United States v. Ronald Garcia

MEMORANDUM

Appellant Ronald Garcia asks the Court to reverse his conviction because the district court denied his motion to suppress evidence of marijuana production obtained pursuant to a warranted search. As the facts are known to the parties, we repeat them only as necessary to explain our decision. We have jurisdiction under 28 U.S.C. § 1291 .

Garcia argues that the warrant supporting the seizure of drug evidence was invalid because it relied on information obtained when police intruded on his curtilage in violation of the Fourth Amendment. However, Garcia has failed to establish that a dilapidated and nonfunctional single-wide trailer, used to dry and to cultivate marijuana, “harbor[ed] those intimate activities associated with domestic life.” United States v. Dunn, 480 U.S. 294 , 301 n.4, 107 S.Ct. 1134 , 94 L.Ed.2d 326 (1987). Moreover, even assuming the trailer was a home, the officers did not trespass on its curtilage since they saw marijuana in plain view in an area not “intimately linked to the home.” Florida v. Jardines, — U.S. -, 133 S.Ct. 1409, 1415 , 185 L.Ed.2d 495 (2013) (quoting California v. Ciraolo, 476 U.S. 207, 213 , 106 S.Ct. 1809 , 90 L.Ed.2d 210 (1986));…