Opinion ID: 6357857
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: review of the record

Text: [¶ 8] When a motion court's finding of probable cause is challenged on appeal and there was no motion for further findings after the entry of the motion court's order, we review the evidence in the entire record in the light most favorable to the motion court's order to determine if the findings and conclusions are supported by the record. See State v. Kierstead , 2015 ME 45 , ¶ 2, 114 A.3d 984 . [¶ 9] As Journet points out, the information used by the officers to arrest him came entirely from a cooperating individual that none of the officers involved in Journet's arrest had worked with before. The discovery of illegal drugs at the cooperating individual's house, however, demonstrated that he was acquiring drugs from someone. The court found that the cooperating individual identified his dealer as a black man whom he knew as Troy, who drove a blue BMW SUV, and who would be coming to the residence from the Portland area that very evening. At the motion hearing, an officer testified that he saw text messages confirming that the heroin delivery described by the cooperating individual was still good to go for later that day. [¶ 10] The court's findings are supported by evidence that the involved residence is located on a very short, dead-end street that is accessed from a major street. Taking advantage of that location, four officers were stationed near the residence to watch for a blue BMW SUV with a black male driver. Another officer parked his vehicle near the airport on the major street, which one might use when travelling from Portland to the residence, to watch for the vehicle. [¶11] At around 6:40 p.m., a little later than the time given by the individual at the residence, a blue BMW SUV with a black male driver and a white passenger drove past the location near the airport. At that point, the officer near the airport notified the officers near the residence that a blue BMW SUV with a black male driver and a white passenger had just driven by his location. [¶ 12] A detective stationed in a parking lot near the residence received the call and noticed the same vehicle pass his location. After observing the vehicle turn onto the dead-end street and approach the area of the residence, he initiated a traffic stop. Another officer waiting in his patrol car on the side of the road observed the detective initiate the stop. The other officer immediately approached the vehicle and, as the BMW was coming to a stop near the residence, he positioned [his] vehicle in front  of it so that after the vehicle was stopped it couldn't ... go further. [¶ 13] Journet, the driver, was ordered out of the vehicle. After a pat down search, Journet was handcuffed and transported to the Kennebec County Sheriff's Office. He later confessed to possession of heroin. After the arrest, a baggie containing nearly ten grams of heroin was produced by the passenger. [¶ 14] Journet does not appear to contest that, at the time the vehicle was stopped, the officers had reasonable articulable suspicion of criminal activity sufficient to initiate the stop and question the vehicle occupants. See State v. Violette , 2016 ME 65 , ¶¶ 3-4, 138 A.3d 491 . Journet contends, however, that the police lacked sufficient probable cause to believe that he was engaged in criminal conduct to justify his warrantless arrest.