Opinion ID: 1696930
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 8

Heading: Whether the Trial Court Erred in Denying the Defendant's Motion to Suppress the Fruits of the Search of the Defendant's Car

Text: ¶ 36. Prior to trial, Jordan filed a Motion to Suppress evidence found inside his car on the night of the shooting. The trial court initially found that Jordan had not consented to the search of his car and that there were no exigent circumstances justifying a warrantless search, and thus suppressed the evidence. However, after the trial court's ruling, the prosecution filed a Motion to Reconsider. The trial court then found that the evidence was admissible because the prosecution had demonstrated that there was probable cause supporting a warrantless search of Jordan's car. ¶ 37. The Fourth Amendment of the United States Constitution protects individuals from unreasonable searches and seizures. U.S. Const. amend. XIV; see also Miss. Const. art. III, § 23. As a general rule, warrantless searches of private property are per se unreasonable. See, e.g., Cady v. Dombrowski, 413 U.S. 433, 93 S.Ct. 2523, 37 L.Ed.2d 706 (1973). However, there are exceptions, such as the automobile exception. See, e.g., Robbins v. California, 453 U.S. 420, 101 S.Ct. 2841, 69 L.Ed.2d 744 (1981); New York v. Belton, 453 U.S. 454, 101 S.Ct. 2860, 69 L.Ed.2d 768 (1981). ¶ 38. In this case, the trial judge found that there was probable cause for the warrantless search of Jordan's car, making the search valid. When determining whether or not a search is supported by probable cause, a judge must consider the totality of the circumstances and use his or her best judgment. McNeal v. State, 617 So.2d 999, 1006-1007 (Miss.1993) (citations omitted). This Court reviews the record to determine whether or not the trial court's finding is supported by substantial evidence. Id. at 1007. ¶ 39. In the instant case, there was testimony from several witnesses that the shooter left the scene in Jordan's car, which police officers found parked at Jordan's home shortly after the incident. This constitutes substantial evidence in support of a finding that probable cause existed for a valid, warrantless search of Jordan's automobile. Accordingly, we find this issue to be without merit.