Disobeying order to stay off phone justified disorderly conduct conviction
Facts Mark Matthews and Brittany Sullivan had a daughter, Macy Kate, in 2008. Because they were not married, custody arrangements were established by a final judgment of filiation and support filed in Madison County Chancery Court, granting joint legal and physical custody to both parents. The custody agreement provided that Matthews had custody of Macy […]
Written waiver not required for valid confession
Facts In 2010, parked cars were obstructing traffic outside a night club so officers called a tow truck to assist. As the tow truck driver was attaching a vehicle to his wrecker, a Chevrolet pickup truck driven by Ivana Merritt, struck the side of the wrecker and ran over Robert Bounds (he survived), carrying him about […]
A traffic stop doesn’t end if officer has separate reasonable suspicion to detain
Facts In 2009, police conducted a routine traffic stop and arrested the person for possession of marijuana. That person then told police that ten pounds of marijuana would be in a black bag in the trunk of a dark colored rental car driven by a black male and parked in the back of a car wash […]
After invoking counsel, police can’t encourage parent to pressure 14 year old to further interrogation
Facts In 2008, Michael and Linda Porter were traveling to Pascagoula to watch Linda’s grandson play football. They stopped at a Conoco gas station in Moss Point to ask for directions to the football stadium. Michael exited the car to go into the gas station, and Linda stayed in the car. She saw three young […]
Exigent circumstances and probable cause allow search of car after arrest in this case
Facts In 2008, Shakeylia Anderson was picked up at her grandmother’s home by a man driving a white Ford Taurus. Her cousin saw the man and the car and her uncle had seen the name Bo on Anderson’s cell phone earlier that evening. Her body was found the next evening in a secluded wooded area. […]
Protective sweep of home proper after arrest
Facts A man, dressed in a navy hooded jacket and a white painter’s mask, approached Laura Rigdon at the Bank of Jones County and demanded money. $1,040.00 in various denominations were handed to the masked man who shoved the money in his pocket and then left. Rigdon told the police officers that she recognized the robber’s voice […]