Opinion ID: 1111241
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: inspection of car

Text: At a pre-trial hearing it developed that the title to the Lincoln automobile was in the name of Whittington's brother, Edward L. Whittington, who lived in California. Edward Whittington gave as his reason for having the car in his name first, was that his brother owed him a considerable amount of money. On cross-examination, however, he admitted that on August 31, 1984, he executed an instrument giving the car to Mrs. Whittington's parents, Charles R. and Mrs. Laura B. Redding. He also stated the car had originally belonged to the Reddings. There was also some suggestion Whittington may have been having a dispute with the I.R.S. On July 25, 1984, Officers Austin and Scarborough, accompanied by Donald French, with the Louisiana State Police, went to Whittington's home to ascertain the location of the car, and obtain Whittington's permission to search it. This happened to be the day of Mrs. Whittington's funeral. A John Dugger answered the door, and shortly Edward Whittington, Whittington and Dugger returned to the carport where the officers were. According to Austin, French and Dugger, Whittington readily gave his permission to search and inspect the car, and instructed an employee, Roy Knighten, to show the officers the location of the car, which had been driven across the road from another employee, Neil Duke's, home. Following this permission, the officers drove to the automobile, searched the car, took the scrapings, and made the photographs which were introduced into evidence. The officers and Dugger testified Whittington was alert, coherent and rational when they requested and he gave permission to inspect the car. At the hearing Edward Whittington testified his brother was taking medication, and he did not recall his brother giving permission. He also testified that his brother was groggy, disoriented and somewhat hysterical. Following the hearing, the circuit judge overruled the motion to supress the results of the inspection and search of the automobile. There was no error committed by the circuit judge in holding that permission to search was not the result of any duress and was freely and voluntarily given. Jackson v. State, 418 So.2d 827, 830 (Miss. 1982).