Filed: Feb. 25, 2020
Latest Update: Feb. 25, 2020
Summary: FILED United States Court of Appeals Tenth Circuit UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALSFebruary 25, 2020 Christopher M. Wolpert TENTH CIRCUIT Clerk of Court JESUS BAEZA; TERESA BAEZA MIRALDA; JESUS D. BAEZA CONTRERAS, Plaintiffs - Appellants, v. No. 19-2089 (D.C. No. 2:18-CV-00641-JAP-SMV) MARK MUNRO; ELI GOMEZ, (D.N.M.) Defendants - Appellees. ORDER AND JUDGMENT * Before TYMKOVICH, Chief Judge, BACHARACH, and CARSON, Circuit Judges. Plaintiffs Jesus Baeza, Teresa Baeza Miralda, and Jesus Baeza Contre
Summary: FILED United States Court of Appeals Tenth Circuit UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALSFebruary 25, 2020 Christopher M. Wolpert TENTH CIRCUIT Clerk of Court JESUS BAEZA; TERESA BAEZA MIRALDA; JESUS D. BAEZA CONTRERAS, Plaintiffs - Appellants, v. No. 19-2089 (D.C. No. 2:18-CV-00641-JAP-SMV) MARK MUNRO; ELI GOMEZ, (D.N.M.) Defendants - Appellees. ORDER AND JUDGMENT * Before TYMKOVICH, Chief Judge, BACHARACH, and CARSON, Circuit Judges. Plaintiffs Jesus Baeza, Teresa Baeza Miralda, and Jesus Baeza Contrer..
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FILED
United States Court of Appeals
Tenth Circuit
UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALSFebruary 25, 2020
Christopher M. Wolpert
TENTH CIRCUIT Clerk of Court
JESUS BAEZA; TERESA BAEZA
MIRALDA; JESUS D. BAEZA
CONTRERAS,
Plaintiffs - Appellants,
v. No. 19-2089
(D.C. No. 2:18-CV-00641-JAP-SMV)
MARK MUNRO; ELI GOMEZ, (D.N.M.)
Defendants - Appellees.
ORDER AND JUDGMENT *
Before TYMKOVICH, Chief Judge, BACHARACH, and CARSON, Circuit
Judges.
Plaintiffs Jesus Baeza, Teresa Baeza Miralda, and Jesus Baeza Contreras
appeal the district court’s dismissal of their suit brought under 42 U.S.C. § 1983
against police officers from Hobbs, New Mexico, alleging violations of their
*
After examining the briefs and appellate record, this panel determined
unanimously that oral argument would not materially assist in the determination
of this appeal. See Fed. R. App. P. 34(a)(2); 10th Cir. R. 34.1(G). The case is
therefore ordered submitted without oral argument. This order and judgment is
not binding precedent except under the doctrines of law of the case, res judicata,
and collateral estoppel. It may be cited, however, for its persuasive value
consistent with Fed. R. App. P. 32.1 and 10th Cir. R. 32.1.
Fourth Amendment rights. The officers asserted qualified immunity and moved to
dismiss the suit. Concluding the plaintiffs had failed to plead a violation of their
clearly established constitutional rights, the district court granted the motion.
Exercising jurisdiction under 28 U.S.C. § 1291, we agree with the district court’s
determination and AFFIRM.
The suit arises out of a search conducted at the Baeza residence in Hobbs,
New Mexico. Because an automobile implicated in a murder investigation was
allegedly in Baeza’s repair shop at the time of the murder, the police obtained a
warrant for Baeza’s business records in his automobile repair shop and in his
residence—which was located at the same address as the shop. Plaintiffs argued
the resulting search of the residence and their personal items violated their Fourth
Amendment rights because (1) the warrant was facially invalid, (2) the warrant
lacked constitutional particularity, and (3) the search exceeded the scope of the
warrant when officers seized electronic devices not related to Baeza’s automobile
business.
The district court rejected the plaintiffs’ arguments. It concluded: (1) the
warrant was sufficiently particular to allow the search of both buildings at the
same address; (2) the warrant was sufficiently particular with regard to the
particular items seized, because the search of those items was limited to
automobile shop records; (3) the warrant was not substantively deficient and any
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alleged deficiencies did not implicate Fourth Amendment rights; and (4) the
plaintiffs failed to allege facts demonstrating that Officer Munro, the only named
defendant who searched the house, exceeded the scope of the warrant.
On appeal, the appellants asserted the district court ignored well-pleaded
facts. They then reiterated their arguments that the warrant was facially deficient
because it included a false case number; that the search warrant was not
sufficiently specific to be constitutionally particular; and that Officer Munro
exceeded the scope of the warrant by searching rooms and items not related to
Baeza’s business.
We are not persuaded by the appellants’ restatement of their arguments and
agree with the district court’s rationale and conclusions. We therefore AFFIRM
for substantially the same reasons stated by that court.
ENTERED FOR THE COURT
Timothy M. Tymkovich
Chief Judge
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