By: Derek Hawkins//October 23, 2018//
7th Circuit Court of Appeals
Case Name: United States of America v. Martin Velazquez
Case No.: 18-1647
Officials: EASTERBROOK, ROVNER, and HAMILTON, Circuit Judges.
Focus: Motion to Suppress Evidence Denied – Warrantless Search
Martin Velazquez was arrested after agreeing to sell twelve kilograms of cocaine to an undercover agent. He conditionally pled guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance. He retained his right to appeal the district court’s denial of his motion to suppress the fruits of a warrantless search for the key evidence against him. That evidence was contained in a suitcase that he had placed in the bed of a pickup truck parked in the driveway of his home. We conclude that the search was supported by the officers’ good faith reliance on then-existing circuit precedent, and we affirm the conviction on that basis.
Affirmed