Court Opinion

ID: 9670295
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-24 03:18:21.378608+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:16:03.680593
License: Public Domain

SABERS, Justice
(concurring specially).
These officers had more than enough information against this defendant to obtain a search warrant. Despite that fact, they proceeded on the pretense of the outstanding misdemeanor warrants for failure to appear in court and failure to pay a fine. Sometimes one wonders if police officers are allergic to obtaining search warrants. Maybe they prefer to do things the hard way.
Once the officers decide to “shortcut” based on pretense, they are bound to justify in court the search of the premises for drugs. No one is naive enough to believe that they really went to the house to make an arrest solely on the misdemeanor warrants without searching. As a result, they must justify their conduct in circuit court and now, on appeal to this court. I submit that a proper search warrant would have eliminated the necessity for. this litigation;