Court Opinion

ID: 9693984
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-25 17:15:32.031922+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:19:53.528628
License: Public Domain

*490LARSEN, Justice,
concurring.
Because we are required to follow the United States Supreme Court’s interpretations of the United States Constitution, Pennsylvania has, until now, been required to apply the unrealistic two-prong test of Aguilar v. Texas, 378 U.S. 108, 84 S.Ct. 1509, 12 L.Ed.2d 723 (1964) and Spinelli v. United States, 393 U.S. 410, 89 S.Ct. 584, 21 L.Ed.2d 637 (1969). This has resulted in many cases being decided by crabbing over-technicalities. Now that the States have a greater choice in the matter, we are at liberty to adopt the most common sense approach. Illinois v. Gates, 462 U.S. 213, 103 S.Ct. 2317, 76 L.Ed.2d 527 (1983), is the answer, with its more realistic view of the world. For that reason, even though some sister states have continued to apply the Aguilar-Spinelli test under their state constitutions, I join the majority in adopting the Gates decision and rationale.
McDERMOTT and PAPADAKOS, JJ., join in this concurring opinion.