In a significant felony case out of Hennepin County, all charges against the Defendant were dismissed after the District Court ruled that law enforcement violated the Defendant’s Constitutional rights during a routine traffic stop.
The Court held that the warrantless search conducted by police exceeded the lawful scope of a pat frisk under Terry v. Ohio and violated both Article I, Section 10 of the Minnesota Constitution and the Fourth Amendment to the United States Constitution. Specifically, the Court determined that the officer improperly searched the Defendant’s cargo pants pockets even though the items inside were not immediately identifiable as weapons or evidence of criminal activity — a requirement necessary to justify removal during a protective frisk.
As a result of the Court’s ruling suppressing the unlawfully obtained evidence, the felony charges were dismissed in their entirety. The outcome was particularly noteworthy given the presiding judge’s reputation for routinely denying defense motions to suppress evidence, making the dismissal a hard-fought and meaningful victory for the defense.
