Commonwealth v. Turpin, D., Aplt. ( 2019 )

[J-39-2019]
IN THE SUPREME COURT OF PENNSYLVANIA
MIDDLE DISTRICT
SAYLOR, C.J., BAER, TODD, DONOHUE, DOUGHERTY, WECHT, MUNDY, JJ.
COMMONWEALTH OF PENNSYLVANIA, : No. 45 MAP 2018
:
Appellee : Appeal from the Order of Superior
: Court at No. 1656 MDA 2016 dated
: February 13, 2018 Affirming the
v. : Judgment of Sentence dated May 10,
: 2016 by the Cumberland County
: Court of Common Pleas, Criminal
DYLAN SCOTT TURPIN, : Division, at No. CP-21-CR-0000623-
: 2015
Appellant :
ARGUED: May 15, 2019
OPINION
JUSTICE DOUGHERTY DECIDED: September 26, 2019
We granted discretionary review to determine whether a search warrant for an
entire multi-bedroom residence shared by appellant, Dylan Scott Turpin, and his
roommate, Benjamin Kato Irvin, was constitutionally permissible under the Fourth
Amendment to the United States Constitution1 and Article I, Section 8 of the Pennsylvania
Constitution2 even though the warrant was premised solely on the activity of Irvin. We
conclude police had probable cause to search the entire residence and therefore the
1 The Fourth Amendment provides, in relevant part, “no [w]arrants shall issue, but upon
probable cause, supported by [o]ath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place
to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.” U.S. CONST. amend. IV.
2Article I, Section 8 provides, in relevant part, “no warrant to search any place or to seize
any person or things shall issue without describing them as nearly as may be, nor without
probable cause, supported by oath or affirmation subscribed to by the affiant.” PA. CONST.
art. I, §8.
warrant was constitutionally permissible. Accordingly, we affirm the order of the Superior
Court.
On December 4, 2014, Detective Trenton Mellott of the Cumberland County Drug
Task Force began investigating Irvin based on information received from a confidential
informant regarding the sale of heroin. Affidavit of Probable Cause 2/19/15 at 1.
Detective Mellott contacted Irvin’s parole officer who informed him Irvin was residing at
105 E. Green Street in Mechanicsburg, and appellant also seemed to be living at that
address. Id. Based on this information, Detective Mellott conducted surveillance of the
single family residence located at this address over the next few months and observed
an unusually high number of individuals making short visits there. Id. at 2.3
In mid-February 2016, Detective Mellott interviewed a second confidential
informant who stated he had been purchasing heroin from Irvin on a regular basis and
had bought heroin from Irvin at the Green Street residence. Id. As this information had
been corroborated by his surveillance, Detective Mellott arranged for the confidential
informant to conduct a controlled buy of heroin from Irvin. Id. While the confidential
informant was arranging to meet Irvin at a nearby business, Detective Mellott surveilled
the Green Street residence and observed multiple individuals enter and then quickly exit,
activity which Detective Mellott believed was indicative of drug dealing. Id. Detective
Mellott then observed two people exit the residence and enter a black Cadillac that Irvin
3 Our reference in this opinion to the building located at 105 E. Green Street as a “single
family residence” is not based upon any familial relationship among those sharing the
house, see, e.g., Appeal of Miller, 515 A.2d 904, 907 (Pa. 1986) (designation “single
family residence” is not limited to a house occupied by “a group of persons related by
blood or marriage”), nor do we utilize it as a term of art arising from zoning law as the
dissent suggests. See Dissenting Opinion, slip op. at 2-3. Instead, we use the term as it
is commonly used to describe the type of structure located on the property, and thus
distinguish “single family residence” from, for example, an apartment building that
includes multiple residential units; as such, the term is descriptive only and not intended
to reflect the relationship between the residents of the subject property.
[J-39-2019] - 2
was known to drive. Id. at 1-2. Detective Rodney Temple, who was surveilling the
location of the controlled buy, observed the same black Cadillac arrive at the buy location.
Id. at 2. A male and female then exited the Cadillac, the male conducted a hand-to-hand
transaction with an unknown individual, and the male instructed the confidential informant
to enter the business. Id. At this time, Detective Christopher Collare entered the business
with the confidential informant and positively identified Irvin as the male with whom the
confidential informant interacted. Id. The detectives observed Irvin and the unknown
female get back into the black Cadillac, drive to the Green Street residence, and enter
the house. Id. The confidential informant then provided Detective Mellott with ten blue
bags of heroin, stamped “Blue Magic,” purchased from Irvin. Id.; N.T. 3/24/16 at 12.
Based on the above, Detective Mellott obtained a warrant to search “the residence
at 105 E. Green St[,] . . . a single family townhouse” for heroin, drug paraphernalia,
proceeds from illegal drug sales, and cellphones owned or possessed by Irvin.
Application for Search Warrant and Authorization 2/19/16 at 1.
On February 21, 2015, the search warrant was executed and a special response
team cleared the building — a two story house containing a living room and kitchen on
the first floor and two bedrooms and one bathroom on the second floor — of all individuals,
including appellant. N.T. 8/11/15 at 15-16, 18; N.T. 3/23/16 at 24. Appellant was placed
into a vehicle by Sergeant Brian Curtis of the Mechanicsburg Police Department and the
two discussed the living arrangements at the residence. Id. at 16. Appellant told Sergeant
Curtis he and Irvin both lived there, splitting the rent, and each occupying one of the two
bedrooms. Id. at 16-17. Thereafter, Sergeant Curtis brought appellant back into the
house so he could retrieve shoes from his bedroom, which appellant described as the
bedroom on the right. Id. at 17. Sergeant Curtis observed the door to appellant’s
bedroom was open and unlocked, there was no evidence appellant had ever placed a
[J-39-2019] - 3
padlock on the bedroom door, and there was not a room number or mailbox on the outside
of the bedroom door. Id. at 22.
Officers proceeded to search the entire house, including appellant’s bedroom.
N.T. 3/24/16 at 14-15. Recovered from appellant’s bedroom were, inter alia, a Glock
firearm, ammunition, six bags of heroin including one blue bag stamped “Blue Magic,” a
bag of marijuana, and $902 in cash. Id. at 15, 21-22, 27-28, 56. Police also recovered
37 bags of heroin, some stamped “Blue Magic,” and $1,000 cash from Irvin’s bedroom as
well as 200 bags of heroin from the living room. Id. at 15, 18-20, 56. On March 10, 2015,
police returned to the Green Street residence and recovered 80 bags of heroin from the
second floor bathroom, which was adjacent to appellant’s bedroom. Id. at 73-74. Based
on the above, appellant was arrested and charged with, inter alia, three counts of
possession of a controlled substance, and one count each of conspiracy to commit
possession with the intent to deliver and receiving stolen property. 4
Prior to trial, appellant filed a motion to suppress claiming, inter alia, the warrant
was overbroad because it did not limit the specific areas to be searched to those under
the control of Irvin and the warrant was improperly executed because the police were
made aware of its overbroad nature from appellant’s discussions with Sergeant Curtis.
N.T. 8/11/15 at 4. The suppression court held a hearing at which Sergeant Curtis testified
as detailed above. Id. at 15-27. In addition to testimony from other police officers, see
id. at 5-14, 27-35, 43-48, appellant also testified at the hearing. Id. at 35-42. Relevant to
the claim discussed herein, appellant testified he told Sergeant Curtis of the living
arrangements at the Green Street residence, he and Irvin occupied separate bedrooms
at the residence, he shut his bedroom door when he was not home, and Irvin was not
permitted to enter his bedroom without permission. Id. at 35-38.
4 35 P.S. §780-113(a)(16), 18 Pa.C.S. §903, and 18 Pa.C.S. §3925(a), respectively.
[J-39-2019] - 4
The court ultimately denied appellant’s motion to suppress. In doing so, the
suppression court held the warrant itself was not overbroad, finding “[a] search warrant
to a residence need not specify each and every room of a residence to be searched and
in fact can authorize a search of an entire residence.” Suppression Court Opinion 9/24/15
at 4, citing Commonwealth v. Waltson, 724 A.2d 289, 290 (Pa. 1998) (“where there is
probable cause to believe that contraband is located within a particular room of a single
unit house, Article [I], Section 8 [of the Pennsylvania Constitution] does not preclude a
search of the entire residence”). The court further determined the search warrant was
not improperly executed, finding “[t]here was no need for police to distinguish between
what rooms were private versus what rooms were public; the warrant authorized a search
of the entire residence without distinction.” Id.
Appellant proceeded to a jury trial, after which he was convicted of the
aforementioned crimes. The court later sentenced appellant to an aggregate term of one
year less one day to two years less two days of county imprisonment to be followed by
three years of probation. N.T. 5/10/16 at 4-5.
On appeal to the Superior Court, appellant renewed his claim the warrant was
overbroad and his suppression motion should have been granted. Appellant contended
the facts of his case were distinguishable from those in Waltson. Specifically, appellant
argued all the areas searched in Waltson were under the control of the resident who was
the subject of the search warrant, but in this case the search was expanded into
appellant’s bedroom, which was a separate living unit solely under the control of a
resident who was not the subject of the search warrant. Appellant’s Superior Court Brief
at 17. The panel rejected this argument, finding Waltson and Commonwealth v. Korn,
139 A.3d 249 (Pa. Super. 2016) — a case with facts analogous to the case at hand —
controlled the issue because there was no indication in the record that appellant’s
[J-39-2019] - 5
bedroom constituted a separate living unit. Commonwealth v. Turpin, 1656 MDA 2016,
unpublished memorandum at 9 (Pa. Super. filed Feb. 13, 2018). The panel premised its
holding on the facts appellant’s bedroom did not have a separate mailbox, address, or
private entrance and appellant himself testified he would only shut the bedroom door
when he left the residence, rather than lock it. Id.
We accepted review to address the following question raised by appellant, which
was rephrased for purposes of clarity:
Does a search warrant for a multi-bedroom residence shared by adults
permit police to search the entire residence and all bedrooms within, where
the warrant and affidavit of probable cause are premised on the activity of
only one occupant in that multi-occupant residence who does not have
complete control over the private bedrooms of his roommates?
Commonwealth v. Turpin, 191 A.3d 1285 (Pa. 2018) (per curiam). Our standard of review
over an order denying suppression requires us to “consider only the Commonwealth’s
evidence and so much of the defense’s evidence as remains uncontradicted” when read
in the context of the suppression hearing record as a whole. Commonwealth v. Johnson,
160 A.3d 127, 138 (Pa. 2017), cert. denied, 138 S. Ct. 508 (2017) (internal citations
omitted); see also In the Interest of L.J., 79 A.3d 1073, 1085 (Pa. 2013). “Where the
record supports the suppression court’s factual findings, we are bound by those facts and
may reverse only if the legal conclusions drawn therefrom are in error.” Johnson, 160
A.3d at 138. However, as here, “where the appeal . . . turns on allegations of legal error,
the suppression court’s conclusions of law are not binding” as it is this Court’s duty “to
determine if the suppression court properly applied the law to the facts.” Commonwealth
v. Mistler, 912 A.2d 1265, 1269 (Pa. 2006) (internal brackets, quotations, and citation
omitted). Therefore, the legal conclusions of the lower courts are subject to our plenary
review. Id.
[J-39-2019] - 6
Appellant first contends the search warrant was overbroad in violation of the Fourth
Amendment. Appellant argues warrants must be limited to areas for which there is
probable cause to search and the Fourth Amendment’s “‘requirement that a specific
‘place’ be described . . . refers to a single living unit (the residence of one person or
family).’” Appellant’s Brief at 14, quoting United States v. Hinton, 219 F.2d 324, 326 (7th
Cir. 1955) (emphasis added by appellant). Appellant further cites United States v.
Diange, 32 F. Supp. 994 (W.D. Pa. 1940), for the proposition that “a search warrant
describing the entire dwelling-house will be insufficient where ‘each family [is] in
possession of a different part of said dwelling-house.’” Appellant’s Brief at 14, quoting
Diange, 32 F. Supp. at 994. Appellant contends the Green Street residence was neither
the residence of one person nor one family and, as such, the warrant for the residence
“needed to be limited to the areas within the residence that were under the control of one
person or one family.” Id. at 17. Since the warrant was not restricted to only the living
areas under the control of Irvin, the subject of the warrant, appellant contends the warrant
was constitutionally infirm under the Fourth Amendment. Id.
Appellant additionally contends the warrant was overbroad in violation of Article I,
Section 8 of the Pennsylvania Constitution, as this Court has stated “‘a search warrant
directed against an apartment house, or other multiple-occupancy structure will be
held invalid for lack of specificity if it fails to describe the particular room or subunit to
be searched with sufficient definiteness to preclude a search of other units.’” Id. at 17-
18, quoting Commonwealth v. Carlisle, 534 A.2d 469, 471 (Pa. 1987) (internal ellipsis
omitted, emphasis added by appellant). Appellant recognizes the Waltson Court stated
“the search of a single unit house” satisfies the enhanced privacy rights provided by Article
I, Section 8. Id. at 18 (emphasis omitted), quoting Waltson, 724 A.2d at 290. However,
appellant contends his situation is distinguishable from that of Waltson because the
[J-39-2019] - 7
privacy rights of individuals other than the subject of the warrant were implicated; the
search here “was not limited to the areas under the control of the resident named in the
warrant but overflowed into an area under the control of [appellant], who was not the
subject of any investigation[.]” Id. at 19. Appellant further attempts to distinguish his case
from Waltson by claiming “the search was not of a single unit house but of a multiple-
occupancy structure.” Id. (emphasis in original). As a result, appellant contends, “the
general requirement announced in Carlisle [and quoted above] pertains[.]” Id.
Appellant further submits “the police knew, prior to the search, which bedroom was
[appellant’s] and . . . [could not] reasonably believe that contraband could be found in
areas, like [appellant’s] bedroom, that were not under the control of [ ] Irvin.” Id. at 19-20.
Therefore, appellant contends the Commonwealth’s argument Irvin could have hidden
contraband in appellant’s bedroom is speculative at best and, if the search of appellant’s
bedroom was justified by such speculation, Irvin should have been held criminally liable
for any contraband found in appellant’s bedroom. Id. at 20-21. With regard to Korn, which
appellant recognizes is more akin to his case than Waltson, appellant argues that case
was wrongly decided and should be expressly overturned by this Court based on the
analysis of the dissent in that case, which would have held “[b]ecause the affidavit . . .
only established probable cause as to the areas accessed and controlled by [the subject
of the warrant], and because the police were put on notice that there was another
bedroom occupied by at least one other person,” the search was overbroad. Id. at 23-
24, quoting Korn, 139 A.3d at 261 (Shogan, J., dissenting).
Finally, appellant provides an analysis under Commonwealth v. Edmunds, 586
A.2d 887 (Pa. 1991), in which he argues Article I, Section 8 provides distinct and greater
protections than those conferred by the Fourth Amendment. Appellant’s Brief at 24-35.
Appellant relies on decisions from this Court which have stated the text of Article I, Section
[J-39-2019] - 8
8 provides more stringent particularity requirements for obtaining a warrant than those
found in the Fourth Amendment. Id. at 26-28, citing Commonwealth v. Grossman, 555
A.2d 896, 899 (Pa. 1989). Appellant also cites decisions from other states which have
held searches of multi-resident homes must be narrowly tailored to rooms under the
control of the subject of the warrant. Id. at 29-31, citing State v. Fleming, 790 N.W.2d
560 (Iowa 2010) (single family residence) and People v. Avery, 478 P.2d 310 (Colo. 1970)
(rooming house). With regard to policy concerns, appellant contends “if the search of
[his] bedroom is permitted to stand, the right to privacy . . . will protect only those who can
afford to live alone.” Id. at 32.5
The Commonwealth responds by arguing the federal courts have held that, under
the Fourth Amendment, “[a] search warrant for the entire premises of a single family
residence is valid, notwithstanding the fact that it was issued based on information
regarding the alleged illegal activities of one of several occupants of a residence.”
Commonwealth’s Brief at 11, quoting United States v. Ayers, 924 F.2d 1468, 1480 (9th
Cir. 1991) and citing United States v. McLellan, 792 F.3d 200, 212 (1st Cir. 2015) (warrant
for single family residence authorizes search of entire dwelling). To further illustrate this
point, the Commonwealth also discusses United States v. Kyles, 40 F.3d 519 (2d Cir.
1994), which held “despite the multi-occupant nature of the premises, there was no
reason to believe that [the locked] bedroom was a separate residence” as it “‘ha[d] neither
its own access from the outside, its own doorbell, nor its own mailbox’” and further, “the
officer’s awareness that [only one individual] could access the bedroom when locked, ‘did
not, by itself, elevate the bedroom to the status of a separate residential unit.’”
5 The Public Defender Association of Pennsylvania filed an amicus curiae brief on behalf
of appellant, reiterating each of appellant’s arguments, but focusing on the public policy
ramifications of judicial decisions that limit the privacy rights of those who cannot afford
to live alone, as well as the continuing impact of the war on drugs. See Amicus Brief of
Public Defender Association of Pennsylvania at 15-26.
[J-39-2019] - 9
Commonwealth’s Brief at 13-14, quoting Kyles, 40 F.3d at 524. The Commonwealth
additionally argues Hinton and Diange, which are relied upon by appellant, are inapposite;
the warrants in those cases were held to be overbroad “not because they were single-
family residences occupied by roommates, but because the residences listed on the
respective search warrants were comprised of multiple, individual apartments or units.”
Id. at 14-16, citing Hinton, 219 F.2d at 325 and Diange, 32 F. Supp. at 994.
Based on the above cases, the Commonwealth maintains “a multi-occupant
dwelling is not synonymous with [a] multi-unit dwelling for Fourth Amendment [p]urposes.
Rather, to qualify as a multi-unit dwelling requiring a separate search warrant, there must
be some indicia that the residence is divided into separate and substantially independent
living units.” Id. at 16. Therefore, the Commonwealth argues “[t]he mere fact that
[appellant] has his own, private bedroom does not transform the single family townhouse
into a multi-unit dwelling, thus, there was probable cause to search the [Green Street
residence], and the search warrant was sufficiently particular.” Id. at 17-18.
With regard to Article I, Section 8, the Commonwealth preliminarily concedes “‘[t]he
text of Article I, Section 8 . . . has been interpreted as requiring more specificity in the
description of items to be seized than the federal particularity requirement.” Id. at 18,
quoting Waltson, 724 A.2d at 291. Notwithstanding that fact, however, the
Commonwealth contends “it has been unequivocally recognized that when officers have
probable cause to search one room in a single living unit, a search of the entire residence
is not overbroad” under Article I, Section 8, id. at 20, citing Waltson and Korn, and “[t]o
conclude that a bedroom constitutes a separate living unit within a single residence
apartment would essentially abandon the practical common sense approach this
Honorable Court has previously directed be taken in determining whether the place to be
[J-39-2019] - 10
searched is specified with sufficient particularity.” Id. at 21 (internal quotations and
citations omitted).
In support of this argument, the Commonwealth points out appellant’s “[bed]room
did not have a separate address, a door leading directly outside, a separate mailbox, or
a lock. Thus, [appellant’s] bedroom is not so separate from the rest of the residence that
it constitutes an individual residence itself.” Id. at 22. The Commonwealth additionally
argues the quote from Carlisle relied upon by appellant was taken out of context because
“[d]espite the mention of ‘room,’ the search warrant in Carlisle was deemed to describe
the place to be searched with sufficient particularity even though the affidavit that
accompanied the warrant designated only the specific apartment to be searched.” Id. at
22 (emphasis in original), citing Carlisle, 534 A.2d at 471. Accordingly, the
Commonwealth contends “Carlisle cannot be read to preclude the search of all rooms
inside a single apartment if there is probable cause to believe contraband is located in
any room of the apartment.” Id. at 23.
Finally, the Commonwealth addresses the public policy concern raised by
appellant and the Public Defender Association of Pennsylvania: the decision below
allows innocent roommates, who cannot afford to live alone and thus have an expectation
of privacy in their separate bedrooms inside a shared house, to fall victim to government
intrusion due to their economic circumstances. The Commonwealth responds that
“[a]llowing such a concern to lend to a finding that an individual’s bedroom is a separate
home for purpose[s] of Article I, Section 8, would ultimately lead to barriers to effective
law enforcement.” Id. As an example of such barriers, the Commonwealth claims one
roommate “could frustrate the efforts of police by taking [another roommate’s] contraband
and placing it in his room so that it falls outside the scope of the warrant.” Id. at 25, citing
Commonwealth v. Reese, 549 A.2d 909 (Pa. 1988) (search of visitor’s personal property
[J-39-2019] - 11
while on search premises falls within scope of search warrant because holding otherwise
would allow visitor to frustrate warrant by placing contraband with his personal effects).6
“[T]he Fourth Amendment categorically prohibits the issuance of any warrant
except one ‘particularly describing the place to be searched and the persons or things to
be seized.’” Maryland v. Garrison, 480 U.S. 79, 84 (1987), quoting U.S. CONST. amend.
IV. This requirement is meant to prevent general searches and “ensures that the search
will be carefully tailored to its justifications, and will not take on the character of the wide-
ranging exploratory searches the Framers intended to prohibit.” Id. Along those lines,
“the scope of a lawful search is defined by the object of the search and the places in which
there is probable cause to believe that it may be found.” Id. (internal quotation and citation
omitted). Based on these principles, the federal courts have formulated a general rule
that a warrant describing an entire multi-unit building is void where there is only probable
cause to search a single unit. Hinton, 219 F.2d at 326 (“a warrant which describes an
entire building when cause is shown for searching only one apartment is void”). However,
the federal courts have consistently held this rule does not apply to single family
residences but, instead, “[a] search warrant for the entire premises of a single family
residence is valid, notwithstanding the fact that it was issued based on information
regarding the alleged illegal activities of one of several occupants of a residence.” Ayers,
924 F.2d at 1480. See also McLellan, 792 F.3d at 212 (warrant for single family residence
authorizes search of entire residence regardless of who areas being searched belongs
to); United States v. Schwinn, 376 F.App’x 974, 982 (11th Cir. 2010) (shared dwelling
does not exclude portions from scope of warrant as it is presumed suspect has access to
6 Although the Commonwealth does not conduct a separate Edmunds analysis, it
indicates a discussion of each Edmunds factor was encompassed in the portion of its
brief focusing on Article I, Section 8 and, despite the fact that Article I, Section 8 provides
greater privacy protections than the Fourth Amendment, the search warrant was not
overbroad under the Pennsylvania Constitution. Commonwealth’s Brief at 26-28 and n.8.
[J-39-2019] - 12
entire dwelling); Durham v. McElynn, 254 F.App’x 892, 896 (3d Cir. 2007) (roommate
situation does not convert single family residence into apartment or multi-unit building);
Kyles, 40 F.3d at 524 (bedroom in multi-occupant residence is not a separate residential
unit where it “had neither its own access from the outside, its own doorbell, nor its own
mailbox”).
McLellan, in particular, is analogous to the present appeal. In that case, the FBI
was investigating the online sharing of child pornography. McLellan, 792 F.3d at 205.
The pornography originated from an IP address assigned to Darryl J. St. Yves at 180 High
Street in Taunton, Massachusetts. Id. The FBI subsequently confirmed the address of
St. Yves with government entities and also observed a single mailbox at the High Street
residence, which listed St. Yves and two other individuals, Keller and Theobold, as
occupants. Id. A search warrant for the house at the High Street address was obtained
and, during its execution, agents learned the house was owned by St. Yves and Keller
and they had recently rented the third bedroom, formerly occupied by Theobold, to
McLellan. Id. at 205-06. The FBI then searched the entire house and, among other
things, recovered child pornography from McLellan’s bedroom. Id. at 206.
McLellan filed a motion to suppress the evidence recovered from his bedroom,
arguing the purported “multi-unit” character of the residence caused the warrant to be
insufficiently particular and thus, the search of his bedroom exceeded the scope of the
warrant. Id. at 212. Both the district court and the First Circuit Court of Appeals rejected
this argument, finding McLellan’s bedroom “was not equipped for independent living
because there was no separate entrance to the street and the occupants had joint access
to the common areas such as the kitchen and living rooms.” Id. at 213 (internal quotations
omitted). Consequently, the McLellan court held the warrant was not overbroad as “a
warrant for a single-unit residence authorizes the search of that entire dwelling regardless
[J-39-2019] - 13
of who the area being searched belongs to, so long as the items delineated in the warrant
could reasonably be found in the searched area.” Id. at 212.
In his attempt to avoid the imposition of this clear Fourth Amendment rule upon his
case, appellant argues the Fourth Amendment requirement that a specific place be
described “‘refers to a single living unit (the residence of one person or family)[,]’”
Appellant’s Brief at 14 (emphasis omitted), quoting Hinton, 219 F.2d at 326, such that
“where two or more families reside together, a search warrant describing the entire
dwelling-house will be insufficient where ‘each family [is] in possession of a different part
of said dwelling-house.’” Id., quoting Diange, 32 F. Supp. at 994. Notwithstanding
appellant’s reliance on Diange and Hinton for this proposition, the decisions are
inapposite as they involved multi-unit apartment buildings while this case involves a single
family residence occupied by several unrelated individuals. The warrant in Hinton was
held to be invalid because it failed to identify the particular apartment in a four-unit building
where drug sales were being conducted and whether the alleged sellers occupied any of
the apartments. Hinton, 219 F.2d at 325. Based on this deficiency, the Hinton court held
“searching two or more apartments in the same building is no different than searching two
or more completely separate houses. Probable cause must be shown for each house
or, in this case, each apartment.” Id. at 325-26 (emphasis added). In Diange, the court
specifically stated the building at issue “contained two stories and that it was occupied
and in possession of two families, each family being in possession of a different part of
said dwelling-house.” Diange, 32 F. Supp. at 994. Hence, these cases do not stand for
the proposition that rules applicable to searching single family residences apply only if the
building is occupied by a single person or single family.
Rather, for purposes of the Fourth Amendment, there must be some evidence a
residence is divided into separate and independent units to support the argument
[J-39-2019] - 14
forwarded by appellant. There is simply no evidence here to suggest appellant’s bedroom
in the house subject to the search warrant was a separate living unit. Although appellant
testified he shut his bedroom door when he was not home and Irvin was not permitted to
enter his bedroom without permission, Sergeant Curtis specifically noted appellant’s
bedroom door was open and unlocked during the execution of the warrant, there was no
evidence appellant had ever placed a padlock on the bedroom door, and there was not a
separate room number or mailbox on the outside of the bedroom door. As such, it is clear
appellant’s bedroom inside the single family residence identified in the search warrant did
not constitute a separate living unit. See Kyles, 40 F.3d at 524 (“agents had no reason
to believe [the bedroom] was a separate residence: it had neither its own access from the
outside, its own doorbell, nor its own mailbox. [Kyle’s mother’s] statement that [Kyle] was
the only person with a key to the room did not, by itself, elevate the bedroom to the status
of a separate residential unit”).7 We therefore apply the federal rule that a warrant for a
single family residence authorizes a search of the entire residence regardless of whether
the areas to be searched belong to the subject of the warrant and hold the search warrant
at issue in this case did not violate the particularity requirement of the Fourth Amendment.
This holding does not end our inquiry, however, as this Court has held Article I,
Section 8 of the Pennsylvania Constitution affords greater protection than its Fourth
Amendment counterpart, including a more stringent particularity requirement. Grossman,
555 A.2d at 899 (finding “as nearly as may be” language of Article I, Section 8 to require
more specificity in description of items to be seized than federal particularity requirement).
7 This is not to suggest we now hold the mere existence of a padlock, or separate
mailboxes, doorbells, room numbers, or entrances will always indicate a residence has
been divided into separate and independent residential units. Nor do we suggest the
mere absence of the aforementioned items will always indicate a residence is a single
family residence. We simply recognize, as did the Kyles court, these are factors relevant
to the determination. See Kyles, 40 F.3d at 524.
[J-39-2019] - 15
Indeed, this Court has already explored the contours of this more stringent particularity
requirement through an analysis pursuant to Edmunds, in a similar context in Waltson.
In Waltson, the defendant’s girlfriend told police he was growing marijuana in his
basement. 724 A.2d at 290. Based on this information, police obtained and executed a
search warrant for Waltson’s entire residence, which included, among the items to be
seized, “any records of occupancy and/or ownership of property, any controlled
substances, any drug paraphernalia, and any records, documents or photos related to
drug trafficking.” Id. at 290, 293. Waltson was arrested based upon not only the
marijuana plants found in his basement but also other drugs and drug paraphernalia
found throughout the remainder of the residence. Id. Following his arrest, Waltson filed
a motion to suppress the evidence found during the search, arguing the warrant was
overbroad because the police had probable cause to believe contraband was present
only in his basement rather than throughout the entire residence. Id. This Court ultimately
granted allowance of appeal to decide the question of “whether a search warrant is
overbroad where it authorizes a search of the entire residence, where the probable cause
underlying the warrant relates to only a particular room of the house.” Id. at 290-91.
The Waltson Court conducted an Edmunds analysis to determine whether the
search warrant violated the particularity requirement of Article I, Section 8. We find the
Court’s analysis instructive:
This court has recognized that the wording of Article [I], Section 8 is similar
to the language of the Fourth Amendment. But, this does not demand that
the interpretation of the two provisions be identical. The text of Article [I],
Section 8, “as nearly as may be,” has been interpreted as requiring more
specificity in the description of items to be seized than the federal
particularity requirement. This requirement makes general searches
impossible and prevents the seizure of one thing under a warrant describing
another.
This distinction between the two provisions is consistent with the historical
background of Article [I], Section 8, which establishes that the purpose
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underlying Article [I], Section 8 was to protect persons from unreasonable
searches and seizures conducted pursuant to general warrants. At the time
that Article [I], Section 8 was drafted, the utmost concern of the drafters was
to protect citizens from searches and seizures unsupported by probable
cause. Moreover, this court has held that embodied in Article [I], Section 8
is a strong notion of privacy, which is greater than that of the Fourth
Amendment.
It is from this notion of enhanced privacy rights that we proceed in the instant
case. In Edmunds, this court explained that the twin aims of Article [I],
Section 8 are the safeguarding of privacy and the fundamental requirement
that warrants shall only be issued upon probable cause. Probable cause is
determined based on the totality of the circumstances. The totality of the
circumstances test is satisfied where the police officers have a reasonable
belief that the items to be seized are related to criminal conduct and that
those items are presently located in the place to be searched.
In order to protect these twin aims, a warrant must describe the place to be
searched and the items to be seized with specificity, and the warrant must
be supported by probable cause. The place to be searched must be
described precise[ly] enough to enable the executing officer to ascertain
and identify, with reasonable effort, the place intended, and where probable
cause exists to support the search of the area so designated, a warrant will
not fail for lack of particularity. Thus, where a search warrant adequately
describes the place to be searched and the items to be seized the scope of
the search extends to the entire area in which the object of the search may
be found and properly includes the opening and inspection of containers
and other receptacles where the object may be secreted.
Case law from our sister states is consistent with Pennsylvania
jurisprudence on this issue. In Shoemaker v. Maryland, 451 A.2d 127 ([Md.]
1982), [Shoemaker] challenged the scope of the search, since the
allegations “pointed to the suspect documents being in a single desk in a
single room and that the warrant gave the officers the unnecessarily broad
prerogative to search the entire house.” Shoemaker[, 451 A.2d] at 139. In
rejecting [Shoemaker’s] argument, the court explained that pursuant to the
Fourth Amendment and Art. 27, Section 551 of the Maryland Code the
particularity requirement was satisfied where the search was limited to a
particular, ascertainable, well-described house. Id. at 138-139. See also
Missouri v. Weide, 812 S.W.2d 866 (Mo.Ct.App. 1991) (“the search of an
entire residence for contraband is not overbroad when the contraband is of
the type that could easily be concealed anywhere within the residence.”);
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Madrid v. Texas, 595 S.W.2d 106 ([Tex.]Crim.App. 1979) (holding search
of entire residence was reasonable, even though confidential informant
observed heroin in only two areas within the apartment). Thus, it is
generally accepted that the scope of a search warrant is limited by the items
to be seized and where they may be found and not to a particular location
within those premises. W. LaFave, SEARCH AND SEIZURE, §4.10(d) (3d
ed. 1996) (any claims that the scope of a search must be limited to a
particular location within the premises have been quite properly rejected).
Lastly, we look at the public policy concerns involved. [Waltson] offers the
theory of a narrower search based on his belief that Pennsylvania zealously
guards individual privacy rights. However, the individual privacy rights at
issue are not strained by a search of the entire single family residence.
Rather than supporting Pennsylvania's protection of individual privacy
rights, [Waltson’s] position renders that important tradition impotent by
requesting that this [C]ourt extend it to absurd extremes. For example, a
named eyewitness tells the police that he was in Mr. Smith's house 10
minutes ago, where he saw a dead body in the living room. The issuing
magistrate would limit the places to be searched to the living room. When
police arrive at the scene and enter the living room there is no dead body.
Under [Waltson’s] theory, the police would be forced to return to the issuing
magistrate to obtain another warrant to search the remainder of the house.
Clearly [sic] a result not contemplated by the policy reasons which
underscore the enhanced privacy rights found in Article [I], Section 8.
Waltson, 724 A.2d at 291-93 (additional internal quotations, citations, and footnotes
omitted).
Based on the above analysis, the Waltson Court found since the items to be seized
were described with specificity and those items could reasonably have been found in
places other than the basement, the scope of the search need not be limited to the
basement. Id. at 293. The Court concluded “although the Pennsylvania Constitution
provides greater privacy rights than the Fourth Amendment of the United States
Constitution; in the search of a single unit house, these rights are satisfied where the
specificity requirement is met. Accordingly, the search warrant issued in the instant case
was not overbroad pursuant to Article [I], Section 8 of the Pennsylvania Constitution.” Id.
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We recognize Waltson is not on all fours with the present scenario; the house at
issue in Waltson was occupied by only one individual while the house at issue here was
occupied by multiple unrelated individuals. However, the Superior Court has addressed
a remarkably similar situation in Korn, which we also find persuasive. In Korn, a search
warrant was obtained and executed on a two-bedroom apartment based on an
investigation regarding the sale of controlled substances by Aaron Murray. 139 A.3d at
250. Police not only searched the common areas of the apartment and Murray’s own
bedroom, but also searched the bedroom of Murray’s roommate, Jordan Elias Korn. Id.
Korn was subsequently arrested and charged with drug-related crimes based on evidence
found in his bedroom. Id. at 250-51. Korn filed a motion to suppress that evidence and,
at a hearing on the motion, officers testified although Korn’s bedroom door was locked
from the inside at the time they executed the warrant, they did not recall a dead bolt or
key lock on the bedroom door, and the bedroom did not have a separate entrance,
mailbox, or apartment number. Id. at 251. The suppression court granted the motion,
finding the single apartment contained multiple living units and, as such, the search of
Korn’s separate living unit was outside the scope of the probable cause used to obtain
the search warrant. Id. at 252.
On appeal, the Superior Court reversed, first holding the suppression court’s
finding that Korn’s bedroom was a separate living unit was not supported by the record
or case law as the trooper’s testimony made clear the residence at issue was a single
unit two bedroom apartment. Id. at 254-55. The court then applied the analysis from
Waltson and held there was probable cause to search the entire apartment. Id. at 256.
In doing so, the court rejected Korn’s attempt to distinguish his case from Waltson: “we
are unpersuaded by [Korn’s] attempt to avoid application of Waltson because the decision
refers to a single family residence. The fact that the suppression hearing transcript does
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not establish a familial relationship between [Korn] and one or more of his roommates
does not alter the fact that the entire apartment was the subject of the search.” Id.
(internal quotation and citations omitted). Most importantly for purposes of the present
analysis, the Korn court stated the fact that the bedroom door was locked did not
demonstrate “that Mr. Murray could not have exercised dominion or control over the items
in [Korn’s] room[,]” but instead “establishe[d] nothing more than the fact that Mr. Murray
could not enter [Korn’s] bedroom at the time of the search.” Id.
We recognize appellant had a reasonable expectation of privacy in his bedroom
but, as the Commonwealth succinctly submits, “this expectation of privacy does not
transform the single family townhouse described in the warrant into a multi-unit dwelling.”
Commonwealth’s Brief at 14. Thus, we find no reason to depart from the analyses
employed in the cases discussed above, especially the Edmunds analysis conducted in
Waltson, as the text and history of Article I, Section 8 remain the same, and the resulting
rule of law continues to be generally accepted by other jurisdictions. See Wayne R.
LaFave, SEARCH AND SEIZURE, §4.5(b) (5th ed. 2018) (“In the community-occupation
situation, the courts have held that a single warrant describing the entire premises so
occupied is valid and will justify search of the entire premises.”), citing State v.
Champagne, 879 A.2d 1147 (N.H. 2005); Ayers, supra; State v. Woolsey, 802 P.2d 478
(Haw. 1990); State v. Capps, 342 S.E.2d 676 (Ga. 1986); State v. Hymer, 400 So. 2d 637
(La. 1981); State v. Lehr, 258 N.W.2d 158 (Iowa 1977); People v. Govea, 235 Cal. App. 2d
285 (Ca. 1965); Renner v. State, 216 S.W.2d 345 (Tenn. 1948); Sparks v. State, 142 P.2d
379 (Ok. 1943).
Additionally, the policy concerns of the Waltson Court remain extant and a ruling
in favor of appellant under the present circumstances would frustrate the efforts of police
when executing valid search warrants. For example, under appellant’s view, two
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roommates could enter into a conspiracy to sell drugs with roommate one completing
each and every sale and roommate two storing the drugs and the proceeds from the sales
in his “private” bedroom in their shared house. Police would be able to obtain a search
warrant for the house based on the conduct of roommate one, but would be unable to
procure any evidence upon execution of the warrant as the bedroom of roommate two —
in which the roommates had agreed to hide the evidence — would be beyond the scope
of the warrant. As stated in Waltson, this is “[c]learly a result not contemplated by the
policy reasons which underscore the enhanced privacy rights found in Article [I], Section
8.” Waltson, 724 A.2d at 293.
Based on all of the above, we restate the law under Article I, Section 8 as follows:
“where a search warrant adequately describes the place to be searched and the items to
be seized the scope of the search ‘extends to the entire area in which the object of the
search may be found[.]’” Id. at 292, quoting Reese, 549 A.2d at 911. Therefore, so long
as police have reason to believe the specific items to be seized may be found throughout
a single family residence, Article I, Section 8 does not preclude a search of the entire
residence regardless of whether a particular individual not named in the warrant has an
expectation of privacy in certain areas of that residence. Id. at 290.
As stated above in our analysis under the Fourth Amendment, there is no evidence
in the record to suggest appellant’s bedroom constituted a separate living unit. As such,
a search warrant for the house based on the illegal activities of Irvin did not preclude the
officers from searching appellant’s bedroom inside that house so long as they had reason
to believe the items to be seized might be found therein. See Walston, 724 A.2d at 292.
Appellant’s testimony he would shut his bedroom door when he left the residence and did
not permit Irvin to enter his bedroom without permission did not negate the probable
cause to believe the objects to be seized (in this case heroin, drug paraphernalia,
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proceeds from illegal drug sales, and cellphones owned or possessed by Irvin) could be
present throughout the entire house just as the fact that Korn’s bedroom door was locked
at the time the search warrant was executed did not negate the probable cause to search
the entire apartment. See Korn, 139 A.3d at 256. Accordingly, we hold the search
warrant at issue here was not overbroad in violation of Article I, Section 8 of the
Pennsylvania Constitution, and suppression of the evidence discovered in appellant’s
bedroom was not warranted.8
Order affirmed.
Chief Justice Saylor and Justices Baer, Todd, Wecht and Mundy join the opinion.
Justice Donohue files a dissenting opinion.
8 Contrary to the dissent’s assertion, we do not hold “an individual has no protected
reasonable expectation of privacy in his private bedroom if he shares a home with other
unrelated individuals.” Dissenting Opinion, slip op. at 1. In fact, the dissent acknowledges
we explicitly “‘recognize appellant had a reasonable expectation of privacy in his
bedroom[.]’” Id., quoting infra at 20. However, such privacy rights are not absolute and
it is black letter law “that when the State’s reason to believe incriminating evidence will be
found becomes sufficiently great, the invasion of privacy becomes justified and a warrant
to search and seize will issue.” Fisher v. United States, 425 U.S. 391, 400 (1976). Based
on the analysis above, we simply hold the officers here had reason to believe evidence
of Irvin’s criminal activity would be found throughout the single family residence at issue,
including appellant’s bedroom.
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