SEARCH WARRANT WAS NOT BASED UPON PROBABLE CAUSE TO BELIEVE THE EVIDENCE SOUGHT WOULD BE AT THE SEARCHED LOCATION, MOTION TO SUPPRESS WAS PROPERLY GRANTED AND INDICTMENT WAS PROPERLY DISMISSED.
The Fourth Department affirmed Supreme Court's granting of defendant's motion to suppress the fruits of a search warrant for a house (285 Lincoln Avenue). The search warrant sought evidence of a murder at a residence on Grafton Street. The defendant had been driven to the Grafton Street residence on the day of the murder. The search warrant at issue was for a different residence, 285 Lincoln Avenue. The search warrant application was based upon evidence the defendant's cell phone had been in the vicinity of the 285 Lincoln Avenue, the defendant had been seen in the driveway of 285 Lincoln Avenue, and defendant was a Facebook friend of the person to whom the utilities at 285 Lincoln Avenue were registered. However defendant was never seen entering 295 Lincoln Avenue and the search warrant application did not provide probable cause to believe evidence of the Grafton Street murder would be found at the property:
It is well settled that a search warrant may be issued only upon a showing of probable cause to believe that a crime has occurred, is occurring, or is about to occur … , and where there is sufficient evidence from which to form a reasonable belief that evidence of the crime may be found inside the location sought to be searched … . Here, we conclude that the Supreme Court properly determined that the application for the search warrant contained no specific factual allegations that tied the location of 285 Lincoln Avenue to the evidence sought to be seized; failed to establish any dominion and control of 285 Lincoln Avenue by defendant; and failed to tie defendant to the Grafton Street murder, or to his possession of evidence or contraband pertaining to that murder … . People v Moxley, 2016 NY Slip Op 02192, 4th Dept 3-25-16
CRIMINAL LAW (SEARCH WARRANT WAS NOT BASED UPON PROBABLE CAUSE TO BELIEVE THE EVIDENCE SOUGHT WOULD BE AT THE SEARCHED LOCATION, MOTION TO SUPPRESS WAS PROPERLY GRANTED AND INDICTMENT WAS PROPERLY DISMISSED)/EVIDENCE (CRIMINAL LAW, SEARCH WARRANT WAS NOT BASED UPON PROBABLE CAUSE TO BELIEVE THE EVIDENCE SOUGHT WOULD BE AT THE SEARCHED LOCATION, MOTION TO SUPPRESS WAS PROPERLY GRANTED AND INDICTMENT WAS PROPERLY DISMISSED)/SUPPRESSION (SEARCH WARRANT WAS NOT BASED UPON PROBABLE CAUSE TO BELIEVE THE EVIDENCE SOUGHT WOULD BE AT THE SEARCHED LOCATION, MOTION TO SUPPRESS WAS PROPERLY GRANTED AND INDICTMENT WAS PROPERLY DISMISSED)/SEARCHES AND SEIZURES (SEARCH WARRANT WAS NOT BASED UPON PROBABLE CAUSE TO BELIEVE THE EVIDENCE SOUGHT WOULD BE AT THE SEARCHED LOCATION, MOTION TO SUPPRESS WAS PROPERLY GRANTED AND INDICTMENT WAS PROPERLY DISMISSED)