Title: New Jersey v. Hummel

State: new-jersey

Issuer: New Jersey Supreme Court

Document:

SYLLABUS

(This syllabus is not part of the opinion of the Court. It has been prepared by the Office of the Clerk for the
convenience of the reader. It has been neither reviewed nor approved by the Supreme Court. Please note that, in the
interest of brevity, portions of any opinion may not have been summarized.)

                                   State v. Lori A. Hummel (A-36-16) (078476)

Argued October 24, 2017 -- Decided March 13, 2018

TIMPONE, J., writing for the Court.

      The Court considers the legality of the police’s search and seizure of the contents of defendant Lori
Hummel’s handbag while she was detained at the Gloucester County Prosecutor’s Office.

         On December 5, 2010, Thomas Carbin was stabbed to death. On December 7, 2010, Investigator Gary
Krohn advised defendant that he was going to bring her to the police station for two outstanding traffic bench
warrants; he drove her to the Gloucester County Prosecutor’s Office. There, he introduced defendant to Detective
Bryn Wilden and Sergeant James Ballenger. Detective Wilden then escorted defendant into an interrogation room.

         Defendant placed her purse on the table in front of her. Around 1:56 p m., Detective Wilden and Sergeant
Ballenger entered defendant’s interrogation room to begin questioning her. The detectives took seats at the table
without removing defendant’s purse or frisking her. About a minute into questioning, defendant reached into and
rummaged through her purse to retrieve her cell phone. She checked the time and advised the detectives that she
had to pick up her daughter by 3:20 p m. The detectives did not comment on her time constraint. Detective Wilden
then asked defendant to raise her right hand and swore her in. The detectives began asking defendant substantive
questions without advising her of her rights under Miranda v. Arizona,