▁heard ▁the ▁sounds ▁of ▁mach in ery ▁they ▁associated ▁with ▁such ▁cultiv ation ▁operations . ▁They ▁completed ▁their ▁investigation ▁by ▁aim ing ▁a ▁thermal ▁imag ing ▁device ▁at ▁the ▁bar n ; ▁its ▁results ▁further ▁confirmed ▁their ▁susp icion . ▁After ▁finding ▁from ▁local ▁utility ▁records ▁that ▁the ▁property ' s ▁electric ity ▁consumption ▁also ▁matched ▁the ▁profile ▁of ▁a ▁growing ▁operation , ▁they ▁got ▁a ▁war rant ▁and ▁arrested ▁both ▁Johnson ▁and ▁his ▁wife . ▁ ▁Although ▁the ▁DE A ▁had ▁gathered ▁most ▁of ▁the ▁evidence ▁against ▁them , ▁the ▁couple ▁were ▁pro sec uted ▁in ▁state ▁court . ▁They ▁sought ▁un success fully ▁to ▁suppress ▁that ▁evidence , ▁but ▁the ▁trial ▁court ▁held ▁that ▁the ▁DE A ▁had ▁largely ▁been ▁acting ▁independently ▁of ▁the ▁state , ▁making ▁the ▁evidence ▁adm iss ible ▁under ▁the ▁open - fields ▁doctrine . ▁The ▁court ▁conv icted ▁them ▁in ▁a ▁ben ch ▁trial ▁and ▁they ▁appe aled . ▁ ▁The ▁Washington ▁Court ▁of ▁App e als ▁first ▁re cons ider ed ▁the ▁trial ▁court ' s ▁r uling ▁that ▁the ▁DE A ▁acted ▁without ▁the ▁co operation ▁or ▁assistance ▁of ▁the ▁state , ▁which ▁under ▁the ▁silver ▁pl atter ▁doctrine ▁would ▁have ▁protected ▁it ▁from ▁being ▁challeng ed ▁under ▁the ▁state ▁constitution . ▁Judge ▁Ger ry ▁Alexander ▁rejected ▁the ▁state ' s ▁argument ▁that ▁the ▁local ▁officers ▁had ▁only ▁provided ▁the ▁DE A ▁with ▁locally ▁relevant ▁information , ▁not ing ▁that ▁a ▁county ▁detect ive ▁had ▁accompanied ▁the ▁DE A ▁agents ▁on ▁one ▁trip ,