Opinion ID: 65023
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Collins's arrest

Text: Immediately following their arrests, Hearn and Blanton agreed to cooperate in the officers' investigation. Blanton told the officers that he obtained the methamphetamine found in room 1711 from a woman named Lora who was staying in room 930 at the Diamond Jacks Casino Hotel. The officers went to the Diamond Jacks Hotel and confirmed that a Lora Tomlinson had been registered in room 930, but had moved to Room 940 because of problems with the room's air conditioner. The agents secured room 941 immediately adjacent to room 940. At approximately 7:50 p.m., a male later identified to be Joel Hammond knocked on the door to room 940. Two females in the room began to joke about a password, but the officers in room 941 could not make out any other specific words. After a brief time in the room, Hammond left. Shortly after Hammond left, the officers in room 941 overheard three unidentified females in room 940 engaging in general conversation. The officers overheard the females counting money and making comments about someone being a real drug dealer and like the ice cream man. [2] One of the officers testified: Basically I figured out there were three girls in the room and they were just talking in general. One of the first things that I had heard was one girl ... talking. At the time I had no idea who was who, but I could just tell there were three different voices. And one girl stated that, you know: `Hey, now you're a real dope dealer.' And then another girl was like: `Yeah, I'm just like the ice cream man selling ice cream everywhere.' In the magistrate's findings, to which we must give deference, he concluded that there were three women involved in this conversation. At approximately 8:42 p.m., one of the females in the room, later identified as Collins, left. Four plain-clothed officers followed her down the hall. The officers testified that Collins was clutching her purse closely and acting in a suspicious, nervous manner. They also acknowledged, however, that it would not be unusual for a female to become somewhat nervous when followed closely by four unknown males. As Collins entered the garage area, the officers approached her, identified themselves as police officers, moved her into the parking garage, and stated that they were investigating methamphetamine distribution. They administered Miranda warnings and, before asking whether she waived those rights, asked how much methamphetamine she had with her. In response, Collins put her purse down on a nearby bench and advised the officers that the methamphetamine was in her purse. One of the officers opened the purse and found two envelopes containing a large amount of methamphetamine. The officers then transported Collins to the Louisiana State Police office inside the Diamond Jacks Casino. Collins was asked whether she had any drugs in her vehicle. She responded that she had a small amount of marijuana, a marijuana pipe, and a methamphetamine pipe in her vehicle. Collins verbally consented to a search of her vehicle. The search revealed the items that Collins had mentioned, plus a set of digital scales.