Arizona v. Evans

514 U.S. 1 (1995)

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Nature of the Case

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Facts

Sargent observed respondent D driving the wrong way on a one-way street in front of the police station. Sargent observed respondent D driving the wrong way on a one-way street in front of the police station. The officer stopped Dt and asked to see his driver's license. D told him that his license had been suspended. The officer entered D's information into a computer data terminal located in his patrol car. D's license had been suspended and it showed there was an outstanding misdemeanor warrant for his arrest. Sargent placed D under arrest. While being handcuffed, D dropped a hand-rolled cigarette that the officers determined smelled of marijuana. Officers searched the car and discovered a bag of marijuana under the passenger's seat. D was charged with possession of marijuana. Everyone discovered that the arrest warrant previously had been quashed and D argued that because his arrest was based on a warrant that had been quashed 17 days prior to his arrest, the marijuana seized incident to the arrest should be suppressed as the fruit of an unlawful arrest. D argued that 'the 'good faith' exception to the exclusionary rule [was] inapplicable . . . because it was police error, not judicial error, which caused the invalid arrest.' The trial court granted the motion to suppress because the State had been at fault for failing to quash the warrant. The Court of Appeals reversed because it 'believed that the exclusionary rule [was] not intended to deter justice court employees or Sheriff's Office employees who are not directly associated with the arresting officers or the arresting officers' police department.' The Arizona Supreme Court reversed. The court held that application of the exclusionary rule would 'hopefully serve to improve the efficiency of those who keep records in our criminal justice system.' P appealed.