LAW 601 – CRIMINAL PROCEDURE - OUTLINE Stop & Frisk o Investigatory Detentions: To make an investigative stop of a person, the Fourth Amendment requires police to have reasonable suspicion supported by specific, articulable facts of criminal activity or involvement. If the police also have reasonable suspicion that the suspect is armed, they may also conduct a frisk to ensure detainee has no weapons. Investigatory stops are valid only where the officers act in a diligent and reasonable manner in confirming or dispelling their suspicions. Stops generally not subject to a time limit The fact that a search yields a weapon does not necessarily mean the search was reasonable o Reasonable Suspicion: “Reasonable suspicion” requires something more than vague suspicion, and must be based on specific, articulable facts known to the officer at the time. Whether the standard is met is judged under the totality of the circumstances. The suspicion need not arise from officer’s personal knowledge; can also be based on police dispatch or informants. An informant’s tips must be accompanied by sufficient indicia of reliability to make suspicion reasonable Searches o What Constitutes a Search? A search is defined as a governmental intrusion into an area where a person has a reasonable and justifiable expectation of privacy. The Fourth Amendment expressly prohibits and proscribes unreasonable searches and seizures. A reviewing court must determine whether a search or a seizure took place To determine the constitutionality of a search, we must ask: (1) Does the defendant have Fourth Amendment rights? (2) Was there a reasonable expectation of privacy? (2) Was there governmental conduct (i.e. not a private party)? (3) Did the police have a valid warrant? (4) If no warrant, was search within confines of the six warrant exceptions? o The Plain-View Doctrine: The plain view doctrine allows a police officer to seize objects not described in a warrant when executing a lawful search or seizure if he: (1) observes the object in plain view, and 1 LAW 601 – CRIMINAL PROCEDURE - OUTLINE (2) has probable cause to believe that it is connected with criminal activities. The incriminating character of the object should be immediately identifiable. Evidence in a container cannot possibly be identified by plain observation or touch and therefore should not be seized unless it is listed in the warrant. o The Third-Party Doctrine: Under this doctrine, an individual has no reasonable expectation of privacy in information or items voluntarily conveyed to a third party. Ex.) phone records o The “Open-Fields” Doctrine: Under this doctrine, law enforcement agents are permitted to enter and search property deemed “open fields” without a warrant Applies even to private property, i.e. even where officers trespass onto property, if it is considered “open fields,” no fourth amendment violation has occurred. Curtilage The home and its curtilage, roughly described as the area in immediate proximity to the home, e.g. the front porch, and enjoy fourth amendment protections. When considering whether something is in a dwelling's curtilage, courts consider four factors: (1) The proximity of the area claimed to be curtilage to the home, (2) Whether the area is included within an enclosure surrounding the home, (3) The nature of the uses to which the area is put, and (4) The steps taken by the resident to protect the area from observation by people passing by. The Supreme Court considers apartments and hotel rooms “homes” under the fourth amendment However, fourth amendment protections are not extended to the interior hallways or common areas of apartment buildings Has led to the widespread use of canine sniffs and knock and talks in these areas Open Fields “Open Fields” are beyond the curtilage, and enjoy no fourth amendment protections. Governmental intrusion and information collection upon open fields do not constitute searches or seizures under the Fourth Amendment. 2 LAW 601 – CRIMINAL PROCEDURE - OUTLINE o Knock and Talk/Dog Sniffs Courts have generally permitted knock-and-talks and dog sniff searches in common areas based on the theory that individual tenants lack the ability to exclude other occupants from them, i.e. no “reasonable” expectation of privacy o Electronic Surveillance: Wiretapping and any other form of electronic surveillance that violates a reasonable expectation of privacy constitutes a search under the Fourth Amendment. The speaker assumes the risk that a person they’re talking to might be “unreliable,” i.e. wearing a wire or acting as an informant Evidence relayed to police in this manner enjoys no Fourth Amendment protections Seizures o What Constitutes a Seizure? To constitute a seizure, the fourth amendment requires: (1) a physical application of force by the officer, or (2) a submission to the officer’s authority or show of force. It is not enough that the officer merely ordered the person to stop. When it is not readily apparent whether a seizure has occurred, a court will consider whether, under the totality of the circumstances, a reasonable person would have felt free to leave and/or terminate the encounter. o Automobile Stops: Generally, police officers may not stop a vehicle unless they have probable cause to believe that a law has been violated. Stopping a car is a seizure for Fourth Amendment purposes. Typically traffic violations Only two instances where officers need only reasonable suspicion to stop a vehicle: Drunk driving checkpoints, or Immigration enforcement Officers may search the interior of a stopped vehicle based on reasonable suspicion that the suspect is armed and dangerous. Contributing factors include; (1) Non-compliance/reluctance (2) Sudden movements (3) Dangerous objects in view (4) Closed bags/containers that could hold weapons The interior includes everywhere inside the passenger compartment Includes the glove compartment Includes any closed containers within the vehicle 3 LAW 601 – CRIMINAL PROCEDURE - OUTLINE Does NOT include the trunk, as the trunk is not “within reach” or within the “dominion and control” of the occupants Excessive Force o Police Use of Force: In general, law enforcement officers pursuing a suspect may use deadly force during an arrest only where: (1) The force was necessary to prevent escape, and (2) the officer has probable cause to believe that the suspect poses a significant threat to officers or the public. When a police officer uses deadly force to apprehend a suspect, there is no question that a “seizure” has taken place, but it must be reasonable Whether the force used to effect a particular seizure is reasonable under the Fourth Amendment requires a balancing of “the nature and quality of the intrusion on the individual’s Fourth Amendment rights” against the “countervailing governmental interests at stake.” The test for Fourth Amendment reasonableness includes; (1) Severity of the crime at issue (2) Whether the suspect poses an immediate threat to the safety of officers or the public (3) Whether the suspect is actively resisting arrest or attempting flight o Qualified Immunity: The doctrine of qualified immunity shields officials from civil liability so long as their conduct; (1) Does not violate a clearly established statutory or constitutional rights of which a reasonable person would have known, and; (2) that the right was “clearly established” at the time of the challenged conduct. A clearly established right is one that is sufficiently clear that every reasonable official would have understood that what he is doing violates that right. Probable Cause o Probable Cause to Arrest: Probable cause exists if a reasonable officer would infer from the circumstances that a given suspect has committed or is committing a crime. The standard is an objective one, and is based on the facts known to the officer at the time. Probable cause to arrest is present when, at the time of the arrest, the officer has within their knowledge reasonably trustworthy facts and circumstances sufficient to warrant a reasonable, prudent person to believe that the suspect has committed or is committing a crime for which arrest is authorized by law. (Barbri Definition) 4 LAW 601 – CRIMINAL PROCEDURE - OUTLINE o Qualified Immunity: Qualified immunity protects those officers who make a reasonable error in determining whether there is probable cause to arrest an individual. The Warrant Requirement o To be valid, a warrant must: (1) Be issued by a neutral and detached magistrate; (2) Be based on probable cause established from facts submitted to the magistrate from a government agent upon oath or affirmation; and (3) Particularly describe the place to be searched and/or items to be seized. o Showing of Probable Cause: A warrant will be issued only if there is probable cause to believe that seizable evidence will be found on the premises or the person to be searched. The officers requesting the warrant must submit to the magistrate an affidavit containing sufficient facts and circumstances to enable the magistrate to make an independent evaluation of probable cause (i.e. the officers cannot just present their own conclusions) o Use of Informants: If the officer’s affidavit of probable cause is based upon information obtained from informers, its sufficiency is determined by the totality of the circumstances. The affidavit need not contain particular facts about the informer, as long as it allows the magistrate to make a common sense determination of probable cause. Reliability and credibility of the informer are relevant factors, but not prerequisites for determining probable cause. o Evidence May Be Admissible Without Probable Cause: Evidence obtained by police in reasonable reliance on a facially valid warrant may be used by the prosecution, despite an ultimate finding that the warrant was not supported by probable cause. o “No-Knock” Warrants: In order to justify a “no-knock” entry, police must: (1) Have a reasonable suspicion that knocking and announcing their presence under the circumstances would be dangerous or futile, or; (2) that it would inhibit the effective investigation of the crime by allowing for the destruction of evidence. 5 LAW 601 – CRIMINAL PROCEDURE - OUTLINE Exceptions to the Warrant Requirement o There are six exceptions to the warrant requirement, i.e. where a warrantless search is reasonable and therefore valid under the Fourth Amendment; to be valid, a warrantless search must meet all the requirements of at least one exception. o The Automobile Exception: If the police have probable cause to believe that a vehicle such as an automobile contains contraband or fruits, instrumentalities, or evidence of a crime, they may search the vehicle without a warrant. Extends to a passenger’s belongings Applies to containers within the vehicle that might contain the object for which police are searching If the police only have probable cause to search a container (recently) placed in the vehicle, they may search only that container. Police may open the trunk of a car to get to the container Applies to motorhomes Extends to any vehicle that has the attributes of mobility and lesser expectations of privacy, similar to a car. o Administrative Searches: Inventory Searches; The police may search an arrestee’s personal belongings (including their vehicle and close containers within it) in order to inventory them before incarcerating the arrestee. Roadblocks; If the police set up a roadblock for purposes other than to seek incriminating information about the drivers stopped, the roadblock will likely be constitutional, e.g. may not conduct roadblocks for generalized law enforcement purposes or to detect ordinary criminal wrongdoing. Roadblocks must have a specific, primary purpose, such as DUI checkpoints for road safety, or enforcing border security. o Consent Searches: The police may conduct a valid warrantless search if they have a voluntary consent to do so. Any person with an apparent or equal right to use or occupy the property may consent to search, and any evidence found may be used against other owners or occupants. Police need only reasonably believe that the consenting person held authority to do so at the time of search. 6 LAW 601 – CRIMINAL PROCEDURE - OUTLINE o Exigent Circumstances: Police officers may enter a home without a warrant to prevent the destruction of evidence, even if the exigency arose because police knocked on the door and asked for entry, as long as the officers have reason to believe; (1) that evidence is being destroyed, and (2) the officers did not create the exigency through an actual or threatened Fourth Amendment violation. The exigency that justifies the exception/warrantless action also restricts the scope of the search. Ex.) Warrantless entry pursuant to the “clothing exception” means that police may only enter and find clothing for arrestee o Emergency Aid Exception Police may enter a home without a warrant when they have an objectively reasonable basis for believing that an occupant is seriously injured or imminently threatened with such injury. No probable cause necessary Exceptions and Arrests o An officer may effectuate a warrantless arrest if there is probable cause to believe the arrestee has committed a crime. Police generally need not obtain a warrant before arresting a person in a public place, even if they have time to get a warrant. Police are prohibited from making a warrantless entry into a suspect’s home in order to make a routine felony arrest, even where probable cause is present Home arrests need a warrant! Searches Incident to Arrest o Generally, the police may conduct a warrantless search incident to an arrest as long as the arrest is constitutional and it was made on probable cause. If the arrest is unconstitutional, the subsequent search is also unconstitutional. Police may search subsequent to any constitutionally valid arrest; need not fear for their safety or believe they will find evidence o Traffic Stops/Automobiles – Searches Incident to Arrest Issuance of a traffic violation is insufficient grounds for search incident to arrest; if the suspect is not arrested, there can be no search incident to arrest. After arresting the occupant of an automobile, police may search the interior of the vehicle incident to arrest if, at the time of the search; (1) the arrestee is unsecured and still may gain access to the interior of the vehicle, and 7 LAW 601 – CRIMINAL PROCEDURE - OUTLINE (2) police reasonably believe that evidence of the offense for which the person was arrested may be found in the vehicle. Police may search passenger compartment/any containers within the vehicle incident to a lawful arrest. o Homes – Searches Incident to Arrest A search of a home incident to arrest can only be upheld if the arrest is effectuated inside of the home; the police may search the person and areas into which he might reach and obtain weapons or destroy evidence, i.e. within suspect’s “wingspan” The arrestee’s wingspan follows him as he moves; thus, if arrestee enters his home, police may follow and search areas within arrestee’s wingspan inside his home. Police may also make a protective sweep of the area beyond the suspect’s wingspan if they believe accomplices may be present (for the safety of officers) o Technological Searches Incident to Arrest To determine the constitutionality of a search incident to arrest involving things that did not exist when the Fourth Amendment was adopted (i.e. cell phones), the court will balance the degree to which the search intrudes upon a person’s privacy, against the degree to which the search is needed to promote legitimate government interests. Police generally may not without a warrant, search digital information on a cellphone seized incident to arrest; however, officers may inspect the physical attributes of a cell phone A search of the data would not would not further the goal of a search incident to arrest, given the phone’s data cannot itself be used as a weapon against police or to effectuate arrestee’s escape. Traffic Stops – Racial Profiling o Traffic Stops; Any traffic offense committed by a driver is a legitimate legal basis for a traffic stop If an officer has probable cause to believe that a traffic law has been violated, the officer may stop the suspect’s automobile, even if the officer’s ulterior motive is to investigate a crime for which the officer lacks sufficient cause to make a stop (Whren v. United States) o Immigration Enforcement; Officers need only reasonable suspicion to stop a vehicle at the border and its functional equivalents. 8 LAW 601 – CRIMINAL PROCEDURE - OUTLINE Border Patrol officers on roving patrols cannot stop a vehicle near the border when the only ground for suspicion is that the occupants appear to be of Mexican ancestry. The Exclusionary Rule o The exclusionary rule is a common law doctrine that prohibits the introduction, at a criminal trial, of evidence obtained in violation of a defendant’s Fourth, Fifth, or Sixth Amendment rights. Generally, not only must illegally obtained evidence be excluded, but also all evidence obtained or derived from exploitation of that evidence (“Fruit of the Poisonous Tree” doctrine) o “Inevitable Discovery” Exception; If the prosecution can show that the police would have discovered the evidence whether or not they had acted unconstitutionally, the evidence will be admissible. o Good Faith Exception; The exclusionary rule does not apply when the police arrest or search someone erroneously, but in good faith, thinking that they are acting pursuant to a valid arrest or search warrant. o “Attenuation” Exception; If the connection between unconstitutional police conduct and the evidence is remote or has been interrupted by some intervening circumstance, so that the causal link between police misconduct and the evidence is broken, the evidence will not be suppressed. Factors the court will consider include; (i) the temporal proximity between the unconstitutional conduct and the discovery of evidence (i.e. whether the misconduct took place before or after the discovery) (ii) the presence of intervening circumstances, and (iii) the purpose and flagrancy of the police misconduct (most important!) Sixth Amendment Right to Counsel o The Sixth Amendment provides that in all criminal prosecutions, the defendant has a right to the assistance of counsel; the Supreme Court has held that the Fourteenth Amendment incorporates this right to the states. The right is violated when police deliberately elicit an incriminatory statement from a defendant without first obtaining a waiver of the defendant’s right to have counsel present. The right to counsel does not depend upon a request by the defendant, and courts indulge in every reasonable presumption against waiver. Only applies after adversary judicial proceedings have begun, i.e. formal charges have been filed, and the right does not attach during pre-charge custodial interrogations. 9 LAW 601 – CRIMINAL PROCEDURE - OUTLINE The line is drawn at actual imprisonment; there is no right to counsel where a defendant will be merely fined (e.g. where defendant has incurred a traffic ticket). Interrogations o Confessions resulting from police investigations may be challenged under three constitutional provisions; The Due Process Clause (5th/14th Amendments) Sixth Amendment Right to Counsel Fifth Amendment Privilege Against Self-Incrimination o The Due Process Voluntariness Test; For confessions to be admissible, the Due Process clause of the Fourteenth Amendment requires that they be voluntary; voluntariness is assessed by looking at the totality of the circumstances, including the suspect’s age, education, and mental and physical condition, along with setting, duration, and manner of police interrogation. Only official compulsion (e.g. police coercion such as physical assault, being held incommunicado, or being kept awake for days at a time) will render a confession involuntary for purposes of the Fourteenth Amendment. Where the government can show that there was other, overwhelming evidence of guilt, the erroneous admission of an involuntary confession will be found to be harmless error. Physical evidence (e.g. a murder weapon) obtained as a result of un-mirandized statements are admissible as evidence, even where the statement itself might not be, as long as such statements aren’t the product of police coercion. The Miranda Rule o The Miranda warnings and a valid waiver are prerequisites to the admissibility of any statement made by the accused during a custodial interrogation. A person must, prior to the interrogation, be clearly informed that; (i) He has the right to remain silent; (ii) anything he says can be used against him in court; (iii) he has the right to the presence of an attorney; and (iv) if he cannot afford an attorney, one will be appointed for him if he so desires. o Public Safety Exception; Where officers ask questions reasonably prompted by a concern for public safety, a suspect need not be Mirandized. o Police Deception of Detainee’s Lawyer; If Miranda warnings are given, a voluntary confession will be admissible even if police lie to detainee’s lawyer about their intent to question 10 LAW 601 – CRIMINAL PROCEDURE - OUTLINE detainee, or fail to inform detainee that his lawyer is attempting to see him, as long as adversary judicial proceedings have begun o Custodial Interrogations; In determining whether custody exists for the purposes of an interrogation, the court considers (1) Whether a reasonable person would feel that he was free to terminate the interrogation and leave, and; (2) whether the relevant environment presents the same inherently coercive pressures as the type of questioning present in Miranda, e.g. questioning or interrogation at a police station. The more a setting resembles a traditional arrest, the more likely the court will consider the interrogation to be custodial. A suspect’s youth makes a finding of coercion more likely The test is an objective one; the court considers things like location of questioning, whether police had guns drawn, the length of the questioning, the suspect’s youth (or lack thereof), whether the suspect was told they could leave, etc. Traffic stops are generally not considered custodial, and Miranda warnings generally need not be given. Miranda warnings are unnecessary where a suspect is unaware that they are speaking to police, and they voluntarily give an incriminating statement. “Interrogations” under Miranda are defined as any words or actions on the part of the police that police should know are reasonably likely to elicit an incriminating response. o Waiver of Miranda Rights; After receiving Miranda warnings, a detainee has several options; Do nothing Waive their Miranda rights Assert the right to remain silent Assert their right to consult an attorney Do Nothing; If the detainee does nothing, the court will not presume a waiver, nor will it presume that any rights have been asserted, and police may continue questioning. Waiver of Rights; The detainee may waive their Miranda rights; to be valid, the government must show by a preponderance of the evidence that the waiver was knowing and voluntary. Typically, if the government can show that the detainee received Miranda warnings and then chose to answer questions, it is sufficient to prove a knowing and voluntary waiver. 11 LAW 601 – CRIMINAL PROCEDURE - OUTLINE A detainee need not know what crime(s) they are being questioned about for waiver to be voluntary o Miranda – Right to Remain Silent (Fifth Amendment); At any time prior to or during interrogation, the detainee may indicate that he wishes to remain silent; such an indication must be explicit, unambiguous, and unequivocal (e.g. failure to answer does not constitute an invocation of the right to remain silent) The police may reinitiate questioning after the detainee has invoked their right to remain silent, as long as they “scrupulously honor” the detainee’s request. This means at the very least that police cannot badger the detainee into talking, and must wait a significant period of time before additional questioning. The Supreme Court in Michigan v. Mosley allowed police to reinitiate questioning where (i) the police immediately ceased questioning upon detainee’s request to remain silent and did not resume for several hours, (ii) the detainee was re-warned of his Miranda rights, and (iii) questioning was limited to a crime that was not the subject of earlier questioning. o Miranda – Right to Counsel (Fifth Amendment); At any time prior to or during interrogation, the detainee may invoke their Fifth Amendment right to counsel; where the detainee invokes this right, all questioning must cease until the detainee is provided with an attorney or initiates further questioning themselves. Fifth Amendment request for counsel can be invoked only by an unambiguous request for counsel in dealing with the custodial interrogation; the request must be sufficiently clear that a reasonable police officer would understand the request. Police may not resume questioning about any crime; once the detainee invokes his right to counsel under Miranda, all questioning must cease; the police cannot question detainee even about unrelated crimes (whereas they can if only the right to remain silent is invoked) Duration of Prohibition; The prohibition against questioning a detainee after they request an attorney lasts the entire time that the detainee is in custody for interrogation purposes, plus 14 more days afterward. After two weeks, the detainee can be questioned regarding the same matter or crime upon receiving a fresh set of Miranda warnings. 12 LAW 601 – CRIMINAL PROCEDURE - OUTLINE o Effect of Miranda Violation; Generally, evidence obtained in violation of Miranda is inadmissible at trial. “Question First, Warn Later” If the police obtain a confession after intentionally withholding Miranda warnings, and then subsequently Mirandize a detainee to re-obtain and legitimize the confession afterward, the confession is inadmissible. However, a suspect who responds to unwarned questioning is not precluded from later waiving their rights following warnings (i.e. if suspect blurts out information prior to warnings police can mirandize suspect to legitimize the confession, since the admission was voluntary) Use of Confession for Impeachment; A confession obtained in violation of the defendant’s Miranda rights, but otherwise voluntary, may be used to impeach the defendant’s testimony if he takes the stand at trial. Such a confession is inadmissible in the state’s case in chief as evidence of guilt. Pretrial Identification o In general, the purpose of the rules concerning pretrial identification is to ensure that when the witness identifies the person at trial, they are identifying the person who committed the crime, and not merely the person they saw at the police station. o Sixth Amendment Right to Counsel; The Sixth Amendment guarantees an accused the right to counsel at pre-trial identification procedures only after judicial criminal proceedings have begun (i.e. after the filing of the indictment). A suspect has a right to the presence of an attorney at any post-charge line-up or show-up. “Line-up” is when the victim picks the perpetrator from a group for ID purposes “Show-up” is when victim is one-on-one with perpetrator/suspect for ID purposes Role of Counsel at Lineup; The right is simply to have an attorney present during the lineup, so that the lawyer can observe any suggestive or improper aspects of the lineup, and bring them out on cross-examination of the witness. Photo Identification; The accused does not have the right to counsel at photo identifications. Physical Evidence; 13 LAW 601 – CRIMINAL PROCEDURE - OUTLINE The accused does not have the right to counsel when the police take physical evidence such as fingerprints. o Due Process Standard; A defendant can attack an identification as denying due process when (i) the identification is unnecessarily suggestive, and (ii) there is a substantial likelihood of misidentification. To meet this standard, identification must actually have been extremely suggestive. The burden of proof is on the defendant to show an alleged due process violation. o The Remedy; The remedy for an unconstitutional pre-trial identification is exclusion of the in-court identification, unless it has an independent source. A witness may make an in-court identification despite the existence of an unconstitutional pre-trial identification if the incourt identification has an independent source, separate from the pretrial identification. The government bears the burden of proof as to the presence of counsel or a waiver by the accused, or as to independent source for the in-court identification. Factors a court will weigh in determining whether there is a valid independent source include; (i) The opportunity of the witness to observe the suspect at the time of the crime; (ii) the witness’s degree of attention; (iii) the accuracy of the witness’s prior description of the suspect; (iv) the level of certainty demonstrated at the confrontation, and; (v) the time between the crime and the confrontation. o Hearing; The admissibility of identification evidence should be determined at a suppression hearing in the absence of the jury, but the exclusion of the jury is not constitutionally required. o No Right to Line-up; The defendant is not entitled to any particular identification procedure, and may not demand a line-up. 14 LAW 601 – CRIMINAL PROCEDURE - OUTLINE o No Self-Incrimination Issue; A suspect has no basis in the Fifth Amendment Right against selfincrimination to refuse to participate in a lineup, given a lineup does not involve compulsion to give testimonial evidence. 15