Category Archives: Emergency / exigency

KS: No basis for a stop of car in a local park under “public safety exception”

A public safety stop is well recognized, deriving from Cady. “In this case, however, the facts do not support a valid safety stop. The deputy stated he was concerned because it was dark, it was late, the car was parked … Continue reading

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OH5: Officer’s writing wrong statute number on ticket was a reasonable mistake of law

Defendant’s stop for a loud muffler was reasonable. His claim that it wasn’t loud on the bodycam is rejected. Another alleged offense cited the wrong statute. That’s a reasonable mistake of law. State v. Braucher, 2024-Ohio-811, 2024 Ohio App. LEXIS … Continue reading

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UT: Emergency aid exception permitted entry for apparent homicide victim who was missing

The emergency aid exception permitted entry into this murder scene. The victim was the grandmother of a child who punctually picked the child up every day at school. When she didn’t show for hours, the school notified police. They went … Continue reading

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OH10: Taking GSR at scene of shooting was with exigent circumstances

Taking GSR samples from defendant at the scene of a potential murder was with exigent circumstances and wasn’t intrusive. “As in Jarrell, the GSR evidence was highly evanescent evidence that was susceptible to destruction from simple activities like wiping one’s … Continue reading

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OH3: 9-1-1 call about possible fire in def’s home justified FD entry; plain view resulted.

A 9-1-1 call about a fire in defendant’s home revealed by heavy black smoke from the chimney brought the fire and police departments who entered. The fire scene entry and the plain view were reasonable under Michigan v. Tyler. State … Continue reading

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KS: Search of def’s purse when she was passed out likely from ODing was reasonable

The emergency aid exception justified the search of defendant’s purse. She was passed out on a convenience store bathroom floor with drug paraphernalia around her. It was reasonable to look in her purse to see what drug it might have … Continue reading

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SD: Failure to put SW materials in record means trial court presumed correct

There were two search warrants for location data and defendant’s cell phone. Without the search warrant materials in the appellate record, there’s nothing to review and the trial court is assumed to be correct. State v. Horse, 2024 S.D. 4, … Continue reading

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ND: Driver couldn’t consent to search of passenger’s backpack

The driver of a car could not consent to search of a backpack that by all accounts belonged to the passenger. It was where he sat, and the driver said it wasn’t hers. Inside was men’s clothes and stuff. State … Continue reading

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D.Minn.: Def’s PC suppression argument showed a trial defense, not an argment for suppression

Defendant’s objection to the R&R isn’t enough to overrule the USMJ’s finding there was probable cause. Defendant presents a trial defense, not a defense to probable cause. United States v. Cole, 2024 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 752 (D. Minn. Jan. 3, … Continue reading

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OH2: Pinging cell phone of suspect shortly after homicide was exigent

Pinging defendant’s cell phone to try to find him after he had shot three people seven hours apart was with exigent circumstances. This is already settled in this state. State v. Smith, 2023-Ohio-4565, 2023 Ohio App. LEXIS 4389 (2d Dist. … Continue reading

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ND: It was unreasonable for police to think landowner who rented bedroom to another could consent to its search

Defendant stayed in a bedroom in another’s house, and he paid rent. It was unreasonable for officers to conclude that the homeowner could consent to search of the room. Also, the door to the room was closed when the police … Continue reading

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IN: Patdown of man in medical distress before paramedics arrived was reasonable

Defendant’s patdown search when he was found lying in a parking lot in medical distress was objectively reasonable as an emergency search, if just for what was on him before paramedics arrived. Meth was found. Lack of a separate state … Continue reading

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S.D.Ohio: Evidence in plain view may be seized during protective sweep

It was permissible for officers to seize firearms seen in plain view during this protective sweep. United States v. Riley, 2023 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 198798 (S.D. Ohio Nov. 6, 2023). “Given the totality of the circumstances and the numerous distinctions … Continue reading

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M.D.Pa.: Police continually banging on def’s door to come out was seizure; no exigency applies; suppressed

Defendant fled from the police in his car in a highspeed chase. They went to his house and came on to defendant’s curtilage, his porch, and shined flashlights through the windows. This was a search on a constitutionally protected area. … Continue reading

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NY: Inventory policies don’t have to be in writing to be reasonable

“There is no requirement that an inventory search protocol be written …, and courts will not ‘micromanage the procedures used to search properly impounded cars’ … ‘[R]easonable police regulations relating to inventory procedures administered in good faith satisfy the Fourth … Continue reading

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D.N.M.: Police entry into a fire damaged home after fire was out and it was “all clear” violated 4A

There was a kitchen fire in defendant’s home, and firefighters told the police that there were unsecured handguns in the house. A police aide entered the house without a warrant and took them. The government argues the house was abandoned … Continue reading

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NY Suffolk Co.: Entry under Extreme Risk Protection Order statute for potential suicide was exigent

“The Court finds that the search conducted pursuant to the E[xtreme] R[isk] P[rotection] O[rder] statute was reasonable. P.O. Keenan provided sworn testimony as to the basis for his belief that defendant was expressing suicidal ideations (defendant’s text messages), and recounted … Continue reading

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E.D.Tex.: Pretextual claim of emergency aid exception to conduct a drug search leads to suppression

Defendant was having a seizure in his underwear on the street, about two blocks from his home. Officers could tell the smell of PCP about him. Officers went to his house and the door was cracked. Looking through the door, … Continue reading

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N.D.Ind.: Covid mask requirements, contact tracing, and quarantine procedures did not violate 4A

Covid mask requirements, contact tracing, and quarantine procedures did not violate the Fourth Amendment. Plaintiffs don’t even say how. Skains v. Lake Cent. Sch. Corp., 2023 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 134970 (N.D. Ind. Aug. 2, 2023):

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CA5: No police wrongdoing here to support “police created exigency”

Defendant came in to the police for an interview about sex assault in the Army. As it developed, exigency for seizure of defendant’s cell phone arose. This was not a police created exigency which requires some wrongdoing on the part … Continue reading

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