Opinion ID: 1277664
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: standard of review

Text: [1] An appellate court will uphold the trial court's ruling on a motion to suppress unless the trial court's findings of fact are clearly erroneous. In making this determination, the appellate court does not reweigh the evidence or resolve conflicts in the evidence, but, rather, recognizes the trial court as the finder of fact and considers the trial court observed the witnesses testifying in regard to such motions. State v. Ball, ante p. 140, 710 N.W.2d 592 (2006). [2] Although we generally uphold suppression motions unless the trial court's findings of fact are clearly erroneous, the Eighth Circuit applies a different standard for exigent circumstances determinations. In U.S. v. Ball, 90 F.3d 260, 262 (8th Cir. 1996), the court applied the two-stage standard described in Ornelas v. United States, 517 U.S. 690, 116 S. Ct. 1657, 134 L. Ed. 2d 911 (1996), stating: The first part of the analysis involves only a determination of the historical facts leading up to the warrantless search. The second part of the analysis requires a decision whether these historical facts, when viewed from the standpoint of an objectively reasonable police officer, support the ultimate conclusion reached by the district court, i.e. that probable cause existed or that exigent circumstances were present. . . . Ornelas instructs that the second part of the analysis, the ultimate conclusions reached by the district court, must be reviewed de novo. (Citations omitted.) We agree with the Eighth Circuit that this is the appropriate standard of review and apply it to this case.