R. v. Chin (L.A.), (2003) 345 A.R. 157 (PC)

• Judge: Allen, P.C.J.
• Court: Provincial Court of Alberta (Canada)
• Case Date: August 29, 2003
• Citations: (2003), 345 A.R. 157 (PC);2003 ABPC 118

R. v. Chin (L.A.) (2003), 345 A.R. 157 (PC)

MLB headnote and full text

Temp. Cite: [2003] A.R. TBEd. SE.037

Her Majesty the Queen v. Laine Andrew Chin

(030039861P101; 2003 ABPC 118)

Indexed As: R. v. Chin (L.A.)

Alberta Provincial Court

Allen, P.C.J.

August 29, 2003.

Summary:

Chin was charged with possession of cocaine for the purpose of trafficking. He applied under s. 24(2) of the Charter to exclude the drugs found after a search of his person and his car following his arrest.

The Alberta Provincial Court dismissed the application.

Civil Rights - Topic 1214

Security of the person - Lawful or reasonable search - Searches incidental to arrest or detention - [See first Police - Topic 3185 ].

Civil Rights - Topic 1217

Security of the person - Lawful or reasonable search - What constitutes unreasonable search and seizure - [See first Police - Topic 3185 ].

Civil Rights - Topic 8368

Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms - Denial of rights - Remedies - Exclusion of evidence - [See first Police - Topic 3185 ].

Police - Topic 3063

Powers - Arrest and detention - Without warrant - Reasonable and probable grounds - [See first Police - Topic 3185 ].

Police - Topic 3086

Powers - Arrest and detention - Detention for investigative purposes - [See first Police - Topic 3185 ].

Police - Topic 3185

Powers - Search - Following arrest or detention - Police parked in an alley in a known drug area in an unmarked car - They saw a male (Fried) waiting at the rear of an apartment building - They saw a car stop near Fried with its motor running - Fried placed his hand inside the driver's window and the driver's hand moved towards Fried's hand - The police believed that this was a drug transaction - The police drove up quickly and identified themselves - Fried ran - An officer arrested the driver (Chin) for trafficking and handcuffed him - The officer did a pat search for weapons and evidence and felt a hard object in Chin's pants pocket - It was a mint tin containing cocaine packets - The Alberta Provincial Court held that the police had reasonable grounds to arrest Chin for trafficking and were entitled to search him based on officer safety and to obtain evidence incidental to arrest - Alternatively, the police had grounds for an investigative detention which justified the search based on officer safety - There was no s. 8 Charter breach - Alternatively, the court would not exclude the evidence (Charter, s. 24(2)) - The evidence was non-conscriptive - Any Charter breach was not so serious as to outweigh the state's interest in admitting the evidence - Exclusion of the evidence would bring the administration of justice into disrepute - See paragraphs 13 to 94.

Police - Topic 3185

Powers - Search - Following arrest or detention - The Alberta Provincial Court agreed that "the police can, in some circumstances, where an individual is detained for investigative purposes, search the individual when such a search is reasonably necessary where the grounds of search are based upon safety concerns." - See paragraph 35.

Cases Noticed:

Reference Re Section 94(2) of the Motor Vehicle Act (B.C.), [1985] 2 S.C.R. 486; 63 N.R. 266, refd to. [para. 8].

Thomson Newspapers Ltd. v. Director of Investigation and Research, Combines Investigation Act et al., [1990] 1 S.C.R. 425; 106 N.R. 161; 39 O.A.C. 161, refd to. [para. 11].

R. v. Pearson (E.), [1992] 3 S.C.R. 665; 144 N.R. 243; 52 Q.A.C. 1, refd to. [para. 11].

R. v. Fitzpatrick (B.), [1995] 4 S.C.R. 154; 188 N.R. 248; 65 B.C.A.C. 1; 106 W.A.C. 1, refd to. [para. 11].

R. v. Hebert, [1990] 2 S.C.R. 151; 110 N.R. 1, refd to. [para. 11].

R. v. White (J.K.) (1999), 240 N.R. 1; 123 B.C.A.C. 161; 201 W.A.C. 161; 135 C.C.C.(3d) 257 (S.C.C.), refd to. [para. 11].

R. v. Ramirez (M.A.) (2001), 288 A.R. 201 (Prov. Ct.), refd to. [para. 11].

R. v. Stillman (W.W.D.), [1997] 1 S.C.R. 607; 209 N.R. 81; 185 N.B.R.(2d) 1; 472 A.P.R. 1; 113 C.C.C.(3d) 321, refd to. [para. 11].

R. v. Généreux, [1992] 1 S.C.R. 259; 133 N.R. 241; 70 C.C.C.(3d) 1, refd to. [para. 11].

R. v. Rose (J.) (1998), 232 N.R. 83; 115 O.A.C. 201; 129 C.C.C.(3d) 449 (S.C.C.), refd to. [para. 11].

R. v. Simpson (R.) (1993), 60 O.A.C. 327; 79 C.C.C.(3d) 482 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 16].

R. v. Dedman, [1985] 2 S.C.R. 2; 60 N.R. 34; 11 O.A.C. 241; 20 C.C.C.(3d) 97, refd to. [para. 19].

R. v. Waterfield, [1963] 3 All E.R. 659, refd to. [para. 19].

R. v. Jacques (J.R.) and Mitchell (M.M.), [1996] 3 S.C.R. 312; 202 N.R. 49; 180 N.B.R.(2d) 161; 458 A.P.R. 161, refd to. [para. 24].

R. v. Hoang (T.V.) (2001), 284 A.R. 201 (Prov. Ct.), refd to. [para. 25].

R. v. Griffith (S.) (2003), 335 A.R. 57 (Prov. Ct.), refd to. [para. 25].

R. v. Ferris (T.L.) (1998), 108 B.C.A.C. 244; 176 W.A.C. 244; 126 C.C.C.(3d) 298 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 29].

R. v. Waniandy (K.G.) (1995), 162 A.R. 293; 83 W.A.C. 293 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 31].

R. v. Mann (P.H.) (2002), 166 Man.R.(2d) 260; 278 W.A.C. 260; 169 C.C.C.(3d) 272 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 32].

R. v. T.A.V. (2001), 299 A.R. 96; 266 W.A.C. 96; 48 C.R.(5th) 366 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 36].

R. v. Collins, [1987] 1 S.C.R. 265; 74 N.R. 276; 33 C.C.C.(3d) 1, refd to. [para. 43].

R. v. Debot (1986), 17 O.A.C. 141; 30 C.C.C.(3d) 207 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 49].

R. v. Debot, [1989] 2 S.C.R. 1140; 102 N.R. 161; 37 O.A.C. 1; 52 C.C.C.(3d) 193, refd to. [para. 49].

R. v. Storrey, [1990] 1 S.C.R. 241; 105 N.R. 81; 37 O.A.C. 161; 75 C.R.(3d) 1; 53 C.C.C.(3d) 316, refd to. [para. 51].

R. v. Feeney (M.), [1997] 2 S.C.R. 13; 212 N.R. 83; 91 B.C.A.C. 1; 148 W.A.C. 1; 115 C.C.C.(3d) 129, refd to. [para. 52].

R. v. McClelland (B.L.) (1995), 165 A.R. 332; 89 W.A.C. 332 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 53].

Cloutier v. Langlois and Bédard, [1990] 1 S.C.R. 158; 105 N.R. 241; 30 Q.A.C. 241; 53 C.C.C.(3d) 257, refd to. [para. 54].

R. v. Caslake (T.L.), [1998] 1 S.C.R. 51; 221 N.R. 281; 123 Man.R.(2d) 208; 159 W.A.C. 208; 121 C.C.C.(3d) 97, refd to. [para. 56].

R. v. Golden (I.V.) (2001), 279 N.R. 1; 153 O.A.C. 201; 159 C.C.C.(3d) 449 (S.C.C.), refd to. [para. 59].

R. v. Law - see R. v. 2821109 Canada Inc. et al.

R. v. 2821109 Canada Inc. et al., [2002] 1 S.C.R. 227; 281 N.R. 267; 245 N.B.R.(2d) 270; 636 A.P.R. 270, refd to. [para. 67].

R. v. Buhay (M.A.) (2003), 305 N.R. 158; 177 Man.R.(2d) 72; 304 W.A.C. 72; 2003 SCC 30 (S.C.C.), refd to. [para. 67].

R. v. Evans (C.R.) et al., [1996] 1 S.C.R. 8; 191 N.R. 327; 69 B.C.A.C. 81; 113 W.A.C. 81, refd to. [para. 72].

R. v. Strachan, [1988] 2 S.C.R. 980; 90 N.R. 273; 46 C.C.C.(3d) 479, refd to. [para. 73].

R. v. Kokesch (1990), 121 N.R. 161; 61 C.C.C.(3d) 207 (S.C.C.), refd to. [para. 77].

R. v. Sieben, [1987] 1 S.C.R. 295; 74 N.R. 271, refd to. [para. 79].

R. v. Jacoy, [1988] 2 S.C.R. 548; 89 N.R. 61, refd to. [para. 79].

R. v. Belnavis (A.) and Lawrence (C.), [1997] 3 S.C.R. 341; 216 N.R. 161; 103 O.A.C. 81; 118 C.C.C.(3d) 405, refd to. [para. 79].

R. v. Greffe, [1990] 1 S.C.R. 755; 107 N.R. 1; 107 A.R. 1; 55 C.C.C.(3d) 161, refd to. [para. 86].

R. v. Grant (D.), [1993] 3 S.C.R. 223; 159 N.R. 161; 35 B.C.A.C. 1; 57 W.A.C. 1; 84 C.C.C.(3d) 173, refd to. [para. 86].

R. v. Calder (M.), [1996] 1 S.C.R. 660; 194 N.R. 321; 90 O.A.C. 18; 105 C.C.C.(3d) 1, refd to. [para. 90].

Counsel:

P. Giroux, for the Crown;

M.R. Gourlay, for the accused.

This voir dire was heard before Allen, P.C.J., of the Alberta Provincial Court, who delivered the following decision on August 29, 2003.