Opinion ID: 1035248
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Suppression Hearings

Text: In January 2010 Matthews was charged in a five-count superseding indictment with one count of conspiracy to commit robbery, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1951(a); two counts of attempted robbery, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1985; one count of carrying a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 924(c); and one count of possessing a firearm after conviction of a felony, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 922(g). Matthews promptly moved to suppress the evidence recovered from his backpack, arguing that (1) the evidence was derived from an investigatory stop that was illegal and thus constituted “fruit of the poisonous tree,” and (2) even if the initial stop was lawful, the warrantless search of his backpack violated the Fourth Amendment because it did not fall under any of the established exceptions to the warrant requirement. At the initial suppression hearing held on March 26, 2010, the Government argued that the search of Matthews’ backpack was valid under the “search incident to arrest” exception. After the Government presented its evidence, the District Court expressed skepticism that the search could be justified as a search incident to Matthews’ arrest, as Matthews was secured in the police car at the time of the search. Ultimately, the Court deferred ruling on the issue and allowed the parties to submit supplemental briefing. In its supplemental briefing, the Government argued that the search of Matthews’ backpack could be justified either as a search incident to arrest or as a valid “inventory search,” or, in the alternative, that the contraband in the backpack would have been inevitably discovered when the backpack was inventoried at the police station. In support 4 of its inventory search argument, the Government submitted evidence regarding the Philadelphia Police Department’s policy for searches prior to transporting an arrestee. Philadelphia Police Department Memorandum 99-14 (hereinafter “Policy 99-14” or the “policy”) addresses the search of personal property seized pursuant to an arrest. The policy reads as follows: