Drug and Firearm Charges Dismissed in Richmond
On January 13, 2009, in the Circuit Court for the City of Richmond, Judge Neil Stout dismissed charges against Jayvon Criss for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and possession of a firearm with cocaine. In this case argued by Horace F. Hunter of the law firm of Hunter & Lipton, PC, the judge found that the officers in this case lacked probable cause to enter the hotel room of Mr. Criss where the contraband was ultimately found.
The case stemmed from a search of Mr. Criss’ hotel room by two City of Richmond Detectives conducted without a warrant. The detectives claimed to have smelled marijuana emanating from the hotel room occupied by Criss and a female companion. Instead of obtaining a search warrant, one of the detectives tricked Criss into opening the door by misidentifying himself to Criss. Once the door was opened, the officers confirmed the presence of marijuana and other items which ultimately lead to the arrest of Criss.
The trial judge relied on a recent Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals case and granted the motion to suppress the evidence stating that under the facts of this case, the detectives were obligated to obtain a warrant rather than relying on their own devices to obtain access to the hotel room occupied by defendant. If convicted, Criss faced a four-year mandatory minimum sentence in prison.
RSS Feed
Contact Us
Ph: (804) 780-1235
Fax: (804) 780-2355
Mailing Address:
217 East Clay Street
Richmond, VA 23219