People v. Amato

This is an interlocutory appeal by the People from a trial court ruling suppressing drugs and paraphernalia first observed by a fire department resuscitation unit responding to an emergency call. These items were pointed out to police officers who also had responded to the emergency call. The items were seized and were sought to be used in the prosecution of defendant Amato for unlawful possession of narcotics. After a hearing, the trial court found that no emergency existed which justified the seizure of the objects without a search warrant. We hold that the resuscitation unit and police…