Marc Salinas obtained the dismissal of drug distribution charges by successfully challenging an unlawful, warrantless police entry into a private residence.
The case began when police responded to a report of a small child left unattended in a park. The effort to return the child home set in motion a chain of events that culminated in the client’s arrest. Officers located the client in the basement of a house they suspected the child lived in, this led to a search of his person and belongings that yielded a large quantity of cocaine. The client was indicted in Superior Court on drug trafficking charges.
Marc filed a motion to suppress the evidence seized following the warrantless entry into the residence, arguing that the entry and the search violated the federal and state constitutional principles that govern warrantless searches and seizures. After an evidentiary hearing, the court allowed the motion to suppress, and the case was dismissed.