Absence of Information About the Source of Double Hearsay in the Search Warrant Application Required Suppression

The Fourth Department determined a search warrant application which was based upon double hearsay did not provide probable cause to search because the initial source of the information was inadequately described.  There was no way to determine the reliability of the source or the basis of the source’s information (Aguilar-Spinelli test). An amended warrant which sought seizure of items in plain sight during the search was rendered invalid by the defective initial warrant:

It is well settled that a search warrant may be issued only upon a showing of probable cause to believe that a crime has occurred, is occurring, or is about to occur …, and there is sufficient evidence from which to form a reasonable belief that evidence of the crime may be found inside the location sought to be searched … . It is equally well settled that, under New York law, “[p]robable cause may be supplied, in whole or part, through hearsay information . . . New York’s present law applies the Aguilar-Spinelli rule for evaluating secondhand information and holds that if probable cause is based on hearsay statements, the police must establish that the informant had some basis for the knowledge he [or she] transmitted to them and that he [or she] was reliable” … . “Notably, where the information is based upon double hearsay, the foregoing requirements must be met with respect to each individual providing information” … .People v Bartholomew, 2015 NY Slip Op 07112, 4th Dept 10-2-15