Case Name: STATE of Florida, Appellant, v. Daniel LaSALLA, Appellee
Court: Florida District Court of Appeal
Jurisdiction: Florida
Decision Date: 1988-06-15
Citations: 536 So. 2d 1037
Docket Number: No. 87-2447
Parties: STATE of Florida, Appellant, v. Daniel LaSALLA, Appellee.
Judges: ANSTEAD, GLICKSTEIN and GUNTHER, JJ., concur.
Reporter: Southern Reporter, Second Series
Volume: 536
Pages: 1037–1041

Head Matter:
STATE of Florida, Appellant, v. Daniel LaSALLA, Appellee.
No. 87-2447.
District Court of Appeal of Florida, Fourth District.
June 15, 1988.
On Motion for Rehearing Feb. 1, 1989.
Robert A. Butterworth, Atty. Gen., Tallahassee, and Robert S. Jaegers, Asst. Atty. Gen., West Palm Beach, for appellant.
Douglas N. Duncan of Cone, Wagner, Nugent, Johnson, Roth and Romano, P.A., West Palm Beach, for appellee.

Opinion:
PER CURIAM.
We affirm the trial court's grant of the motion to suppress. The removal of LaSal-la's checked luggage from the airline terminal without probable cause or reasonable suspicion constituted an illegal search and seizure.
Police observed LaSalla enter the airport with two pieces of luggage and check in one suitcase at the airline desk. After LaSalla left the desk, police removed the suitcase from the airline's possession. Police then approached LaSalla and requested permission to search LaSalla's carry-on bag, which was granted. The search of the carry-on bag produced nothing to give rise to probable cause or reasonable suspicion. Police asked LaSalla if he had other luggage, and LaSalla responded, "No." At that point the checked suitcase was produced, LaSalla denied ownership, and the police proceeded to search the suitcase under an abandonment theory.
One may not challenge the search or seizure of property which one has freely and voluntarily abandoned. However, where law enforcement officers committed some improper or unlawful act prior to the abandonment, evidence obtained by the search or seizure is inadmissible. State v. Nittolo, 317 So.2d 748, 749 (Fla.), cert. denied, Hover v. Florida, 423 U.S. 1036, 96 S.Ct. 572, 46 L.Ed.2d 411 (1975).
In the instant case, the police randomly selected LaSalla for observation and questioning. Police then removed LaSal-la's checked suitcase from the airline terminal. Since the luggage was removed without either probable cause or a reasonable suspicion, the removal was improper. United States v. Puglisi, 723 F.2d 779 (11th Cir.1984); United States v. Place, 462 U.S. 696, 103 S.Ct. 2637, 77 L.Ed.2d 110 (1983). Thus, the trial court's suppression of the evidence is affirmed.
AFFIRMED.
ANSTEAD, GLICKSTEIN and GUNTHER, JJ., concur.