JANUARY 6, 2014
In many cases, the evidence obtained against a criminal defendant can and should be suppressed in court, based upon the police’s violation of the defendant’s constitutional rights in obtaining that evidence. Generally, if the police did not follow constitutional procedure, then a jury may not know about the evidence obtained as a result of the constitutional violation. A recent Massachusetts Appeals Court case illustrates this concept.
In Commonwealth v. Diaz, the defendant was convicted of trafficking cocaine in an amount of 28 grams or more, based upon two packages of cocaine that the police seized from the defendant’s vehicle during a warrantless search of the vehicle. Several months prior to his arrest, the police had obtained information from a confidential informant that the defendant sold drugs, including at a building where a business named Family Oil was located, and that he packaged drugs there.
The police observed the defendant’s vehicle parked behind the Family Oil building, located on private property, and entered the property. They saw the defendant exit the building and quickly place his jacket into his car and try to go back into the building. The police immediately seized and restrained the defendant. They then entered the building, searched the occupants, and found cocaine on two of them. Returning outside, the police searched the defendant’s vehicle, without a warrant to do so, and found two bags of cocaine.
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Posted In: Cocaine Violations , Controlled Substances , Criminal Activity , Criminal Allegations , Drug Bust , Drug Dealing , Drug Offense , Drug Possession , Warrants