Benton v. State

Johnson, Chief Judge.

The “automobile exception” provides that a police officer may search a car without a warrant if he has probable cause to believe the car contains contraband, even if there is no exigency preventing the officer from getting a search warrant. On two occasions police officers had a confidential informant buy cocaine from appellant Artis Benton. The informant arranged a third buy, during which Detective R. J. Brink was on surveillance when he saw Benton arrive at the scene of the arranged sale, park his vehicle and walk away from it. Detective Brink walked to the vehicle, saw…