McCloud v. State

NORTHCUTT, Judge.

Andre McCloud pleaded no contest to possession of cocaine with intent to sell, reserving his right to appeal the denial of his dispositive motion to suppress the drugs. We reverse. Because law enforcement did not have probable cause to search McCloud, the cocaine discovered in the illegal search should have been suppressed.

At the suppression hearing, an undercover Tampa police officer testified he was investigating street-level narcotics transactions when he observed three men conversing. One man handed currency to one of the other two and received a small item in return. He…