Edwards not violated when subject re-initiates communication with police
Facts In 1996, the body of 78 year old Minnie Smith was discovered by her son-in-law. The police investigation revealed that Smith had been stabbed to death, apparently in the course of a burglary of her home. Law enforcement officers interviewed neighbors within a radius of several miles, before eventually focusing their attention on Blayde […]
absence of criminal identification tags in photo lineup did not single out defendants
Facts In 1998, Tim Seese, a delivery man for Tom’s snack foods, parked the company delivery van in front of Laird’s Hospital in Union, Mississippi. Seese left the doors of the van open as he was inside of the hospital making an inventory of the snack machines and refilling them. Sherry Whinery and Faye Walker, two […]
an officer may stop and detain a person to resolve an ambiguous situation without having sufficient knowledge to justify an arrest
Facts Officer Wayne Drexler received a call from a confidential informant (C.I.), known to Drexler and who had proven reliable in the past, that three black males were selling drugs at the intersection of Kingsway Drive and Brooksdale Drive in Picayune, Mississippi. Several arrests had been made in the past on information received from this […]
Passenger lacks standing to object to stop of car
Facts In 1998, Trooper Dennis Weaver of the Mississippi Highway Safety Patrol was driving on Highway 6 in Batesville, Mississippi when he saw a green Camaro driving in front of him. Weaver stated that the Camaro appeared to have tinted windows which were darker than allowed by law. According to Weaver, upon passing the vehicle, […]
Transfer of drugs does not require a sale
Facts March Meek was a passenger in Delinah Chauvin’s car when they were involved in a serious accident. Before entering the car, Meek had placed several items in the back seat of the vehicle. One of those items was a shaving kit. Both Chauvin and Meek were injured in the accident. Meek was unable to […]
you can’t initiate an arrest unless you believe that a breach of the peace was being threatened or a crime was about to be committed
Facts In 1998, Hinds County Sheriff’s Deputy Donnie Newman stopped at the Pit Stop Grocery in Raymond, Mississippi, on Highway 18 to fuel his police cruiser. After filling the tank, Newman paid for his purchase and spoke briefly with the attendant on duty. Newman heard someone calling for his attention as he walked back to […]