Opinion ID: 1096680
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: whether the trial court erred in denying ginn's motion to dismiss the indictment due to officer harold william bayles's lack of probable cause to arrest ginn for the charges alleged in the indictment.

Text: ¶ 20. Ginn argues that the indictment was improper because the officer lacked probable cause to arrest her. As shown above, there was sufficient evidence to show that the officer encountered an ambiguous situation which gave him reasonable grounds to investigate the vehicle located in a public parking lot. After the officer made an investigatory stop of the vehicle, the driver, acting very nervously and displaying needle marks on his arms, admitted there was a syringe loaded with methamphetamine between the seat where he and Ginn were sitting. A weapons patdown of the driver revealed a concealed knife. Once the investigative stop was made, the officer may no doubt rely upon items in plain view to provide probable cause for an arrest. Here, this included the syringe cap, the needle marks, and the altered driver's licenses. When Hill was patted down for the officer's safety, a concealed knife was located. Ginn was the only passenger in the vehicle. When Ginn was patted down for the officer's safety, she pulled out of her pocket a packet containing a white powdery substance which Officer Bayles believed to be methamphetamine. ¶ 21. Based upon the foregoing, there was sufficient evidence which clearly revealed that Officer Bayles acted reasonably when he initiated an investigatory stop. Furthermore, Officer Bayles's subsequent actions, including the inventory of the contents of the vehicle, were also reasonable under the facts and circumstances presented. Therefore, Ginn's fourth assignment of error is without merit.
¶ 22. Ginn next argues that a delay of sixteen months from the date of her arrest to the date of her trial was a violation of her federal and state right to speedy trial. Ginn was arrested on April 14, 2001. The two-count indictment was filed and recorded on January 24, 2002. Ginn waived arraignment and entered a plea of not guilty on February 20, 2002. The trial took place on August 21, 2002.