Opinion ID: 2074112
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Suppression Motion Denied

Text: A contested violation of probation hearing was held in the Superior Court. At the time, the Superior Court also heard Miller's motion to suppress the evidence relating to the recent criminal charges. At the conclusion of the joint hearing, the judge upheld the initial stop of Miller and the subsequent search of his residence. The Superior Court denied Miller's motion to suppress in a bench ruling, as follows: I think the officers had a right to approach this group, to enforce the loitering statute and the right to ask the identities of those individuals. When they learned that Mr. Miller was a probationer, his status did change because he was subject to be searched on lesser grounds than an ordinary individual. When they learned that he has not reported a change of address, given the place where he is, a high drug area, given his convictions for drugs, there is ample grounds for them to ask for an administrative search warrant. For the probation violation, Miller was sentenced to three years followed by six months of probation. Thereafter, the new criminal charges that resulted in this appeal proceeded to trial.