Earlier this month, a state appellate court issued a written opinion in a New York drug case discussing the validity of the search that resulted in the discovery of narcotics. The case required the court to discuss the protections afforded by the Fourth Amendment to the United States Constitution and…
Articles Posted in NARCOTICS
New York Court Finds Inexperienced Officer Lacked a “Founded Suspicion” to Stop, Question, and Search Defendant
Last month, a state appellate court issued a written opinion in a New York gun possession case discussing whether the arresting officer had a “founded suspicion” that there was criminal activity afoot. Ultimately, the court held that the defendant’s motion to suppress the firearm that was found on him should…
Supreme Court Issues Opinion Impacting New York Defendants with Prior Drug Convictions
As we reported in February, the Supreme Court heard argument on a drug case that will likely have significant consequences for many facing New York gun charges. Now, the United States Supreme Court issued a written opinion in the case. Specifically, the case required the Court to interpret the provision…
New York Appellate Court Reversed Trial Courts Denial of Defendant’s Motion to Suppress
Earlier this month, a state appellate court issued a written opinion in a New York drug possession case discussing the defendant’s motion to suppress. Specifically, the defendant appealed the lower court’s denial of his motion to suppress arguing that the arresting officer’s pat-frisk of the defendant was illegal. Without answering…
Appellate Court Discusses New York’s Tampering with Evidence Statute in Recent Marijuana Possession Case
Earlier this year, a state appellate court issued an opinion in a New York marijuana possession case involving the question of whether the defendant could legally be convicted of tampering with evidence after he threw a bag of marijuana to the ground while being chased by police. The court determined…
New York Court Affirms Doctor’s Manslaughter Conviction after Patient’s Overdose
Earlier this month, a state appellate court issued a written opinion in a New York manslaughter case discussing whether the evidence presented by the prosecution was legally sufficient to sustain the defendant’s conviction for manslaughter. Ultimately, the court concluded that the jury’s decision to convict the defendant, given the evidence,…
Can New York Police Officers Search a Car if They Smell Marijuana?
On July 31, 2019, a state appellate court issued a written opinion in a New York drug case discussing whether police officers can search a person’s car if they smell marijuana. Ultimately, the court concluded that the search was permissible because the smell of marijuana gives rise to probable cause…
New York Court Reverses Defendant’s Conviction Based on Illegal Arrest
In either a New York drug-possession case or a New York Gun Possession case seeking suppression of the contraband can often be a defendant’s best defense. Earlier this month, a state appellate court issued an opinion in which the court reversed the defendant’s drug conviction, finding that the police did…
New York Appellate Court Reverses Defendant’s Drug Conviction Based on Illegal Arrest
Earlier this month, a state appellate court issued an opinion in a New York drug possession case, reversing a lower court’s decision to deny the defendant’s motion to suppress and holding that the prosecution failed to meet its burden to establish that the defendant’s arrest was legal. In so holding, the…
The Warrant Requirement in New York Search and Seizure Cases
Lawyers experienced with drug cases often seek to suppress the drugs recovered by the police based upon a violation of the client’s right to not be subjected to unreasonable searches. As a general matter, the Fourth Amendment to the United States Constitution, as well as Article I section 12 of…