Cardwell v. State

OPINION

LARSEN, Justice.

This case involves the warrantless search of Jacqueline McKer Cardwell, which yielded a folded food stamp containing one-tenth of a gram of cocaine. Cardwell was convicted of possession of cocaine by a jury and sentenced to 7 years imprisonment by the court. We reverse.

FACTS

On March 20, 1991, two El Paso County Police officers were surveilling an area known for drug trafficking and other crimes, having received a tip that a large drug transaction would occur that day. They were watching two Hispanic men who had been in the area for over an hour. They saw a small brown…