State v. Gomes

Defendant appeals her conviction for possession of a controlled substance, assigning error to the trial court’s denial of her motion to suppress evidence obtained after she consented to a search of her purse during a lawful traffic stop. She argues that the arresting officer obtained her consent by exploiting information that he acquired by making inquiries that were unrelated to the traffic stop and that unnecessarily extended its duration. The state responds that the officer’s inquiries that ultimately led to the discovery of the disputed evidence occurred during the lawful traffic stop and…