Description:

Boise, Idaho criminal defense lawyer represented the Defendant charged with drug possession.

Taylor was driving on a nonresidential street within city limits when an officer observed Taylor turn on his signal and "almost immediately" begin changing lanes. The officer stopped Taylor for an improper signal during a lane change in violation of I.C. § 49-808. During the traffic stop, the officer noticed Taylor was "extremely nervous and spoke with a subtle staccato cadence in his speech." At the officer's request, a drug-detection dog arrived at the scene, conducted an open-air sniff of Taylor's vehicle, and alerted to the presence of narcotics. The officer conducted
a search of the vehicle and recovered a "long green glass pipe with a noticeable buildup of a white crystal-like substance" and a "very small plastic baggy that contained a white crystal-like substance." The officer, based on his training and experience, identified the white crystal-like substance as methamphetamine. During a search incident to Taylor's arrest, the officer found a "larger bag" of methamphetamine and "broken shards of glass with white residue buildup" consistent with a methamphetamine pipe.

The State charged Taylor with felony possession of a controlled substance and misdemeanor possession of drug paraphernalia. Taylor filed a motion to suppress, arguing that the traffic stop which led to the discovery of the contraband was not supported by reasonable suspicion. The district court denied the motion after a hearing. Taylor entered a conditional guilty plea to felony possession of a controlled substance, I.C. § 37-2732, reserving his right to challenge the district court's denial of his motion to suppress. Taylor appeals.

State v. Taylor, 50709 (Idaho App. Nov 08, 2024)

Outcome: Affirmed

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Defendant's Experts:

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