29-813. Search warrant; issuance; limitation; terms, defined.

(1) A warrant may be issued under sections 29-812 to 29-821 to search for and seize any property (a) stolen, embezzled, or obtained under false pretenses in violation of the laws of the State of Nebraska, (b) designed or intended for use or which is or has been used as the means of committing a criminal offense, (c) possessed, controlled, designed, or intended for use or which is or has been possessed, controlled, designed, or used in violation of any law of the State of Nebraska making such possession, control, design, or use, or intent to use, a criminal offense, or (d) which constitutes evidence that a criminal offense has been committed or that a particular person has committed a criminal offense.

(2) Notwithstanding subsection (1) of this section, no warrant shall be issued to search any place or seize anything in the possession, custody, or control of any person engaged in procuring, gathering, writing, editing, or disseminating news or other information for distribution to the public through a medium of communication unless probable cause is shown that such person has committed or is committing a criminal offense. For purposes of this subsection, the terms person, information, and medium of communication shall be defined as provided in section 20-145.

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An arrest may not be used as a pretext to search for evidence. A pretext arrest is one where the arrest is only a sham, a front being used as an excuse for making a search. The determination of whether an arrest is pretextual is a question of fact for the trial court. This court will not reverse a trial court's finding on this question unless the finding is clearly erroneous. State v. Vann, 230 Neb. 601, 432 N.W.2d 810 (1988).

A warrant to search a house also covers the land around the house and associated outbuildings used by the inhabitants of the house. State v. Vicars, 207 Neb. 325, 299 N.W.2d 421 (1980).

Items not listed on a search warrant but in plain view of officers searching an area described in the warrant for items listed on the warrant may be seized. State v. King, 207 Neb. 270, 298 N.W.2d 168 (1980).

The eyewitness report of a citizen informant may be self-corroborating; the fact that a citizen voluntarily came forward with information is itself an indicium of reliability. State v. King, 207 Neb. 270, 298 N.W.2d 168 (1980).

The fact that defendant's arrest may have been illegal does not render inadmissible evidence seized pursuant to a valid search warrant received by police shortly after they entered the defendant's apartment. State v. Smith, 207 Neb. 263, 298 N.W.2d 162 (1980).