PAROLEES DO NOT SURRENDER THEIR CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS AGAINST UNREASONABLE SEARCHES AND SEIZURES; HERE THE SEARCH BY PAROLE OFFICERS WAS BASED UPON A TIP FROM DEFENDANT’S MOTHER; THE SEARCH WAS DEEMED SUBSTANTIALLY RELATED TO THE PAROLE OFFICERS’ DUTIES; THERE WAS A DISSENT (THIRD DEPT).

The Third Department, over a comprehensive dissent, determined the parole officers’ search of defendant-parolee’s residence based upon a tip from his mother was proper. Mother, with whom defendant resided, said she saw a picture of defendant with a gun. In the search extended magazines and gun parts were found in defendant’s bedroom:

The general rules and conditions of release typically require a parolee to submit to a warrantless search by his or her parole officer … . The record evinces that defendant executed such a document. However, “a parolee does not surrender his or her constitutional rights against unreasonable searches and seizures, [and] what may be unreasonable with respect to an individual who is not on parole may be reasonable with respect to one who is. Accordingly, a search of a parolee undertaken by a parole officer is constitutional if the conduct of the parole officer was rationally and reasonably related to the performance of the parole officer’s duty and was substantially related to the performance of duty in the particular circumstances” … .

* * * Since the information concerning defendant’s possible violation of his parole conditions came from his mother, there existed a legitimate reason for the search undertaken and it was substantially related to the performance of the parole officer’s duties … . People v Spirito, 2023 NY Slip Op 02353, Third Dept 5-4-23

Practice Point: Parolees do not give up the right to contest an unreasonable search. Here the search was prompted by a tip from defendant’s mother and was deemed substantially related to the parole officers’ duties. There was a comprehensive dissent.