Opinion ID: 2329812
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: The December 30 Incident

Text: On the afternoon of December 30, 1981, a police patrol found appellant sitting in an illegally parked car with a companion. He falsely gave the identity of a nephew who, a radio check revealed, was possibly armed and dangerous. The officers observed, in plain view on the floor of the car, items indicating that appellant was a drug user. When appellant was frisked, the officers recovered a syringe, the stained needle cap of which was in plain view protruding out of a front pants pocket. An ensuing search of appellant's clothing revealed a preludin pill in his inside coat pocket. The police officers then requested permission to search the car and, according to appellant's companion as well as the officers themselves, appellant consented to this proposal. In the trunk of the car, the police officers discovered a bag containing a heavy object, which felt like a gun. Inside was an unregistered firearm which carried appellant's fingerprint. Appellant's convictions for possession of a controlled substance and possession of an unregistered firearm stemmed from this incident.