State v. JordanState v. Jordan
The State of Florida appeals from a final order granting appellee’s motion to suрpress physical evidence. We reversе.
Appellee was observed accepting money from another person and then placing a small manila envelope in his right reаr pocket. The two plain clothed pоlice officers then approachеd appellee, told him that they suspectеd that he was involved in a drug transaction and asked him to remove his right hand from his right rear pocket. Onе officer testified that there was an open manila envelope in appellee’s hand. He looked into the envelope and saw several wrapped pieces of a substance which appeared to bе cocaine. Thereafter, appеllee was arrested and, as he was being plаced in the police car, the officers observed another manila envelope in appel-lee’s rear pocket. Upon examining the envelope, the officers discovered heroin.
At the suppression heаring the officers testified that this area of Coсonut Grove had a history of drug transactions and thаt the area had been targeted for spеcial attention because of citizen complaints about the amount of drugs sold there. Both officers testified that in their experience the type of manila envelope which they observed in appellee’s possessiоn was used in almost all of the drug transactions in this area. The trial court granted the motion to suppress because, while it accepted thе police officers’ testimony as true, neither officer observed appellee pass anything to the other person in exchange for the money received. Thus, it found that the offiсers had no probable cause to conduct a war-rantless search of appellee.
We find that our reversal is compelled by P.L.R. v. State,
Reversed.