Pandemic Darlings The pandemic economy, in original documents
Home Source documents Magistrate Judge's Order and Final Report and Recommendation — United States v. Jackson (N.D. Ga., Dkt. 33)

Magistrate Judge's Order and Final Report and Recommendation — United States v. Jackson (N.D. Ga., Dkt. 33)

Summary

Magistrate judge's order and final report and recommendation in the criminal case against Christopher Wayne Jackson, Atlanta Division. The court recommends that Defendant's Motions to Suppress be granted, grants the Motion for Consideration of Additional Authority, and certifies Defendant ready for trial. The Grand Jury charged Defendant on March 27, 2018 with possession with intent to distribute cocaine, marijuana, and alprazolam and with possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. The background describes the August 12, 2015 attempt by officers to arrest Defendant's brother, Ryan Jackson, and the breach of the front door with a ram. The conclusion states that Defendant's statements must be suppressed.

Summary drafted by a model from the document's text below and checked by script against that text before publication. It is a navigation aid, not a reading of what the document proves. Where AI is used

Cite this document

“Magistrate Judge's Order and Final Report and Recommendation — United States v. Jackson (N.D. Ga., Dkt. 33).” Archived at Pandemic Darlings, https://pandemicdarlings.com/source-documents/court-filing-no-1-18-cr-00095-dkt-33-n-d-ga-f7552f3a69/, SHA-256 d0b310d951fdb6c3edffef3484353c74c9352e5dda5ab3b857ec30376946169e.

Full text

               Case 1:18-cr-00095-LMM-LTW Document 33 Filed 12/10/18 Page 1 of 46




                               IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
                              FOR THE NORTHERN DISTRICT OF GEORGIA
                                         ATLANTA DIVISION


              UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,


              v.                                          CRIMINAL ACTION NO.
                                                          1:18-CR-95-LMM-LTW

              CHRISTOPHER WAYNE JACKSON,


                       Defendant.


                  MAGISTRATE JUDGE’S ORDER AND FINAL REPORT AND
               RECOMMENDATION AND ORDER CERTIFYING THIS CASE READY
                                    FOR TRIAL

                   This case is before the court on Defendant Christopher Wayne Jackson’s

             (“Defendant”) Motion to Suppress (Doc. 15), First Supplement to Motion to Suppress

             (Doc. 16), Post-Hearing Supplement to Motion to Suppress (Doc. 23), and Motion for

             Consideration of Additional Authority on Pending Motion to Suppress (Doc. 30). For

             the reasons that follow, this Court RECOMMENDS that Defendant’s Motions to

             Suppress should be GRANTED.           (Docs. 15, 16, 23).   Defendant’s Motion for

             Consideration of Additional Authority on Pending Motion to Suppress is GRANTED.

             (Doc. 30). Because there are no more motions or other matters to address for Defendant

             Jackson, the undersigned certifies him ready for trial.




AO 72A
(Rev.8/82)
                  Case 1:18-cr-00095-LMM-LTW Document 33 Filed 12/10/18 Page 2 of 46




                            DEFENDANT’S MOTIONS TO SUPPRESS SEARCH

             I.      BACKGROUND

                     On March 27, 2018, the Grand Jury charged Defendant with knowingly and

             intentionally possessing with intent to distribute a detectable amount of cocaine,

             marijuana, and alprazolam (known as Xanax) in violation of 21 U.S.C. §§ 841(a)(1), 841

             (b)(1)(c), 841(b)(1)(D), and 841(b)(1)(E)(2) and possession of a firearm in furtherance

             of a drug trafficking crime in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 924(c)(1)(A)(I). (Doc. 1). On

             May 14, 2018, Defendant filed his Motion to Suppress and supplemented his Motion on

             May 13, 2018. (Docs. 15, 16). This Court held an evidentiary hearing on July 20, 2018

             (Doc. 22), and Defendant filed a Post-Hearing Supplement to his Motion to Suppress

             on August 7, 2018 (Doc. 23). On October 3, 2018, Defendant filed a Reply in support

             of his Motion (Doc. 29) and then moved on October 24, 2018, to supplement his Reply

             with additional legal authority (Doc. 30). Defendant’s Motion for Consideration of

             Additional Authority on Pending Motion to Suppress is GRANTED. (Doc. 30).

                     In Defendant’s Motions to Suppress, he argues that evidence obtained during the

             search of the 498 Center Hill Avenue and his statements made at the time of the search

             should be suppressed because (1) there was no search warrant for 498 Center Hill

             Avenue; (2) the arrest warrant for Ryan Jackson did not justify entry into his residence

             at 498 Center Hill Avenue because the Government’s evidence does not show that Ryan

             Jackson lived at the residence or that he was at the property; (3) there were no exigent

             circumstances justifying entry other than those created by the law enforcement officers;

                                                        2



AO 72A
(Rev.8/82)
                  Case 1:18-cr-00095-LMM-LTW Document 33 Filed 12/10/18 Page 3 of 46




             (4) the plain view doctrine does not justify entry of the residence and the subsequent

             search because the officers’ presence in the curtilage of the home was unlawful; and (5)

             the search warrant obtained for the search of 490 Center Hill Avenue did not justify

             entry into 498 Center Hill Avenue because 498 was not listed on the face of or

             adequately described with particularity within the warrant.

             I.      FACTUAL BACKGROUND

                     A.    Police Attempt to Execute an Arrest Warrant for Defendant’s Brother
                           at Defendant’s Residence

                     On August 12, 2015, Officer Kristopher Hutchens, who was employed by the

             Clayton County Police Department for twenty-three years and assigned to the United

             States Marshal Southeast Regional Fugitive Task Force for four years, attempted to

             apprehend fugitive Ryan Jackson. (Tr. 46-47, 50; Gov’t’s Ex. 1). Ryan Jackson was

             charged with home invasion, armed robbery, false imprisonment, two counts of

             aggravated assault, burglary, possession of a weapon during a crime, and possession of

             a firearm by a felon. (Tr. 48, Gov’t’s Ex. 48). Because Ryan Jackson was wanted for

             home invasion robbery, he was considered to be armed and dangerous. (Tr. 48).

             Officers had previously tried to arrest Ryan Jackson in May 2015 at an apartment which

             was believed to be rented by Ryan Jackson’s father. (Tr. 48-49).

                     At some point, Task Force Officer (“TFO”) Hutchens received a tip that Ryan was

             at 498 Center Hill.1 (Tr. 50). Upon receiving the tip, TFO Hutchens looked up the

                      1
                   Although initially within the transcript it appears that police received the tip
             on August 12, 2015, it becomes clear later within the transcript that was not the case
                                                        3



AO 72A
(Rev.8/82)
               Case 1:18-cr-00095-LMM-LTW Document 33 Filed 12/10/18 Page 4 of 46




             address and learned that it was occupied by Defendant Christopher Jackson, who used

             the 498 Center Hill Avenue address on his driver’s license and was Ryan Jackson’s

             brother. (Tr. 50, 71). TFO Hutchens did not know whether Ryan Jackson resided there

             and Ryan Jackson was not been listed in any of the documentation TFO Hutchens could

             locate for the property. (Tr. 71, 73). Yet, TFO Hutchens thought Ryan Jackson might

             be at the residence because in his experience, he rarely found fugitives where they sleep.

             (Tr. 78-79). TFO Hutchens had also viewed social media postings by Ryan Jackson

             which showed Ryan Jackson on the porch, as well as inside the interior of the home.

             (Tr. 53).

                   On the morning of August 12, 2015, TFO Hutchens began conducting

             surveillance of 498 Center Hill from about thirty-five to forty yards away. (Tr. 51-52).

             That morning, TFO Hutchens observed someone who he thought met the description for

             Ryan Jackson, arrive in a car during and enter the residence at 498 Center Hill. (Tr. 52-

             53, 74). TFO Hutchens did not seek information about the license tag of the car in

             which the suspect had arrived. (Tr. 74). The arriving suspect had a light complexion,

             tattoos, was about 6 feet, 4 or 5 inches tall and appeared to weigh approximately 230 or

             240 pounds. (Tr. 52, 93). The description of Ryan Jackson within the arrest warrant

             indicated that Ryan was 6 feet, 4 inches, and approximately 225 pounds, African-

             American, with brown eyes and black hair. (Tr. 52-53, Gov’t’s Ex. 1). In the

             because TFO Hutchens conducted surveillance of the residence prior to August 12,
             2015. (Tr. 50-51 (explaining that TFO Hutchens spent a few hours each day
             surveilling the property prior to August 12, 2015)).
                                                         4



AO 72A
(Rev.8/82)
               Case 1:18-cr-00095-LMM-LTW Document 33 Filed 12/10/18 Page 5 of 46




             photograph the Government had on file, Ryan Jackson appeared to be an African-

             American male with short hair and light-skin. (Tr. 48, 53; Gov’t’s Ex. 2).

                   After seeing who he believed to be suspect Ryan Jackson, TFO Hutchens

             requested assistance from other Marshals to meet him at a location close to 498 Center

             Hill so that he could brief them and then return to the house to arrest Ryan Jackson. (Tr.

             54, 72-73 (explaining that TFO Hutchens called for a team to “hit the house” because

             he saw the person resembling Ryan Jackson at the house that morning). TFO Hutchens

             left his surveillance post for approximately forty-five minutes and then returned with a

             group of sworn U.S. Marshals. (Tr. 54-55). TFO Hutchens testified that he could not

             have another officer replace him to continue surveillance during that forty-five minute

             period because the street from which he was observing is small and there was no way

             to get another person to take his place without being seen. (Tr. 81). TFO Hutchens felt

             he could not risk someone watching, seeing another car come in there, and Ryan taking

             off. (Tr. 81-82).

                   Following the briefing, approximately ten Marshals arrived at 498 Center Hill

             Avenue. (Tr. 82). Although there were cars still in the driveway at the time the police

             arrived, TFO Hutchens does not recall whether the car the suspect had arrived in

             remained at the residence. (Tr. 76-77). TFO Hutchens states that multiple cars came

             and went from the residence during his period of surveillance. (Tr. 77).

                   The Marshals placed a perimeter around the house to make sure no one jumped

             out of the windows and ran. (Tr. 55). The entry team, consisting of seven or eight

                                                         5



AO 72A
(Rev.8/82)
               Case 1:18-cr-00095-LMM-LTW Document 33 Filed 12/10/18 Page 6 of 46




             officers, climbed the stairs at the front entry of 498 Center Hill Avenue with TFO

             Hutchens. (Tr. 55). About ten minutes after their arrival, the group of officers knocked

             and announced their presence. (Tr. 76). Because the front door was recessed several

             feet and only one officer could fit at the entry, TFO Hutchens knocked on the side of the

             house close to the front door. TFO Hutchens states that the officers “identified

             [themselves] as police and requested someone to come and open the door.” (Tr. 56).

                   Defendant, who had similar skin tone as Ryan Jackson, opened the door. (Tr. 56-

             58). TFO Hutchens thought that the person could be Ryan Jackson, but had a feeling

             that it was not Ryan Jackson when he saw Defendant’s dreadlocks because Ryan

             Jackson had short hair in all of the photos TFO Hutchens had seen. (Tr. 56-58, 68-70).

             Nevertheless, TFO Hutchens still thought Ryan Jackson was inside because he had

             information that Ryan Jackson sometimes went to the residence, Ryan Jackson’s brother

             (Defendant) claimed the address on his driver’s license, Ryan Jackson had posted photos

             of himself at 498 Center Hill on social media, and the person he saw enter the home

             earlier matched the description for Ryan Jackson. (Tr. 71-73, 78).

                   Defendant stood in the middle of the doorway, but slammed the door less than

             two seconds later. (Tr. 58, 99). TFO Hutchens testified that at that time, he smelled

             marijuana.2 (Tr. 58). TFO Hutchens states that after Defendant closed the door, his


                    2
                     While TFO Hutchens and other officers indicated that they smelled marijuana
             when Defendant opened the door, this Court notes that the absence of a discussion
             about the smell of marijuana in the police reports and in the search warrant
             application. (Gov’t’s Exs. 5-6; Def.’s Ex. 10).
                                                        6



AO 72A
(Rev.8/82)
               Case 1:18-cr-00095-LMM-LTW Document 33 Filed 12/10/18 Page 7 of 46




             initial thoughts were that Ryan Jackson was in the house and that he was collecting

             weapons to engage the officers, to barricade himself, or to hide in other parts of the

             house. (Tr. 59). Thus, TFO Hutchens was concerned for the safety of the officers. (Tr.

             59).

                    B.    The Officers Ram the Door and Perform a Security Sweep of the
                          Residence

                    Approximately nine minutes after the officers knocked on the door and announced

             their presence, the officers breached the front door with a ram. (Tr. 59, 67, 77-78). TFO

             Hutchens states that the officers could see into the residence and observed multiple

             people “running left, right, [and] all over the house.” (Tr. 59). The officers then called

             to the interior, “Hey, this is the police, come out to us.” (Tr. 59). Several of the

             occupants filed out of the home where the police made contact with them on the porch.

             (Tr. 60). Defendant eventually came outside. (Tr. 60). Each of the occupants were

             secured with handcuffs away from the front porch. (Tr. 62). The officers never saw the

             individual who TFO Hutchens thought met the description of Ryan Jackson. (Tr. 68).

                    After TFO Hutchens reached the point where he believed that no other individuals

             would be leaving the house, he decided that the officers should enter the residence and

             perform a security sweep. (Tr. 85-86). TFO Hutchens testified that because of

             Defendant’s reaction when he opened the door, the smell of narcotics emanating from

             the residence, the presence of the weapons systems in an apartment where law

             enforcement officers previously tried to arrest Ryan Jackson, and all of the issues police


                                                         7



AO 72A
(Rev.8/82)
               Case 1:18-cr-00095-LMM-LTW Document 33 Filed 12/10/18 Page 8 of 46




             had at the prior attempt to arrest Jackson, he believed that the officers needed to enter

             the house to clear it. (Tr. 61, 93). Additionally, TFO Hutchens was concerned that

             because of the amount of time that had elapsed between the officers arriving at the

             residence, knocking, and actually putting their feet inside the door, Ryan Jackson would

             have had plenty of time to “barricade up, collect these weapons, [and] could be waiting

             on [the officers].” (Tr. 93). TFO Hutchens also testified that the officers entered the

             residence because he was there for a fugitive that he believed to be inside. (Tr. 81).

                   Several minutes after the officers breached the door, the entry team conducted the

             security sweep. (Tr. 60, 80). As part of the security sweep, the officers, with their

             weapons drawn, looked for people in the residence anywhere in which a body could fit.

             (Tr. 61-62). Once the house was secure, the officers holstered their weapons. (Tr. 62).

             While performing the security sweep, the officers observed multiple firearms laying

             around the residence. (Tr. 50).

                   Task Force Officer Joshua Mauney, who was also assigned to the United States

             Marshal Fugitive Task Force pursuing Ryan Jackson on August 12, 2015, testified that

             he went to 498 Center Hill Avenue with the team to arrest Ryan Jackson. (Tr. 97-98).

             After Defendant slammed the door in the officers’ faces, TFO Mauney became

             concerned that Defendant was trying to hide Ryan Jackson and that he was trying to give

             Ryan Jackson time to escape or to barricade himself. (Tr. 99). TFO Mauney testified

             that before Defendant closed the door on the officers, TFO Mauney smelled marijuana.

             (Tr. 100). TFO Mauney also testified that he could still smell marijuana after he entered

                                                        8



AO 72A
(Rev.8/82)
               Case 1:18-cr-00095-LMM-LTW Document 33 Filed 12/10/18 Page 9 of 46




             the residence. (Tr. 100). While conducting the search, he observed guns and drugs in

             plain view inside the residence. (Tr. 101). TFO Mauney admits that he did not enter

             498 Center Hill Avenue because he smelled marijuana, but rather because he was

             pursuing a fugitive. (Tr. 106).

                   C.     Law Enforcement Officers Obtain a Warrant for a Search of 498
                          Center Hill Avenue

                   TFOs Hutchens and Mauney were not involved with the paperwork to obtain a

             warrant. (Tr. 89). Investigator O’Hare of the United States Marshal Service contacted

             Detective David Pickering of the Atlanta Police Department to seek assistance in

             obtaining a warrant for the search of the residence. (Tr. 120-22). Investigator O’Hare

             told Detective Pickering that the house was located on the 400 block of Center Hill, that

             the exterior of the house was blue, and that the color of the steps for the house was red.

             (Tr. 122-23). Investigator O’Hare also told Detective Pickering that the reason for the

             search warrant was because officers observed marijuana in plain view in three rooms.

             (Tr. 145). Investigator O’Hare did not mention the marijuana smell to Detective

             Pickering. (Tr. 145).

                   The affidavit and application for a search warrant initially described the address

             to be searched as 490 Center Hill Street NW, 30318. (Def.’s Ex. 14, at 000007). One

             line below, it described the location to be searched as a blue single-story dwelling with

             red wooden stairs leading to the front door on 490 Center Hill Avenue. (Def.’s Ex. 14,

             at 000007). In the affidavit and application, it was noted that during the search of the

             residence for Ryan Jackson, the officers discovered “marijuana in plain view in three
                                                         9



AO 72A
(Rev.8/82)
              Case 1:18-cr-00095-LMM-LTW Document 33 Filed 12/10/18 Page 10 of 46




             rooms” and approximately twelve types of firearms inside the residence. (Gov’t’s Ex.

             6). The officers sought authorization for the search of Defendant’s residence for

             marijuana, weapons, and other evidence of narcotics possession or distribution.

             (Gov’t’s Ex. 6).

                   The Judge signed the search warrant at 4:45 p.m. and Detective Pickering arrived

             at the scene approximately fifteen or twenty minutes later to execute the search warrant.

             (Tr. 150). The warrant described the location to be searched in exactly the same way

             it was described in the affidavit and application, including the description as being a

             blue house with red front steps and the discrepancy between 490 Center Hill Street on

             one line and 490 Center Hill Avenue on the next. (Def.’s Ex. 15, at 000002).

                   Detective Pickering states that when he arrived at the scene for purposes of

             executing the search warrant, officers directed him to a blue house with the red steps,

             on 498 Center Hill Avenue. (Tr. 64, 127, Gov’t’s Ex. 4). Detective Pickering testified

             that he did not realize the last digit of the house number was incorrect on the warrant

             until after executed the search warrant at the blue house.3 (Tr. 125, 164). Detective

             Pickering states that prior to August 12, 2015, he had never been to Defendant’s

             neighborhood and that mail for 490 Center Hill was found in the mailbox outside 498

             Center Hill. (Tr. 125, 130). Detective Pickering also points out that 490 Center Hill did


                    3
                   TFO Hutchens never doubted that the street address was 498 Center Hill
             Avenue and never thought that the address was 490 Center Hill Avenue. (Tr. 84).
             TFO Hutchens, however, was not involved in obtaining the search warrant. (Tr. 84-
             85).
                                                        10



AO 72A
(Rev.8/82)
              Case 1:18-cr-00095-LMM-LTW Document 33 Filed 12/10/18 Page 11 of 46




             not meet the physical description of the exterior and the color of the stairs that he

             described in his search warrant because it was beige with tan bricks and it was not blue.

             (Tr. 127-28).

                   On the search warrant return, which was a pre-made form, Detective Pickering

             indicated that he “searched the premises particularly described in [the] search warrant”

             and left the search warrant “in a conspicuous place on the premises particularly

             described in the [s]earch [w]arrant.” (Tr. 153-54; Def.’s Ex. 16, at 000013). Detective

             Pickering testified that it was not his intent to mislead the court with respect to where

             he had executed the search warrant. (Tr. 163-64). On a Supplemental Offense Report,

             dated August 13, 2015, Detective Pickering indicated that the address on the warrant

             was incorrect and that the actual address was 498 Center Hill Avenue. (Tr. 126, Def.’s

             Ex. 10, at 000036). Detective Pickering also noted that the house was particularly

             described on the search warrant as a single story dwelling with a blue exterior and

             stained red wooden stairs leading to the front door and that there was no other residence

             meeting that description. (Def.’s Ex. 10, at 000036).

                   Detective Pickering testified that he could smell the marijuana when he was

             conducting the search. (Tr. 167-68). Law enforcement officers found approximately

             four pounds of marijuana during their search. (Tr. 166).

                   D.     Officer Mark Olson Performed a Search of the Residence and
                          Interviewed Defendant at the Scene

                   Officer Mark Olson of the Atlanta Police Department (“APD”) interviewed

             Defendant during daylight hours on August 12, 2015, inside Defendant’s kitchen. (Tr.

                                                        11



AO 72A
(Rev.8/82)
              Case 1:18-cr-00095-LMM-LTW Document 33 Filed 12/10/18 Page 12 of 46




             4-6, 17, 24). The interview was videotaped and during the course of the interview, it is

             apparent that other people and a police dog were present. (Gov’t’s Ex. 11; Tr. 9, 24).

             Prior to the interview, Officer Olson advised Defendant of his Miranda rights, and

             Defendant agreed to speak with him. (Tr. 8-10). Officer Olson, consistent with what

             was depicted on the video, testified that he did not threaten Defendant, strike him, beat

             him, or promise him leniency and that no one had their weapons drawn on Defendant

             during the interview. (Tr. 8-9).

                   During the interview, Officer Olson asked Defendant to tell him “about the

             marijuana and the guns [Officer Olson] found in [Defendant’s] bedroom.” (Tr. 11;

             Gov’t’s Ex. 11). Defendant admitted that the guns and marijuana belonged to him. (Tr.

             10-11). Officer Olson also asked Defendant about other contraband found in the home

             and often told Defendant the location where officers found the contraband. (Gov’t’s Ex.

             11). Defendant continued to admit that the contraband belonged to him. (Id.). When

             Officer Olson asked Defendant about a Glock that Officer Olson found “in the other

             bedroom that wasn’t [Defendant’s],” Defendant advised Officer Olson that when he

             initially answered the door for the officers, the officers were at the door with guns

             pointing at him. (Tr. 11-12; Gov’t’s Ex. 11). Defendant stated that he shut the door in

             order to remove the Glock from his person so as not to incite the police at the door. (Tr.

             11-12; Gov’t’s Ex. 11).

                   Officer Olson also participated in a search of the residence. (Tr. 13). Officer

             Olson initially arrived at the scene to “look at the house,” but does not recall whether


                                                        12



AO 72A
(Rev.8/82)
               Case 1:18-cr-00095-LMM-LTW Document 33 Filed 12/10/18 Page 13 of 46




             he waited until he obtained the search warrant to enter the house. (Tr. 26-27). Officer

             Olson admits that his entry occurred after the Marshals had already made entry into the

             home to perform the protective sweep. (Tr. 26-27 (indicating that he does not recall if

             he entered the house before the officers obtained a search warrant)). Officer Olson

             testified that prior to entering the home, he could smell marijuana outside the house.

             (Tr. 14, 36).

                    At some point, Officer Olson documented a walk through of the home on video.

             (Tr. 18). During such a walk through, officers usually document everything they find

             in plain view and record how the house looked. (Tr. 18; Gov’t’s Ex. 9). Officer Olson

             does not recall whether he had a warrant at the time. (Tr. 25-27). It was documented

             on the walk through that law enforcement officers found firearms, marijuana, baggies,

             a shotgun, an AK-47 style rifle, as well as electronic scales in the home. (Tr. 16-17).

             Officer Olson admits that he never saw the contraband inside the house until after he

             was inside the house; he did not view the contraband from outside the windows. (Tr.

             35-36).

                   Tiana Lee, who was detained at the residence on Center Hill Avenue on August

             12, 2015, testified that she did not smell marijuana either while she was inside the

             residence or detained outside the residence. (Tr. 113-14). Lee, testified that at the time

             of her arrest, she was dating Defendant and had visited the house four or five times. (Tr.

             115-17). Lee states that she had never seen or smelled anyone smoke marijuana inside

             the residence at any time and she had not seen any scales or firearms within the


                                                        13



AO 72A
(Rev.8/82)
               Case 1:18-cr-00095-LMM-LTW Document 33 Filed 12/10/18 Page 14 of 46




             residence. (Tr. 117). Lee, further testified that when she went to the residence, she

             would go into Defendant’s bedroom and did not wander around the house. (Tr. 117).

             II.   LEGAL ANALYSIS

                   Defendant argues the initial entry into his residence at 498 Center Hill Avenue

             in order to locate his brother was not permitted under Steagald v. United States, 451

             U.S. 204 (1981) or Payton v. New York, 445 U.S. 573 (1980) because the law

             enforcement officers did not have a reasonable belief that his brother lived at the

             premises, that his brother was present at the time, or that exigent circumstances justified

             the officers’ entry. Defendant also contends that the officers had no exigency to enter

             into the residence even if they smelled marijuana odor because they did not enter

             because of marijuana odor, they entered to find his brother. Additionally, Defendant

             argues that any exigency was created by the law enforcement officers who entered the

             front porch of the residence, making their presence known, instead of obtaining a

             warrant. Defendant further contends that the search warrant for 490 Center Hill Avenue

             did not give the officers the authority to enter 498 Center Hill Avenue because the

             premises at 498 Center Hill Avenue were not described with particularity in the warrant

             and the warrant created a risk that the officers would search the wrong location.

                   A.     It Was Not Lawful for the Officers to Enter Defendant Christopher
                          Jackson’s Residence in Order to Execute the Arrest Warrant for His
                          Brother

                   Under the facts of this case, the undersigned finds that the officers’ initial entry

             into Defendant’s residence was not lawful. The Fourth Amendment guarantees “[t]he


                                                         14



AO 72A
(Rev.8/82)
              Case 1:18-cr-00095-LMM-LTW Document 33 Filed 12/10/18 Page 15 of 46




             right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against

             unreasonable searches and seizures.” U.S. Const. amend IV. “The sanctity of a

             home is afforded special protection under the Fourth Amendment, such that the reasons

             for upholding warrantless arrests in a public place do not apply to warrantless invasions

             of the privacy of the home.” Bashir v. Rockdale Cty., 445 F.3d 1323, 1327 (11th Cir.

             2006). The Supreme Court decided in Payton v. New York, 445 U.S. 573 (1980), that

             an arrest warrant based upon probable cause gives law enforcement officers “the limited

             authority to enter a dwelling in which the suspect lives when there is reason to believe

             the suspect is within.” Id. at 603; United States v. Hollis, 780 F.3d 1064, 1068 (11th

             Cir. 2015). When determining whether law enforcement officials may enter a residence

             “to execute an arrest warrant for a resident of the premises, the facts and circumstances

             within the knowledge of law enforcement agents, when viewed in the totality, must

             warrant a reasonable belief that the location to be searched is the suspect’s dwelling and

             that the suspect is within the residence at the time of entry.” United States v. Magluta,

             44 F.3d 1530, 1535 (11th Cir. 1995).

                   The warrantless entry of Defendant’s residence at 498 Center Hill Avenue to

             arrest his brother, Ryan Jackson, was not authorized under Payton, supra, because the

             officers did not have reason to believe that Ryan Jackson was living there. When

             determining whether officers had reason to believe that Ryan Jackson was residing at

             498 Center Hill Avenue, common sense facts are analyzed. United States v. Bellamy,

             456 F. App’x 863, 865 (11th Cir. 2012). The facts within the knowledge of the law


                                                        15



AO 72A
(Rev.8/82)
               Case 1:18-cr-00095-LMM-LTW Document 33 Filed 12/10/18 Page 16 of 46




             enforcement officers in this case did not warrant a reasonable belief that 498 Center Hill

             Avenue was Ryan Jackson’s residence at the time of entry. Indeed, it is not apparent

             that even the officers who were pursuing Ryan Jackson believed that he resided there.

             (Tr. 71). Although Ryan Jackson was a fugitive and could have been staying with his

             brother, Defendant Christopher Jackson, the police officers at the scene readily admit

             that they did not know whether Ryan Jackson was residing at 498 Center Hill Avenue.

             (Tr. 71-73 (testimony by TFO Hutchens that he “could not tell you if that was his

             residence or not, if he was laying his head there or not,” that he had “no idea,” and

             admitting that none of the things that he was investigating that led him to that house told

             him that Ryan Jackson lived there), 105-06 (testimony by TFO Mauney that he thought

             Ryan Jackson lived at 498 Center Hill Avenue because he took the word of another

             officer and states that he does not know if Ryan Jackson “lived there or not or if he ever

             stayed there” and that he has “no idea”)). Furthermore, TFO Hutchens admits that Ryan

             Jackson was not listed on any of the documentation he could locate for the property.

             (Tr. 71, 73). Although TFO Hutchens testified that he had surveilled the residence for

             more than one day, there is no indication that he had seen Ryan Jackson there on any

             day other than August 12, 2015. (Tr. 50-51). While the officers had viewed social

             media postings which included pictures of Ryan Jackson at 498 Center Hill avenue,

             given that his brother resided there, Ryan Jackson’s presence at the residence on social

             media, without more, at most suggests that he was visiting his brother there, and not that

             he resided there. Here, the Government presents no evidence that Ryan Jackson was


                                                         16



AO 72A
(Rev.8/82)
              Case 1:18-cr-00095-LMM-LTW Document 33 Filed 12/10/18 Page 17 of 46




             living at the residence, such as bills or mail addressed to him at the house, or neighbors

             or relatives advising police that he lived there. The surveillance of the residence on

             other days failed to reveal any evidence that Ryan Jackson even spent the night at

             Defendant’s residence. Indeed, there was no evidence that the alleged tipster indicated

             that Ryan Jackson was living in the residence. Accordingly, the police did not have a

             reasonable belief that Ryan Jackson was living in Defendant’s home.

                   Because the officers did not have reason to believe that Ryan Jackson was

             residing at 498 Center Hill Avenue, without some other justification, the officers could

             not lawfully enter Defendant’s residence for the purpose of arresting his brother. When

             an officer effectuates an arrest warrant in a third-party’s home, the officer may violate

             the Fourth Amendment rights of the third-party. Hollis, 780 F.3d at 1068 (citing

             Steagald v. United States, 451 U.S. 204, 212-16 (1981)); O’Rourke v. Hayes, 378 F.3d

             1201, 1209 (11th Cir. 2004). The Supreme Court held in Steagald v. United States, 451

             U.S. 204 (1981), that a law enforcement officer may not legally search for the subject

             of an arrest warrant in the home of a third party without first obtaining a search warrant

             unless exigent circumstances are present or consent is given. Id. at 205-06, 213-14. An

             arrest warrant alone is not sufficient because it creates the potential for abuse; “armed

             solely with an arrest warrant for a single person, the police could search all the homes

             of that individual’s friends and acquaintances.” Bates v. Harvey, 518 F.3d 1233, 1245

             (11th Cir. 2008). Thus, “[t]he police bear a heavy burden of proving that the exigent

             circumstances exception validates a warrantless entry or search of a third party’s home


                                                        17



AO 72A
(Rev.8/82)
              Case 1:18-cr-00095-LMM-LTW Document 33 Filed 12/10/18 Page 18 of 46




             to look for a non-resident.” Bates, 518 F.3d at 1245.

                   B.     The Officers’ Actions Were Not Justified by Exigent Circumstances

                   The Government argues exigent circumstances justified the officers’ entry into

             498 Center Hill Avenue without a search warrant because the officers were concerned

             about the risk of flight and danger to the officers’ safety posed by Ryan Jackson, who

             was a fugitive wanted for violent crimes and considered to be armed and dangerous.

             Conversely, Defendant contends that the police did not enter the residence due to

             exigent circumstances; they entered to find Ryan Jackson. To the extent that there were

             exigent circumstances present, Defendant argues the officers created their own exigency

             by pounding on the front door. Absent the officers pounding on the door, Defendant

             further argues, there was no reason to believe that the occupants of the house had been

             tipped off as to the presence of law enforcement officers, no reason to be concerned for

             the destruction of evidence, no danger to persons present, or any other circumstances

             described as exigent. The officers could have retreated, obtained a search warrant, and

             returned, all without alerting the occupants of the house.

                   “The exigent circumstances exception to the warrant requirement recognizes a

             warrantless entry by criminal law enforcement officials may be legal when there is a

             compelling need for official action and no time to secure a warrant.” United States v.

             McCoy, 259 F. App’x 264, 267 (11th Cir. 2007) (citing Bashir, 445 F.3d at 1328);

             United States v. Holloway, 290 F.3d 1331, 1337 (11th Cir. 2002). “The exigency

             exception only applies when ‘the inevitable delay incident to obtaining a warrant must


                                                       18



AO 72A
(Rev.8/82)
              Case 1:18-cr-00095-LMM-LTW Document 33 Filed 12/10/18 Page 19 of 46




             give way to an urgent need for immediate action.’” United States v. Lynch, 934 F.2d

             1226, 1232 (11th Cir. 1991) (citing United States v. Burgos, 720 F.2d 1520, 1526 (11th

             Cir.1983)). For the exception to apply, the officer “must have probable cause to believe

             that exigent circumstances exist,” and the reasonableness of that belief is “evaluated by

             reference to the circumstances then confronting the officer, including the need for a

             prompt assessment of sometimes ambiguous information concerning potentially serious

             consequences.” Smith v. LePage, 834 F.3d 1285, 1293 (11th Cir. 2016) (quoting

             Roberts v. Spielman, 643 F.3d 899, 905-06 (11th Cir. 2011)); see also United States v.

             Duhon, 503 F. App’x 874, 877 (11th Cir. 2013) (citing United States v. Holloway, 290

             F.3d 1331, 1334 (11th Cir. 2002)) (“Underlying the exigent circumstances exception is

             the notion that ‘once presented with an emergency situation, the police must act quickly,

             based on hurried and incomplete information.’”). “The general requirement that a

             search warrant be obtained is not lightly to be dispensed with, and ‘the burden is on

             those seeking [an] exemption from the requirement to show the need for it.” United

             States v. Santa, 236 F.3d 662, 669 (11th Cir. 2000) (citing Chimel v. California, 395

             U.S. 752, 762 (1969)); see also McCoy, 259 F. App’x at 267.

                    The exigent circumstances exception only applies if the police reasonably believe

             that an emergency situation justifies warrantless action, such as situations involving

             “danger of flight or escape, loss or destruction of evidence, risk of harm to the public

             or the police, mobility of a vehicle, and hot pursuit.” See, e.g., McCoy, 259 F. App’x

             at 267 (finding exigent circumstances where suspect was believed to be inside


                                                        19



AO 72A
(Rev.8/82)
              Case 1:18-cr-00095-LMM-LTW Document 33 Filed 12/10/18 Page 20 of 46




             apartment, officers viewed chrome revolver on apartment floor, suspect was known to

             carry weapons and believed to have committed three murders, and vehicle left the scene

             at a high-rate of speed around the same time that officer yelled gun) (citing Bashir, 445

             F.3d at 1328). The following factors may contribute to exigent circumstances: (1) if the

             suspect is charged with violent offense(s); (2) a reasonable belief that the suspect is

             armed; (3) a strong reason to believe that the suspect is in the premises being entered;

             (4) probable cause to believe that the suspect committed the crime; (5) a reasonable

             belief that the delay could allow for the destruction of essential evidence or the escape

             of the suspect; (6) a reasonable belief that delay could jeopardize the safety of law

             enforcement officers or the public; and (7) whether the entry was peaceful. Parker v.

             Allen, 565 F.3d 1258, 1290 (11th Cir. 2009); United States v. Standridge, 810 F.2d

             1034, 1037 (11th Cir. 1987).

                   Applying the aforementioned factors, the Court cannot reach the conclusion that

             exigent circumstances were present at the time the officers entered the curtilage of

             Defendant’s residence to effectuate the arrest. Although Ryan Jackson was charged

             with serious violent offenses, the Supreme Court has counseled that exigent

             circumstances do not exist just because the police have an arrest warrant for a fugitive,

             even if the fugitive is wanted on serious offenses. Steagald, 451 U.S. at 215; Mincey

             v. Arizona, 437 U.S. 385, 392 (1978) (explaining that the mere fact that the suspect was

             believed to have committed a homicide was not enough to give rise to exigent

             circumstances). Additionally, while there was a possibility that Ryan Jackson was


                                                        20



AO 72A
(Rev.8/82)
              Case 1:18-cr-00095-LMM-LTW Document 33 Filed 12/10/18 Page 21 of 46




             armed, the Government’s proof falls short of showing that he was armed at the time he

             allegedly was at his brother’s residence. Notwithstanding that Ryan Jackson was

             believed to have been armed during commission of a home invasion and an armed

             robbery, it had been months since Ryan Jackson had allegedly committed the armed

             robbery or since the time law enforcement officers attempted to apprehend him at his

             father’s house. The fact that Ryan Jackson may have utilized a weapon to commit

             armed robbery does not necessarily lead to the conclusion, without more, that he

             remained armed when he arrived at the house of his brother more than three months

             later. The Government asks the Court to accept that because the law enforcement

             officers found weapons in Ryan Jackson’s father’s apartment, that it was likely that they

             would find weapons at Defendant Jackson’s house. Although the circumstances

             certainly counseled caution for the officers, the Government did not connect Ryan

             Jackson or Defendant Jackson to the weapons present at Ryan Jackson’s father’s

             apartment. There is no evidence that Ryan Jackson was living at his father’s apartment.

             TFO Hutchens only states he had seen Ryan Jackson come to his father’s apartment

             twice and leave. (Tr. 49). When the officers went to Ryan Jackson’s father’s apartment,

             Ryan Jackson was not found there. (Tr. 49-50). In addition, there was no evidence that

             Ryan Jackson was living in Defendant’s home. Without more, this Court has difficulty

             accepting the premise that the presence of weapons at Ryan Jackson’s father’s apartment

             means there must also have been weapons at Defendant Chris Jackson’s house.

                   Furthermore, this is not a situation where there was any evidence that Ryan


                                                        21



AO 72A
(Rev.8/82)
              Case 1:18-cr-00095-LMM-LTW Document 33 Filed 12/10/18 Page 22 of 46




             Jackson or even Defendant Chris Jackson knew law enforcement officers were

             surveilling Ryan Jackson or Defendant’s home in pursuit of Ryan Jackson that day. The

             Eleventh Circuit has repeatedly held that “circumstances are not normally considered

             exigent where the suspects are unaware of police surveillance” because “in such

             situations, the officers easily could maintain surveillance until they could make a public

             arrest or obtain a warrant.” United States v. Hayes, 334 F. App’x 222, 225 (11th Cir.

             2009); see also United States v. Lockett, 533 F. App’x 957, 964 (11th Cir. 2013); Santa,

             236 F.3d at 669-70. The Eleventh Circuit has reasoned that “[s]uspects who are inside

             their homes and unaware of their pending arrests generally have no reason immediately

             to flee” and without more “there is little reason for them to endanger the lives of

             themselves or others.” United States v. Lynch, 934 F.2d 1226, 1232-33 (11th Cir. 1991)

             (citing United States v. George, 883 F.2d 1407, 1413-14 (9th Cir. 1989)); Napier v.

             Fowler, No. 09-60684-CIV-UNGARO, 2009 WL 10699620, at *1, 7-9 (S.D. Fla. Nov.

             30, 2009) (even though armed robbery suspect believed to be in third-party’s residence

             was wanted for a grave offense, exigent circumstances did not justify the search for

             suspect because more than twenty-four hours had passed since the robbery and officers

             were not in hot pursuit, officers did not have reason to believe that the suspect was

             armed because they had recovered inoperable firearm from scene of the robbery, and

             there was no reason to believe that suspect was alerted to officer’s presence).

                   Here, the Government does not show that prior to the point the officers entered

             the curtilage of Defendant’s home, the occupants of the home would have had any


                                                        22



AO 72A
(Rev.8/82)
              Case 1:18-cr-00095-LMM-LTW Document 33 Filed 12/10/18 Page 23 of 46




             reason to know that the officers were pursuing Ryan Jackson or that Ryan Jackson, to

             the extent he may have been in the home, would have any reason to flee. There is no

             indication that the occupants of the residence observed TFO Hutchens surveilling them.

             The evidence is clear that up to the point in which TFO Hutchens entered Defendant’s

             property with a team of law enforcement officers, TFO Hutchens was careful to not tip

             any occupants of the home to his presence or that he was law enforcement. TFO

             Hutchens’ testimony shows that he was cautious about being detected and that he

             actually left his surveillance post near the home to meet with the other officers who

             would be on the entry team at another location out of view. (Tr. 54-55, 81-82). TFO

             Hutchens did not request that another officer replace him at the surveillance post

             because the street was small and he would not risk someone watching and seeing

             another car coming in there. (Tr. 54-55, 81-82).

                   Nevertheless, there was no showing by the Government that TFO Hutchens could

             not have maintained surveillance with the other officers stationed on standby nearby

             while obtaining a warrant. See Lynch, 934 F.2d at 1232 n.4 (“We will not hold that the

             warrantless search of an individual’s home may be justified by the police’s inability to

             maintain effective surveillance, particularly when no exigency has been established.

             Such a holding would run counter to all established fourth amendment precedent.”);

             Santa, 236 F.3d at 669 (rejecting government’s argument that officers needed to enter

             defendant’s apartment immediately to prevent the destruction of evidence and

             defendant’s escape because the occupants of the apartment were unaware they were


                                                       23



AO 72A
(Rev.8/82)
               Case 1:18-cr-00095-LMM-LTW Document 33 Filed 12/10/18 Page 24 of 46




             under police investigation, the surveilling DEA agents were all in unmarked cars and

             they had done nothing to disclose their presence, and agents had no cause to believe that

             confidential informant had tipped off suspects); United States v. Hudson, 102 F. App’x

             127, 136 (10th Cir. 2004) (rejecting conclusion that exigent circumstances justified

             warrantless entry into third party’s home to execute felony arrest warrant for suspect

             who was armed, had eluded capture for a week, and might escape again because there

             was no emergency or immediate need to enter home to protect life or property nor proof

             that the police had an immediate need to enter to protect themselves or their safety).

             The Government omits to explain why TFO Hutchens could not have briefed the other

             officers via telephone, while other officers secured a search warrant for Ryan Jackson

             instead of meeting offsite for forty-five minutes. Indeed, TFO Hutchens testified that

             prior to that point, he had been maintaining surveillance for a few hours each day. (Tr.

             51). Additionally, the search took place in the middle of the day on a week day; thus,

             it stands to reason that access to court personnel to obtain a warrant for the search of the

             residence would be possible and could occur quickly. Notably, after the initial

             protective sweep and search for Ryan Jackson, the officers did utilize a second set of

             officers to obtain the search warrant and they did so through an electronic procedure

             where law enforcement officers complete a search warrant application form

             electronically from Public Safety Headquarters and “zap it over to a judge who is in a

             different location.” (Tr. 142-43, 147-48). Thus, the officers could not rely on the

             exigent circumstances exception and at that point, could not lawfully enter the property


                                                         24



AO 72A
(Rev.8/82)
              Case 1:18-cr-00095-LMM-LTW Document 33 Filed 12/10/18 Page 25 of 46




             or the home in order to execute the warrant for Ryan Jackson. Steagald v. United States,

             451 U.S. 204, 205-06 (1981).

                   C.     The Officers’ Presence on the Property Was Not Justified as a Knock
                          and Talk

                   The Government argues, citing Kentucky v. King, 563 U.S. 452 (2011), that the

             officers lawfully knocked on Defendant’s door and announced their presence, and

             contends that in the King case, the Supreme Court rejected the argument that a

             warrantless search is invalid where law enforcement created the exigency by either

             knocking on the door of a residence and announcing their presence or by engaging in

             conduct that would prompt a reaction from the occupants. The Court disagrees that the

             Supreme Court’s decision in King is as far-reaching as the Government has argued.

                   In King, the police set up a controlled buy of crack cocaine outside an apartment

             complex and Officer Gibbons observed the deal take place from an unmarked car in a

             nearby parking lot. 563 U.S. at 456. Officer Gibbons radioed uniformed officers to

             move in on the suspect and advised the officers that the suspect was moving quickly

             towards the breezeway of an apartment building. Id. Officer Gibbons told the officers

             to hurry before the suspect entered an apartment. Id. As pursuing officers entered the

             breezeway, they heard a door shut and detected a strong odor of burnt marijuana. Id.

             At the end of the breezeway, officers saw two apartments, one on the left and one on the

             right, and were unsure which apartment the suspect had entered. Id. Because they

             smelled marijuana smoke emanating from the apartment on the left, they approached the

             door of the apartment. Id. One of the officers who approached the door testified that

                                                       25



AO 72A
(Rev.8/82)
              Case 1:18-cr-00095-LMM-LTW Document 33 Filed 12/10/18 Page 26 of 46




             the officers banged on the door “as loud as they could” and announced, “This is the

             police” or “Police, police, police.” Id. As soon as the officers banged on the door, they

             could hear people moving inside and sounds as if things were also being moved inside.

             Id. According to one officer on the scene, the noises led the officers to believe that

             drug-related evidence was about to be destroyed. Id. The officers then announced that

             they were going to make entry inside the apartment, kicked in the door, and entered the

             apartment. Id. After entry, the officers found respondent Hollis King, his girlfriend, and

             a guest who was smoking marijuana. Id. at 456-57. The officers performed a protective

             sweep, during which they saw marijuana and powder cocaine in plain view. Id. at 457.

             The police also found the suspected drug dealer who was the target of their

             investigation. Id. at 457.

                   The Supreme Court observed that under the exigent circumstances doctrine,

             several exigencies may justify a warrantless search of a home, including “the need to

             prevent imminent destruction of evidence,” which was at issue in that case. Id. at 460.

             The Court then observed that lower courts had developed the police-created exigency

             doctrine as an exception to the exigent circumstances rule. Id. at 461. Under the

             doctrine, courts, recognizing that the reason evidence is destroyed will usually be fear

             that the evidence will fall into the hands of law enforcement, often held that the police-

             created exigency doctrine requires something more than simple causation but differed

             on the test to be applied. Id. at 461-62. The Court then reasoned that the answer to the

             question presented in the case was that given that the touchstone of when warrantless


                                                        26



AO 72A
(Rev.8/82)
              Case 1:18-cr-00095-LMM-LTW Document 33 Filed 12/10/18 Page 27 of 46




             searches are permitted is reasonableness, when police may have created the exigency

             “the exigent circumstances rule justifies a warrantless search when the conduct of the

             police preceding the exigency is reasonable in the same sense.” Id. at 462. The Court

             concluded “[w]here, as here, the police did not create the exigency by engaging or

             threatening to engage in conduct that violates the Fourth Amendment, warrantless entry

             to prevent the destruction of evidence is reasonable and thus allowed.” Id. at 462. In

             support, the Court noted that it had followed a similar approach in other cases and that

             for instance, “law enforcement officers may seize evidence in plain view, provided that

             they have not violated the Fourth Amendment in arriving at the spot from which the

             observation of the evidence is made.” Id. at 463 (citing Horton v. California, 496 U.S.

             128, 136-140 (1990)).

                   The Supreme Court then rejected some approaches previously advanced in the

             lower courts. The Supreme Court rejected the notion that a warrantless search justified

             by exigent circumstances becomes invalid because it was reasonably foreseeable that

             investigative tactics employed by the police would create the exigent circumstances. Id.

             at 464-65. The Court also noted that courts applying this test have invalidated

             warrantless home searches on the ground that it was reasonably foreseeable that police

             officers, by knocking on the door and announcing their presence, would lead a drug

             suspect to destroy evidence. Id. at 464-65. The Court reasoned that such a rule would

             not be appropriate because it would be too difficult for officers in the field, who must

             make split-second judgments under rapidly-evolving circumstances, to apply. King, 563


                                                       27



AO 72A
(Rev.8/82)
              Case 1:18-cr-00095-LMM-LTW Document 33 Filed 12/10/18 Page 28 of 46




             U.S. at 464-65.

                   Likewise, the Supreme Court has rejected the approach that an otherwise valid

             exigent circumstances search is invalid when law enforcement officers deliberately

             created the exigent circumstances with the bad faith intent to avoid the warrant

             requirement because the approach is fundamentally inconsistent with Fourth

             Amendment jurisprudence requiring examination of whether the circumstances

             objectively justify the law enforcement action. King, 563 U.S. at 464-65. Furthermore,

             the fact that the law enforcement officers have obtained probable cause to search and

             time to obtain a warrant and instead, choose to knock on the door and speak with an

             occupant or obtain consent for a search, does not invalidate the search because to do so

             is a legitimate law enforcement strategy. Id. at 466-67. The Court considered such a

             strategy legitimate because a short and simple conversation may obviate the need to

             apply for and execute a warrant, or to obtain consent may be simpler, faster, and less

             burdensome than applying for a warrant. King, 563 U.S. at 466-67.

                   The Supreme Court also rejected the argument that law enforcement

             impermissibly create an exigency when they engage in conduct that would cause a

             reasonable person to believe that entry is imminent and inevitable. King, 563 U.S. at

             468. Applying that reasoning, the Court opined that police officers have good reason

             to announce their presence and knock loudly or forcefully on the door, such as to alert

             occupants that someone was at the door, to provide information as to who it is at the

             door so that occupants can evaluate whether to open the door, or to in some cases, to


                                                       28



AO 72A
(Rev.8/82)
               Case 1:18-cr-00095-LMM-LTW Document 33 Filed 12/10/18 Page 29 of 46




             reassure citizens that it is the police at the door. King, 563 U.S. at 468.

                   The Court then returned to the principle that the exigent circumstances rule still

             applies when the police do not gain entry into a premises by means of an actual or

             threatened violation of the Fourth Amendment. Id. The Court then reasoned that

             “[w]hen law enforcement officers who are not armed with a warrant knock on a door,

             they do no more than any private citizen might do,” that such conduct was entirely

             consistent with the Fourth Amendment, and that the court was not aware of any “other

             evidence that might show that the officers either violated the Fourth Amendment or

             threatened to do so (for example, by announcing that they would break down the door

             if the occupants did not open the door voluntarily).” Id.

                   Thus, the question in instant case becomes whether the police either violated the

             Fourth Amendment or threatened to do so prior to the point when they entered

             Defendant’s home. The Government argues that the law enforcement officers did

             nothing improper when they approached Defendant’s residence to knock and announce

             their presence and that “they are not responsible for his subsequent actions that gave rise

             to the exigent circumstances.” (Gov’t’s Br. 15). This Court disagrees.

                   The Government’s activity at Defendant’s door could have been lawful if it had

             been a valid knock and talk. “A knock and talk is a consensual encounter between

             police who seek to gather information and a civilian, which takes place at the civilian’s

             home.” Young v. Borders, 850 F.3d 1274, 1295 (11th Cir. 2017). Absent express

             orders from the occupant(s) of the residence, the police “are allowed to knock on a


                                                         29



AO 72A
(Rev.8/82)
               Case 1:18-cr-00095-LMM-LTW Document 33 Filed 12/10/18 Page 30 of 46




             residence’s door or otherwise approach the residence seeking to speak to the inhabitants

             just as any private citizen may.” United States v. Lara-Mondragon, 516 F. App’x 771,

             772-73 (11th Cir. 2013); United States v. Taylor, 458 F.3d 1201, 1204 (11th Cir. 2006)

             (explaining that “[a]bsent express orders from the person in possession, an officer may

             walk up the steps and knock on the front door of any man’s ‘castle,’ with the honest

             intent of asking question of the occupant thereof”); see also Florida v. Jardines, 569 U.S.

             1, 8 (2013) (explaining that “a police officer not armed with a warrant may approach a

             home and knock, precisely because that is no more than any private citizen might do”);

             King, 563 U.S. at 471-72 (explaining that it was lawful for officers to approach an

             apartment door and bang on the door “as loud as they could” and announce “this is the

             police” or “police, police, police”). In this Court’s view, however, the law enforcement

             officers’ actions at the front door were not an attempt to knock and talk to the occupants

             of a residence like a normal invitee to the residence. Here, based on this Court’s

             evaluation of the facts, the law enforcement officers entered the property with the intent

             to search for and arrest their fugitive, not to talk. They violated the Fourth Amendment

             when they exceeded the behavior of a normal invitee and utilized their official authority

             as police officers to demand that Defendant open the door and relied on a show of force

             to raid the home.

                   Supreme Court and Eleventh Circuit case law following King make it clear, that

             knocking at the front door of a home is not always a lawful police intrusion into the




                                                         30



AO 72A
(Rev.8/82)
               Case 1:18-cr-00095-LMM-LTW Document 33 Filed 12/10/18 Page 31 of 46




             curtilage4 of the home and the manner in which police enter the curtilage and their

             reason for the entry into the curtilage matters. In Florida v. Jardines, 569 U.S. 1 (2013),

             the Supreme Court evaluated whether using a drug-sniffing dog on a homeowner’s

             porch to investigate the contents of the home was a lawful search, and thus turned to

             “the question of whether it was accomplished through an unlicensed physical intrusion.”

             Id. at 3, 8. The Court then reasoned that the answer to this question depends on whether

             the officers had an implied license to enter the porch, which in turn depends on the

             purpose for which they entered. Jardines, 569 U.S. at 9. The Court explained that based

             upon social custom, “the knocker on a front door is treated as an invitation or license to

             attempt an entry, justifying ingress to the home by solicitors, hawkers and peddlers of

             all kinds” and thus, “[t]his implicit license typically permits the visitor to approach the

             home by the front path, knock promptly, wait briefly to be received, and then (absent

             invitation to linger longer) leave.” Jardines, 569 U.S. at 8. The Court further explained,

             citing King, supra, that a “police not armed with a warrant may approach a home and

             knock, precisely because that is no more than any private citizen might do.” Jardines,

             569 U.S. at 8 (citing King, 563 U.S. at 469-70). The Court then reasoned that

             introducing a trained police dog to explore the area around the home in hopes of



                    4
                     The curtilage of the home is the area “immediately surrounding and associated
             with the home” and is part of the home itself for Fourth Amendment purposes. Florida
             v. Jardines, 569 U.S. 1, 6 (2013). “This area around the home is intimately linked to
             the home, both physically and psychologically, and is where privacy expectations are
             most heightened.” Id. at 7 (internal quotation marks omitted) (quoting California v.
             Ciraolo, 476 U.S. 207, 213 (1986)).
                                                         31



AO 72A
(Rev.8/82)
               Case 1:18-cr-00095-LMM-LTW Document 33 Filed 12/10/18 Page 32 of 46




             discovery incriminating evidence is “something else,” that there is no “customary

             invitation to do that,” and that the scope of a license–express or implied–is limited not

             only to a particular area but also to a specific purpose. Jardines, 569 U.S. at 9. The

             majority of the Court, responding to the criticism that under prior precedent, the

             subjective intent of the officer is irrelevant, stated that the question before the court is

             precisely whether the officer’s conduct was an objectively reasonable search, which

             depended on whether the officers had an implied license to enter the porch, which in

             turn depended on the purpose for which they entered. Id. at 10. The Court concluded

             that under the circumstances, the officers’ conduct objectively revealed a purpose to

             conduct a search, which is not what anyone would have thought the officers as invitees

             would have customarily had a right to do. Id.

                   The Eleventh Circuit opined in United States v. Maxi, 886 F.3d 1318 (11th Cir.

             2018), that “[t]he reasoning in Jardines is not limited to the specific facts of bringing a

             drug-sniffing dog up to the front porch” and “extends to any police intrusion onto

             curtilage that exceeds the customary license extended to all, whether measured by

             officers’ actions or their intent.” Id. at 1327. While the court acknowledged that police

             have an owner’s implied permission to approach a home to knock and talk because that

             is no more than any private citizen might do, the court cautioned that the background

             social norms that invite a visitor to the front door to talk do not invite him there to

             conduct a search or invite “an armed battalion in the yard to launch a raid.” Id. Thus,

             the Eleventh Circuit has held that the scope of the knock and talk exception is limited


                                                         32



AO 72A
(Rev.8/82)
              Case 1:18-cr-00095-LMM-LTW Document 33 Filed 12/10/18 Page 33 of 46




             in two respects: (1) “it ceases where an officer’s behavior objectively reveals a purpose

             to conduct a search”; and (2) “the exception is geographically limited to the front door

             or a minor departure from it.” Id. at 1327; see also United States v. Walker, 799 F.3d

             1361, 1363 (11th Cir. 2015).

                   In Maxi, the Eleventh Circuit applied these principles to find that the police’s

             presence in the curtilage of the defendant’s home was unlawful. There, an informant

             had identified the back unit of a duplex as one where guns and drugs would be found,

             and police began surveilling the property. Id. at 1322. The officers stopped a truck

             leaving the property and asked the occupants for identification. Id. at 1322. After a

             search of the truck revealed no contraband, the truck turned back to the duplex. Id. at

             1322. The officers decided that they should approach the residence with the occupants

             of the truck because otherwise the occupants would alert persons inside. Id. at 1322.

             Thus, five police cars, holding approximately ten officers arrived at the residence and

             both occupants of the truck were detained. Id. at 1322-23. Four or five of the officers

             proceeded through a gate and chain-link fence to the door of the back unit of the duplex

             while the remaining officers surrounded the duplex. Id. at 1322-23. At least one of the

             officers approached the door with his gun drawn in a low, ready position. Id. at 1323.

             The officers reached through a security gate to knock on the door, but probably did not

             announce police. Id. at 1323. One detective testified that after Maxi opened the door,

             he could see a clear mixing bowl and a white plate containing crack cocaine. Id.

             Officers ultimately forced open the security gate at the door and arrested Maxi. Id.


                                                        33



AO 72A
(Rev.8/82)
               Case 1:18-cr-00095-LMM-LTW Document 33 Filed 12/10/18 Page 34 of 46




                   The Eleventh Circuit held that the officers’ presence at the door was not a valid

             knock and talk because their physical intrusion was not geographically limited to the

             front door or minor departure from it since they took of tactical positions not just at the

             front door, but also around the perimeter of the duplex. Id. at 1327. Likewise, the

             officers’ intent in approaching the duplex was not that of an ordinary citizen and that

             there was no doubt that the officers intended to secure the duplex and detain anyone

             they found inside. Id. Moreover, given that one officer had his gun drawn in a low,

             ready position, the encounter was never “intended to be a casual, informational

             interview” and exceeded the customary social invitation. Id. Thus, the officers did not

             have a license to enter the curtilage of the duplex. Id.

                   In this case, the manner in which the officers entered the property and the

             curtilage of Defendant’s home exceeds the customary license given to ordinary citizens

             to enter the property. The officers clearly entered the property to search for and

             apprehend Ryan Jackson, rather than talk, and they did not confine their presence on the

             property to the front door of the residence like a normal invitee. Here, approximately

             ten marshals arrived at the scene in helmets and tactical gear, guns drawn, and instead

             of confining their presence to the front door, placed a perimeter around the house. (Tr.

             54-55, 82-83; Gov’t’s Ex. 11). Approximately seven or eight were on the front doorstep

             when TFO Hutchens (who stood behind a shield operator) knocked on the wall. (Tr. 56,

             82). Furthermore, it is readily apparent that the law enforcement officers at the door

             utilized their official authority to persuade someone in the residence to open the door


                                                         34



AO 72A
(Rev.8/82)
              Case 1:18-cr-00095-LMM-LTW Document 33 Filed 12/10/18 Page 35 of 46




             and ultimately used force to gain entry to the residence. Although TFO Hutchens stated

             that the officers identified themselves as police and “requested someone to come and

             open the door,” TFO Mauney clarified that typically under the circumstances present in

             this case that when officers arrive at the door, they will typically say, “Police, come to

             the door, police, open the door, police with a warrant, open the door.” (Tr. 56. 98).

             Indeed, Defendant stated during the interview that when he opened the door, the

             officers’ guns were pointed at him. Thus, it appears that the officers’ behavior at the

             door was more consistent with a show of authority and force to gain entry and not a

             mere request for the occupants to come to the door so that they could have a chat. Thus,

             in this Court’s view, the officers did not simply ask Defendant to come to the door;

             rather, consistent with TFO Mauney’s testimony, the officers demanded it based on their

             status as law enforcement officers and their attempt to execute a warrant on Ryan

             Jackson.

                   It is also clear under the circumstances that the officers always intended to access

             the property in order to apprehend a dangerous suspect, Ryan Jackson. TFO Hutchens

             testified that after he saw someone resembling Ryan Jackson, it “caused [him] to go

             ahead and call for a team to hit the house” and that the reason he went inside the house

             was that he “was there for a fugitive and that was it.” (Tr. 72, 81). TFO Mauney’s

             testimony makes clear that he went to the residence “[t]o arrest and apprehend a

             fugitive,” not to talk at the door. (Tr. 98). Based on TFOs Mauney and Hutchens’

             testimony and the officers’ perimeter around the residence while wearing tactical gear,


                                                        35



AO 72A
(Rev.8/82)
               Case 1:18-cr-00095-LMM-LTW Document 33 Filed 12/10/18 Page 36 of 46




             it is apparent that the law enforcement officers always planned to gain entry to the home

             to execute the warrant. Even objectively, the officers’ behavior suggests a raid instead

             of the behavior of a normal invitee.

                   Because the officers’ actions did not qualify as a knock and talk, the officers did

             not have license to enter the curtilage of the Defendant’s home. Maxi, 886 F.3d at 1327;

             see also Jardines, 569 U.S. at 9-10. Thus, the question then becomes whether evidence

             obtained during the searches that followed the officers’ illegal entry into the curtilage

             of the home as well as Defendant’s subsequent statements should be subject to the

             exclusionary rule and should be suppressed. Id.

                   D.     Evidence Obtained During the Protective Sweep Should Be Excluded

                   Because the officers’ entry into the curtilage of the home and ultimately, the home

             itself, violated the Fourth Amendment, the evidence gleaned during the protective sweep

             should be suppressed. In order to perform a protective sweep that comports with the

             requirements of the Fourth Amendment, the officers must first be lawfully within the

             premises. United States v. Timmann, 741 F.3d 1170, 1181 (11th Cir. 2013). Here,

             however, the officers had no justification for being in the curtilage of the home, they had

             no justification for demanding that the occupants of the home open the door, and they

             were not lawfully within the premises for performing a protective sweep. Timmann, 741

             F.3d at 1181-82.

                   E.     Evidence Obtained During the Search of the Residence Pursuant to the
                          Search Warrant Should Be Excluded

                   Likewise, the evidence obtained during the execution of the search warrant
                                                         36



AO 72A
(Rev.8/82)
              Case 1:18-cr-00095-LMM-LTW Document 33 Filed 12/10/18 Page 37 of 46




             obtained on August 12, 2015, should be suppressed. Where the government makes an

             initial warrantless entry that violates the Fourth Amendment and then relies on what was

             seen during that entry to obtain a search warrant, the Court applies a two part test to

             determine whether evidence seized during the execution of the warrant is discovered

             independently of the unlawful entry and thus, admissible. United States v. Noriega, 676

             F.3d 1252, 1260 (11th Cir. 2012). The first thing that is done is to excise from the

             search warrant affidavit any information gained during the arguably illegal initial entry

             and determine whether the remaining information is enough to support a probable cause

             finding. Noriega, 676 F.3d at 1260 (citing United States v. Chaves, 169 F.3d 687, 692-

             93 (11th Cir. 1999)). Probable cause for a search exists when under the totality of the

             circumstances there is a fair probability that contraband or evidence of a crime will be

             found in a particular place. Noriega, 676 F.3d at 1261. A fair probability “exists when

             the facts and circumstances would lead a reasonably prudent person to believe that the

             place to be searched contains contraband or evidence of a crime.” Noriega, 676 F.3d

             at 1261 (citing United States v. Lopez, 649 F.3d 1222, 1245 (11th Cir. 2011)).

                   If the remaining information is enough to support a probable cause finding, the

             court determines whether the officer’s decision to seek the warrant was prompted by

             what had been seen during the illegal entry. Noriega, 676 F.3d at 1260. To determine

             whether an officer’s decision to seek a warrant is prompted by what he saw during the

             initial entry, courts ask whether the officer would have sought the warrant even if he had

             not entered. Noriega, 676 F.3d at 1260-61.

                                                        37



AO 72A
(Rev.8/82)
              Case 1:18-cr-00095-LMM-LTW Document 33 Filed 12/10/18 Page 38 of 46




                   In this case, Detective Pickering sought a warrant for the search of Defendant’s

             residence for marijuana, weapons, and other evidence of narcotics possession or

             distribution. (Gov’t’s Ex. 6). To support of the warrant, Detective Pickering submitted

             an affidavit that explained that while in pursuit of Ryan Jackson, law enforcement

             officers conducted surveillance on Defendant’s residence and ultimately entered it to

             find Ryan Jackson. (Id.). During the search for Ryan Jackson, officers observed

             marijuana in plain view in three rooms as well as twelve types of firearms. (Id.).

             Detective Pickering offered no other support for the notion that marijuana, weapons, or

             other evidence of narcotics possession or distribution would be found in the home.

             Thus, when the fruits of the protective sweep are excised from the warrant, there is no

             probable cause that the aforementioned contraband would be found in the home.

             Accordingly, the evidence obtained during the search pursuant to the search warrant

             should be suppressed.

                   F.     Defendant’s Statements During the Interview by Officer Olson Should
                          Be Excluded

                   Finally, Defendant’s statements during the interview with Officer Olson should

             also be suppressed. Under the “fruit of the poisonous tree doctrine, admissions or

             confessions that the police induce by confronting a suspect with evidence obtained

             through an illegal search or seizure must be suppressed.” Timmann, 741 F.3d at 1182.

             The government bears the burden of proving that such admissions or confessions were

             not obtained as “a direct result of the illegal search.” Timmann, 741 F.3d at 1182. “The

             relevant inquiry examines the extent of the causal connection between the lawless police
                                                       38



AO 72A
(Rev.8/82)
               Case 1:18-cr-00095-LMM-LTW Document 33 Filed 12/10/18 Page 39 of 46




             conduct and the evidence in question.” Timmann, 741 F.3d at 1182. The inquiry

             “generally involves a pragmatic evaluation of the extent to which the illegal police

             conduct caused the defendant’s response.” Timmann, 741 F.3d at 1182. Several factors

             are considered, including the temporal proximity of the illegal action by law

             enforcement and the defendant’s response, the presence or absence of intervening

             circumstances, and the purpose and flagrancy of the official misconduct. Timmann, 741

             F.3d at 1183; United States v. Lopez-Garcia, 565 F.3d 1306, 1315 (11th Cir. 2009).

                   In this case, the temporal proximity of the illegal search and the confession

             militates in favor suppressing Defendant’s statements. If only a short period of time has

             passed after the illegal search, a court is more likely to consider statements made as a

             poisonous fruit of the illegal act. Lopez-Garcia, 565 F.3d at 1315; United States v.

             Delancy, 502 F.3d 1297, 1310 (11th Cir. 2007). Periods of time between two minutes

             and six hours have been found to be sufficient to meet the temporal proximity factor.

             Parker v. Allen, 565 F.3d 1258, 1292 (11th Cir. 2009) (explaining that absent significant

             intervening events, statements given within two to six hours of an arrest have been

             suppressed); Lopez-Garcia, 565 F.3d at 1315. Longer intervals of, for instance, four

             days have been found to weigh in favor of admissibility. Delancy, 502 F.3d at 1310

             (citing Devier v. Zant, 3 F.3d 1445, 1459 (11th Cir. 1993)). Absolute certainty about

             how much time has elapsed is not necessary and “the character of the interaction

             between the law enforcement agents and the defendant is relevant to [the] determination

             of how temporal proximity affects the underlying analysis.” United States v. Smith, 688

                                                        39



AO 72A
(Rev.8/82)
               Case 1:18-cr-00095-LMM-LTW Document 33 Filed 12/10/18 Page 40 of 46




             F.3d 730, 739-40 (11th Cir. 2012). “When an officer’s interaction with an individual

             is highly intrusive, the passage of time is less likely to attenuate the officer’s illegal act

             from the suspect’s later consent.” Smith, 688 F.3d at 739-40. For instance, where

             officers unlawfully kicked in the locked front door of an apartment, with their guns

             drawn, ordered the defendant to lay on the floor and proceeded to handcuff him, and told

             the defendant that they knew there were drugs in the house and asked him to make it

             easy on them and just tell them where the drugs were, the officer’s interaction was

             considered intrusive and that the defendant’s consent, even if voluntary, did not purge

             the primary taint of the illegal entry and arrest. Smith, 688 F.3d at 739-41 (citing United

             States v. Santa, 236 F.3d 662, 666 (11th Cir. 2000)); United States v. Smallwood, No.

             1:13-cr-381-1-TCB, 2014 WL 3519195, at *13-14 (N.D. Ga. July 16, 2014).

                    Here, while the evidence presented to the Court does not include evidence

             showing the amount of time that elapsed between the illegal searches and Officer

             Olson’s interview, it is apparent that the interview took place the same day Defendant’s

             residence was searched. (Tr. 5). It is also apparent that Officer Olson’s interview of

             Defendant also occurred sometime after Officer Olson searched Defendant’s residence,

             and that Officer Olson, who found contraband during the search, conducted the

             interview of Defendant in the same kitchen where some contraband was found. (Tr. 11,

             13, 17, 18 (indicating that the officers found an AK-47 style rifle, an electronic scale,

             and marijuana in the kitchen)). In addition, the entry into Defendant’s residence was

             very obtrusive. A large number of officers surrounded the residence and six or seven

                                                          40



AO 72A
(Rev.8/82)
               Case 1:18-cr-00095-LMM-LTW Document 33 Filed 12/10/18 Page 41 of 46




             whom entered Defendant’s front porch with at least some of their guns pointed at

             Defendant and used a battering ram to breach the front door. While it is true that Officer

             Olson maintained a conversational tone during the interview and did not make any

             threats, Defendant remained in custody and in handcuffs. Although, the record is

             unclear, the illegal searching of Defendant’s residence appears to have continued close

             in time with the interview. Officer Olson participated in a walk through with a video

             camera documenting items found in plain view following the initial entry and security

             sweep, but perhaps prior to the search stemming from the search warrant. (Tr. 10, 14-

             18, 24-25 (explaining that after the marshals conducted their security sweep of the

             house, one marshal remained inside the house, but when narcotics arrived, the house was

             cleared and the walk through was done); Gov’t’s Ex. 9). Additionally, during the video

             of Officer Olson’s interview of Defendant in the kitchen, the sounds of other officers as

             well as the excited sounds of a canine unit can be heard in the background. (Gov’t’s Ex.

             11). Here, there is no evidence that the passage of time gave Defendant the opportunity

             to reflect on his predicament such to remove the taint of the unlawful entry, detention,

             and subsequent searches. Thus, the temporal proximity factor weighs against the

             Government. See, e.g., United States v. Yarbrough, 281 F. Supp. 3d 1225, 1239 (N.D.

             Ala. 2018) (explaining that where forty-four minutes elapsed from illegal seizure of

             shotguns and consent to search did not weigh in government’s favor because character

             of interaction between law enforcement agents and defendant was intrusive in that law

             enforcement officers had detained defendant and his wife and placed them under arrest,

                                                        41



AO 72A
(Rev.8/82)
               Case 1:18-cr-00095-LMM-LTW Document 33 Filed 12/10/18 Page 42 of 46




             the law enforcement officers had just conducted an illegal search of defendant and his

             wife’s house, the officers displayed the guns seized during the illegal search, and the

             officers threatened to tear up defendant and his wife’s home if they did not consent to

             a search).

                    The Court also cannot conclude that intervening events or circumstances

             attenuated the primary illegality. Intervening events or circumstances independent of

             the primary illegality can so attenuate the causal connection that they dissipate the taint

             of the unlawful action by law enforcement. United States v. Bailey, 691 F.2d 1009,

             1013 (11th Cir. 1982). A voluntary act by a defendant does not necessarily break the

             causal chain. Bailey, 691 F.2d at 1013. Thus, being advised of Miranda rights does not,

             by itself, “automatically free the statements from being the fruit of the poisonous tree.”

             Archibald v. Ardovino, No. 7:14-CV-02427-KOB-HGD, 2016 WL 7007563, at *5 (N.D.

             Ala. Sept. 26, 2016); United States v. Cordova, 829 F. Supp. 2d 1342, 1352 (N.D. Ga.

             2011) (citing 6 LaFave, § 11.4(c) at 307 (holding that “it is crystal clear that giving the

             defendant the Miranda warnings will not break the causal chain between an illegal

             search and a subsequent confession”)); see also Parker, 565 F.3d at 1292 (explaining

             that the admission of Miranda warnings alone is not considered a significant intervening

             event); Bailey, 691 F.2d at 1013-14 (explaining that a defendant’s voluntary consent to

             be searched, obtained after the defendant had been illegally arrested and advised of his

             right to refuse to be searched, will not by itself dissipate the taint of the unlawful arrest).

                    While the Court accepts that Defendant voluntarily agreed to speak with Officer

                                                           42



AO 72A
(Rev.8/82)
               Case 1:18-cr-00095-LMM-LTW Document 33 Filed 12/10/18 Page 43 of 46




             Olson after Officer Olson read the Miranda warnings to him, the Government has not

             met its burden of proving that Officer Olson’s reading of the Miranda warnings and

             Defendant’s agreement to speak with him dissipated the taint by the illegal entry and

             subsequent searches. (Tr. 10). Here, after the officers forcefully entered the residence,

             conducted a security sweep, and after Officer Olson also performed a search of the

             residence, Officer Olson confronted Defendant during the interview about contraband

             he found during the course of his search, specifying where each item of contraband was

             found in the home. (See, e.g., Tr. 10 (indicating in the transcript of the interview that

             Officer Olson asked Defendant to “[t]ell [him] about the guns [Officer Olson] found in

             [Defendant’s] bedroom”), 11 (asking Defendant to tell Officer Olson about the Glock

             “that was found in the other bedroom that wasn’t [Defendant’s]”), 14-18, 24-25; Gov’t’s

             Exs. 9, 11). Thus, the admissions Officer Olson obtained during the interview a direct

             exploitation of an unlawful search in which Officer Olson had participated. Timmann,

             741 F.3d at 1184 (explaining that where officers confronted the defendant with evidence

             they had obtained through the unlawful search of his apartment in order to elicit his

             admissions, the admissions were the direct result of the officers’ exploitation of the

             unlawful search and should be suppressed as fruit of the poisonous tree); United States

             v. Santa, 236 F.3d 662, 686-77 (11th Cir. 2000) (finding that where consent to search

             came three minutes after DEA agents kicked in defendant’s door, entered the apartment,

             ordered him onto the floor, handcuffed him, and read him Miranda warnings as agents

             conducted a protective sweep of entire apartment and then asked defendant just to make

                                                        43



AO 72A
(Rev.8/82)
               Case 1:18-cr-00095-LMM-LTW Document 33 Filed 12/10/18 Page 44 of 46




             things easy and tell the agents where the drugs were located and confession ensued, the

             Miranda warnings without more did not dissipate the taint of an illegal seizure even

             though the agents’ unlawful actions were not flagrant); Cordova, 829 F. Supp. 2d at

             1351 (concluding that despite fact that defendant’s statements were elicited five days

             after illegal search and defendant had been advised of his Miranda rights before making

             statements, because officer exploited his knowledge of illegally seized evidence in such

             a way that defendant had little choice but to admit his role and offer to cooperate,

             statements were fruit of the poisonous tree and suppressed); United States v. Acosta, 807

             F. Supp. 2d 1154, 1184-85 (N.D. Ga. 2011) (finding absence of sufficient attenuation

             to purge taint from illegal search even though defendant had been Mirandized before he

             made statements because waiver of Miranda rights occurred close in time with illegal

             search of the residence, search may have continued during questioning, and topic of

             questioning conducted by agent who unlawfully entered residence and obtained consent

             to search was linked to illegal search); United States v. Marcelino, 736 F. Supp. 2d

             1343, 1352 (N.D. Ga. 2010) (concluding that statements made after Miranda warnings

             were given should be suppressed as fruit of the poisonous tree because they flowed from

             his illegal detention, search, and arrest and thus, there was an exploitation of the

             illegality).

                    Under the last factor, the purpose and flagrancy of the official misconduct, if the

             police act with the express purpose of exploiting an illegal action, the causation is so

             obvious that no real attenuation analysis is necessary. United States v. Delancy, 502

                                                        44



AO 72A
(Rev.8/82)
               Case 1:18-cr-00095-LMM-LTW Document 33 Filed 12/10/18 Page 45 of 46




             F.3d 1297, 1312 (11th Cir. 2007). This Court is convinced that the officers’ initial entry

             in the home was done purely in an effort to execute the arrest warrant. This entry and

             the actions that followed – the protective sweep, detaining Defendant and questioning

             him, and searching his home pursuant to the search warrant– while perhaps not flagrant,

             were done without regard to settled constitutional rights of a third party whose home

             was entered to execute a warrant for the arrest of another who was not known to live

             there. As a result, the constitutional violations compounded. While this factor does not

             weigh heavily in favor of suppression, the fact remains that Officer Olson induced

             Defendant’s confession by capitalizing on evidence which was obtained through an

             illegal entry and searches and thus, this Court concludes that Defendant’s statements

             must be suppressed. Timmann, 741 F.3d at 1184 (where admissions about who owned

             firearms were elicited following officer’s advising the defendant that police had found

             firearms in the defendant’s bedroom, the admissions were the direct result of the

             officers’ exploitation of the unlawful search and were suppressed as the fruit of the

             poisonous tree); Santa, 236 F.3d at 677-78 (concluding that where there was neither a

             significant lapse of time nor intervening circumstance which dissipated the effect of the

             illegality, taint had not been dissipated even though the agents’ unlawful conduct was

             not flagrant).

                                                 CONCLUSION

                   Based on the foregoing, Defendant’s Motions to Suppress should be GRANTED.

             (Docs. 15, 16, 23). Defendant’s Motion for Consideration of Additional Authority on

                                                        45



AO 72A
(Rev.8/82)
               Case 1:18-cr-00095-LMM-LTW Document 33 Filed 12/10/18 Page 46 of 46




             Pending Motion to Suppress is GRANTED. (Doc. 30). Because there are no more

             motions or other matters to address for Defendant Jackson, the undersigned certifies him

             ready for trial.

                    SO ORDERED, REPORTED AND RECOMMENDED this 10                             day of

             December, 2018.




                                             LINDA T. WALKER
                                             CHIEF UNITED STATES MAGISTRATE JUDGE




                                                       46



AO 72A
(Rev.8/82)


File and source

File
33.pdf
Size
337,427 bytes
SHA-256
d0b310d951fdb6c3edffef3484353c74c9352e5dda5ab3b857ec30376946169e
Our copy
33.pdf
Original
No public link identified.
Back to top