarrestoftheprobationer.

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LegalAnalysis

• InVirginia,probationofficershavearrestauthoritybutnotarrestpower—meaningthataprobationofficercanauthorizeawarrantlessarrestforaprobationer,buttheprobationofficercannotphysicallydetainthesubject.

• ProbationofficersinVirginiaaregrantedthepowertoauthorizewarrantlessarrestsofprobationerspursuanttoVa.Code§§ 53.1‐149and53.1‐162.– Thesearrestsarecommonlyreferredtoasa“PB15.”– TheprobationofficerissuesthePB15andthenprovidesthedocumenttolawenforcementtoexecutethearrest.

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LegalAnalysis

• AwarrantlessarrestonaPB15isforaviolationoftherulesofprobation.

• Theseviolationscanbeforstatusoffenses—actionsthatarepunishableonlybecausetheoffenderisonsupervisedprobation,suchas:– Failuretoreportanarrest;failuretomaintainorreportchangesinemployment;failuretoreporttoprobationasinstructed;failuretoallowprobationtovisithomeorworkplace;failuretofollowinstructions;useofalcohol;useofcontrolledsubstances;possessionortransportofafirearm;changeofresidenceorleavingtheCommonwealthwithoutpermission;etc.

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LegalAnalysis

• ThemorecommonlyrecognizedstatuteregardingwarrantlessarrestsisVa.Code§ 19.2‐81:– LawenforcementofficersinVirginiamayarrestwithoutawarrantforanycrimecommittedintheirpresenceandforanyfelonynotintheirpresence—mustbebasedonprobablecause.

– Lawenforcementmayalsoarrestforcertainmisdemeanorsnotcommittedintheirpresence,suchasdrivingundertheinfluence,shoplifting,carryingaweapononschoolproperty,assaultandbattery,brandishingafirearm,ordestructionofproperty.

• WarrantlessarrestsunderthisCodesectionallinvolveactivitieswhichareclearlycriminalviolationsundertheVirginiaCode.

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LegalAnalysis

• Ifprobablecauseexists,acriminalsearchwarrantmaybeissuedpursuanttoVa.Code§ 19.2‐53“…forthesearchoforforspecifiedplaces,thingsorpersons,andseizuretherefromofthefollowingthingsasspecifiedinthewarrant”:– Weaponsorotherobjectsusedinthecommissionofcrime;– Articlesorthingsthesaleorpossessionofwhichisunlawful;– Stolenpropertyorthefruitsofanycrime;and,– Anyobject,thing,orperson,includingwithoutlimitation,documents,books,papers,recordsorbodyfluids,constitutingevidenceofthecommissionofcrime.

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LegalAnalysis

• Whenapplyingforasearchwarrant,Va.Code§ 19.2‐54requiresthefilingof:– “…anaffidavit ofsomepersonreasonablydescribingtheplace,thing,orpersontobesearched,thethingsorpersonstobesearchedforthereunder,allegingbrieflymaterialfacts,constitutingtheprobablecausefortheissuanceofsuchwarrantandallegingsubstantiallytheoffenseinrelationtowhichsuchsearchistobemadeandthattheobject,thing,orpersonsearchedforconstitutesevidenceofthecommissionofsuchoffense.”

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LegalAnalysis

• Asearchwarrantcanbeobtainedforapersonwhenthereisprobablecausethatsaidpersoncommittedacrime—thepersonhimself“constitutingevidenceofthecrime.”

• Inthecaseofaprobationviolation,though,no“crime”mayhavebeencommitted.– The“crime”maybeastatusoffense—aviolationofacourtorderorrulesofprobation.

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LegalAnalysis

• Theseconsiderationscreatealackofclaritywithinthesearchwarrantstatutesastowhetherasearchwarrantmaybeissuedforapersonwhoissubjecttoarrest.

• WhiletheoriginalintentoftheHB361andSB247centeredaroundsearchwarrantsforarrestsonprobationviolations,theproposedamendmentswouldprovideclaritywithinthesearchwarrantstatutesonwhetherasearchwarrantmaybeissuedforanypersonwhoissubjecttoarrest.

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LegalAnalysis

• IfVa.Code§§ 19.2‐53,19.2‐54,and19.2‐56wereamendedasprovidedforintheoriginal versionsofHB361andSB247,theissuanceofasearchwarrantforallcasesinvolvinganarrestwarrantwouldbeclearlyauthorized.– Theoriginallanguageappliedto“…anypersontobearrested…”

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LegalAnalysis

• IfVa.Code§§ 19.2‐53,19.2‐54,and19.2‐56wereamendedasprovidedforinthesubstitute versionofSB247,theissuanceofasearchwarrantwouldbeclearlyauthorizedforallcasesinvolvinganarrestwarrant,capiasortechnicalviolationofprobation.– ThesubstitutelanguageinSB247appliedto“...anypersontobearrestedforwhomawarrantorprocessforarresthasbeenissued.”

• Thissubstituteversionappearstoprovidemoreclarityastowhenasearchwarrantcanbeauthorizedforapersonsubjecttoarrest.

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LegalAnalysis

• BothHB361andSB247originallyincludedlanguagerelatingtotheissuanceofasearchwarrantfor“… anypersonwhoisunlawfullyrestrained.”

• Includingthisphraseinthesearchwarrantstatutesisprobablynotnecessary.– Ifapersonisunlawfullyrestrained,heisprobablythevictimofanabduction,andthereforeasearchwarrantcanalreadybeissuedtosearchforthepersonwhois“evidenceofthecommissionof[the]crime.”

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Recommendation

Recommendation:

• TheCrimeCommissionshouldendorsethesubstituteversionofSB247that:• Addsthephrase“anypersontobearrestedforwhomawarrantorprocessforarresthasbeenissued”tothesearchwarrantstatutes;and,

• Deletesthephrase“… anypersonwhoisunlawfullyrestrained” fromtheoriginalversionofthebill.

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Discussion