Opinion ID: 47335
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Thompson’s First Trial

Text: Thompson was charged in a six-count indictment with: (1) conspiracy to 3 possess with intent to distribute powder cocaine and crack cocaine (Counts 1 and 2); (2) possession with intent to distribute powder cocaine and crack cocaine (Counts 3 and 4); (3) obstruction of justice (Count 5); and (4) a forfeiture count (Count 6). Thompson moved to suppress the evidence found in the motel room, arguing that the search was conducted before officers secured a search warrant. Thompson attached to his motion a copy of the search warrant signed by the judge and issued at 10:40 p.m. and a copy of Cuthkelvin’s arrest narrative stating that the search was executed at 2140 hours, or 9:40 p.m. The district court, Chief Judge Granade, denied Thompson’s motion to suppress as untimely. During the trial before Judge Butler, Cuthkelvin testified that the search of the motel room was conducted only after he obtained the search warrant from the judge and that the time noted in his arrest narrative was a typographical error. Prior to jury deliberations, the government asked the district court to revisit the prior ruling on the motion to suppress in light of Cuthkelvin’s testimony about the timing of the search. Judge Butler concluded that Thompson had not been prejudiced by the lack of a suppression hearing because the evidence presented at trial indicated that the room had been searched after the officers had obtained a search warrant, as follows: And I’m not going to make a ruling on the motion to suppress as much as I’m going to say that there appears to the Court to have been 4 no prejudice suffered by the defendant by their [sic] not having a suppression hearing to begin with. Because everything that came out in the trial testimony, subject to cross-examination, did not indicate any avenue of possible relief, if you will, from the conclusion that everyone testified to, that the room was searched after the warrant was obtained. After jury deliberations began, the jury reported that it was hopelessly deadlocked, and the district court declared a mistrial.