Defendant’s 24½-year sentence, based on multiple controlled buys of methamphetamine over a two-week period and the resulting traffic stop, which uncovered additional contraband, was inappropriate.
Criminal
Combs v. State, No. 19A-CR-1991, __ N.E.3d __ (Ind. Ct. App., Jul. 9, 2020).
An inventory search must serve a legitimate administrative purpose and not be a pretext for an investigatory warrantless search.
McCain v. State, No. 20S-CR-281, __ N.E.3d __ (Ind., June 30, 2020).
Trial court’s comments disagreeing with the jury’s verdict were insufficient to taint the sentencing decision, and the sentence was not inappropriate given the nature of the crime and defendant’s demonstrated character
Shorter v. State, No. 19A-CR-2904, __ N.E.3d __ (Ind. Ct. App., July 6, 2020).
That officers knew defendant wanted to leave town was an exigent circumstance justifying defendant’s warrantless arrest.
Hardin v. State, No. 20S-CR-418, __ N.E.3d __ (Ind., Jun. 23, 2020).
Based on the high degree of law enforcement concern and moderate law-enforcement needs, both the Fourth Amendment and the Indiana Constitution, permit police, armed with a warrant to search a home, to search a vehicle located in the home’s curtilage when officers possess knowledge that the vehicle is either actually owned or under the control and dominion of the premises owner or resident or, alternatively, those vehicles which appear, based on objectively reasonable indicia present at the time of the search, to be so controlled.