On Point blog, page 24 of 24

Arrest – Probable Cause – “Unmistakable” Drug Odor, Single-Occupant Automobile

State v. Timothy M. Secrist, 224 Wis. 2d 201, 589 N.W.2d 387, cert. denied, __ U.S. __ (1999), reversing218 Wis.2d 508, 582 N.W.2d 37 (Ct. App. 1998)
For Secrist: Patrick M. Donnelly, SPD, Madison Appellate.

Issue/Holding:

The issue presented to the court is whether the odor of a controlled substance may provide probable cause to arrest,

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Arrest — Probable Cause — Drug Odor, Multiple Possible Sources, Emanating from Home

State v. Michael Wilson, 229 Wis.2d 256, 600 N.W.2d 14 (Ct. App. 1999)
For Wilson: Martha A. Askins, SPD, Madison Appellate.

Issue/Holding:

Ison lacked probable cause to arrest Wilson when he refused to allow Wilson to use the bathroom because at that time, Ison could not identify Wilson as the source of the marijuana odor emanating from the basement. The Wisconsin Supreme Court recently held that “the odor of a controlled substance provides probable cause to arrest when the odor is unmistakable and may be linked to a specific person or persons because of the circumstances in which the odor is discovered or because other evidence links the odor to the person or persons.”State v.

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Arrest — Probable Cause — Drug Odor: “raw” marijuana — Search of Passenger.

State v. Mata, 230 Wis.2d 567, 602 N.W.2d 158 (Ct. App. 1999)
For Mata: Daniel P. Murray.

Issue: Whether the police had probable cause to search the passenger of a stopped car, based on the odor of “raw” marijuana.

Holding: The odor of marijuana was sufficiently linked to the passenger to justify the search.

The police stopped a car because it didn’t have a front plate.

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Arrest — Search Incident to Arrest — Test for Custody

State v. Michael Wilson, 229 Wis.2d 256, 600 N.W.2d 14 (Ct. App. 1999)
For Wilson: Martha A. Askins, SPD, Madison Appellate.

Holding: After unlawfully intruding on a home’s curtilage and smelling marijuana burning inside the home, an officer approached Wilson and wouldn’t let him go to the bathroom without first patting him down. This, the court says, amounted to an arrest under State v. Swanson, 164 Wis. 2d 437,

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Arrest — Test for Custody — Traffic Offense: Temporary Stop Not Converted to Arrest

State v. Dale Gruen, 218 Wis. 2d 581, 582 N.W.2d 728 (Ct. App. 1998)
For Gruen: Scott F. Anderson

Issue/Holding: Temporary detention of Gruen based on reasonable suspicion that he had caused an automobile accident while intoxicated was not converted into arrest, where the 1st officer detained him for no more than 15 minutes until a 2nd officer, from the appropriate jurisdiction could arrive; and, Gruen consented to sit in the police van to get out of the cold until the 2nd officer arrived.

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Arrest — Test for Custody — Temporary Stop Not Converted to Arrest by Moving Suspect

State v. Quartana, 213 Wis.2d 440, 570 N.W.2d 618 (Ct. App. 1997)
For Quartana: Donal L. Connor II

Issue/Holding:

… Thus, when a person under investigation pursuant to a Terry stop is moved from one location to another, there exists a two-part inquiry. First, was the person moved within the “vicinity?” Second, was the purpose in moving the person within the vicinity reasonable?”Vicinity” is commonly understood to mean “a surrounding area or district”

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