Caballes vs CA Digest

Caballes vs. Court of Appeals FACTS: About 9:15 p.m. of 28 June 1989, Sgt. V!torno "o!e#a an$ %at. Ale& $e Castro, '(le on a routne patrol n )aranga* Sampalu!an, %agsan#an, +aguna, spotte$ a passenger #eep unusuall* !overe$ 't( -a-a'at leaves. Suspe!tng t(at t(e #eep 'as loa$e$ 't( smuggle$ goo$s, t(e t'o pol!e o!ers /agge$ $o'n t(e ve(!le.  T(e #eep 'as $rven b* 0u$* Caballes * Tao. (en as-e$ '(at 'as loa$e$ on t(e  #eep, (e $$ not ans'er, but (e appeare$ pale an$ nervous. t( Caballes3 !onsent, t(e pol!e o!ers !(e!-e$ t(e !argo an$ t(e* $s!overe$ bun$les of 4.8 mm alum alumn num um6ga 6galv lvan an7 7e$ e$ !on$u !on$u!t !tor or 're 'res s e&!l e&!lus usve vel* l* o' o'ne ne$ $ b* "at "aton onal al %o' o'er er Corporaton "AC0.  T(e !on$u!tor 'res 'eg(e$ ; -los an$ value$ at %55,2<<.<5. "o!e#a as-e$ Caballes '(ere t(e 'res !ame from an$ Caballes ans'ere$ t(at t(e* !ame from Cavnt, Cavnt, a to'n appro&mat appro&matel* el* 8 -lometers -lometers a'a* from Sampalu!an. Sampalu!an. T(ereaft T(ereafter, er, Caballes an$ t(e ve(!le 't( t(e (g(voltage 'res 'ere broug(t to t(e %agsan#an %ol!e Staton. =anlo Cabale too- p!tures of Caballes an$ t(e #eep loa$e$ 't( t(e 'res 'res '(!( '(!( 'ere 'ere turne$ turne$ over over to t(e %ol!e ol!e Stato Staton n Com Comman man$er $er of %agsan# agsan#an, an, +aguna. Caballes 'as n!ar!erate$ for ; $a*s n t(e >un!pal #al. Caballes 'as !(arge$ 't( t(e !rme of t(eft n an nformaton $ate$ 1? !tober 1989. =urng t(e arragnment, Caballes plea$e$ not gult* an$ (en!e, tral on t(e mer me rts ts ensue ensue$. $. n 2; Apr Aprll 1994 1994,, 0ego egona nall Tral ral Co Cour urtt of Sant Santa a Cru7 Cru7,, +agun +aguna a ren$ere$ #u$gment, @n$ng Caballes, gult* be*on$ reasonable $oubt of t(e !rme of  t(eft t(eft.. n a resol resolut uton on $ate$ $ate$ 9 "ovemb "ovember er 1998, 1998, t(e tral tral !ourt !ourt $ene$ $ene$ Caball Caballes3 es3 moton for re!ons$eraton. T(e Court of Appeals arme$ t(e tral !ourt $e!son on 15 September 1998. Caballes appeale$ t(e $e!son b* !ertorar.

SSB: " t(e 'arrantless sear!( an$ se7ure ma$e b* t(e pol!e o!ers, an$ t(e a$mssblt* of t(e ev$en!e obtane$ b* vrtue t(ereof 'as val$.  D+=: ns(rne$ n our Consttuton s t(e nvolable rg(t of t(e people to be se!ure n t(er t(er person persons s an$ proper properte tes s agans aganstt unreas unreasona onable ble sea sear! r!(es (es an$ se7ur se7ures, es, as $e@ne$ un$er Se!ton 2, Art!le  t(ereof. T(e e&!lusonar* rule un$er Se!ton 42, Art!le  of t(e Consttuton bars t(e a$msson of ev$en!e obtane$ n volaton of  su!( rg(t.  T(e !onsttutonal pros!rpton aganst 'arrantless sear!(es an$ se7ures s not absolute but a$mts of !ertan e&!eptons, namel*: 1 'arrantless sear!( n!$ental to a la'ful arrest re!ogn7e$ un$er Se!ton 12, 0ule 12? of t(e 0ules of Court an$ b* prevalng #urspru$en!eE 2 se7ure of ev$en!e n plan ve'E 4 sear!( of movng ve(!lesE < !onsente$ 'arrantless sear!(E 5 !ustoms sear!(E ? stop an$ frsstuatons Terr* Terr* sear!(E an$ ; e&gent an$ emergen!* !r!umstan!es.

n !ases '(ere 'arrant s ne!essar*, t(e steps pres!rbe$ b* t(e Consttuton an$ reterate$ n t(e 0ules of Court must be !omple$ 't(. n t(e e&!eptonal events '(ere 'arrant s not ne!essar* to ee!t a val$ sear!( or se7ure, or '(en t(e latter !annot be performe$ e&!ept 't(out a 'arrant, '(at !onsttutes a reasonable or unreasonable sear!( or se7ure s purel* a #u$!al Gueston, $etermnable from t(e unGueness of t(e !r!umstan!es nvolve$, n!lu$ng t(e purpose of t(e sear!( or se7ure, t(e presen!e or absen!e of probable !ause, t(e manner n '(!( t(e sear!( an$ se7ure 'as ma$e, t(e pla!e or t(ng sear!(e$ an$ t(e !(ara!ter of t(e art!les pro!ure$. t s not !ontroverte$ t(at t(e sear!( an$ se7ure !on$u!te$ b* t(e pol!e o!ers 'as not aut(or7e$ b* a sear!( 'arrant. T(e mere moblt* of t(ese ve(!les, (o'ever, $oes not gve t(e pol!e o!ers unlmte$ $s!reton to !on$u!t n$s!rmnate sear!(es 't(out 'arrants f ma$e 't(n t(e nteror of t(e terrtor* an$ n t(e absen!e of probable !ause. Deren, t(e pol!e o!ers $$ not merel* !on$u!t a vsual sear!( or vsual nspe!ton of Caballes3 ve(!le. T(e* (a$ to rea!( ns$e t(e ve(!le, lft t(e -a-a'at leaves an$ loo- ns$e t(e sa!-s before t(e* 'ere able to see t(e !able 'res. t t(us !annot be !ons$ere$ a smple routne !(e!-. Also, Caballes3 ve(!le 'as /agge$ $o'n be!ause t(e pol!e o!ers '(o 'ere on routne patrol be!ame susp!ous '(en t(e* sa' t(at t(e ba!- of t(e ve(!le 'as !overe$ 't( -a-a'at leaves '(!(, a!!or$ng to t(em, 'as unusual an$ un!ommon. T(e fa!t t(at t(e ve(!le loo-e$ susp!ous smpl* be!ause t s not !ommon for su!( to be !overe$ 't( -a-a'at leaves $oes not !onsttute probable !ause as 'oul$ #ustf* t(e !on$u!t of a sear!( 't(out a 'arrant. n a$$ton, t(e pol!e aut(ortes $o not !lam to (ave re!eve$ an* !on@$ental report or tppe$ nformaton t(at pettoner 'as !arr*ng stolen !able 'res n (s ve(!le '(!( !oul$ ot(er'se (ave sustane$ t(er susp!on. %(lppne  #urspru$en!e s replete 't( !ases '(ere tppe$ nformaton (as be!ome a su!ent probable !ause to ee!t a 'arrantless sear!( an$ se7ure. Bnfortunatel*, none e&sts n t(e present !ase. Furt(er, t(e ev$en!e s la!-ng t(at Caballes ntentonall* surren$ere$ (s rg(t aganst unreasonable sear!(es.  T(e manner b* '(!( t(e t'o pol!e o!ers allege$l* obtane$ t(e !onsent of  Caballes for t(em to !on$u!t t(e sear!( leaves mu!( to be $esre$. (en Caballes3 ve(!le 'as /agge$ $o'n, Sgt. "o!e#a approa!(e$ Caballes an$ tol$ (m  'll looat t(e !ontents of (s ve(!le an$ (e ans'ere$ n t(e postve. )* utterng t(ose 'or$s, t !annot be sa$ t(e pol!e o!ers 'ere as-ng or reGuestng for permsson t(at t(e* be allo'e$ to sear!( t(e ve(!le of Caballes. For all ntents an$ purposes, t(e* 'ere nformng, na*, mposng upon Caballes t(at t(e* 'll sear!( (s ve(!le.  T(e !onsent gven un$er ntm$atng or !oer!ve !r!umstan!es s no !onsent 't(n t(e purve' of t(e !onsttutonal guarant*. n a$$ton, n !ases '(ere t(e Court up(el$ t(e val$t* of !onsente$ sear!(, t 'll be note$ t(at t(e pol!e aut(ortes e&pressl* as-e$, n no un!ertan terms, for t(e !onsent of t(e a!!use$ to be sear!(e$. An$ t(e !onsent of t(e a!!use$ 'as establs(e$ b* !lear an$ postve proof. "et(er !an Caballes3 passve submsson be !onstrue$ as an mple$

a!Gues!en!e to t(e 'arrantless sear!(. Castng as$e t(e !able 'res as ev$en!e, t(e remanng ev$en!e on re!or$ are nsu!ent to sustan Caballes3 !onv!ton. Ds gult !an onl* be establs(e$ 't(out volatng t(e !onsttutonal rg(t of t(e a!!use$ aganst unreasonable sear!( an$ se7ure.