State v. Nishina

The opinion of the Court was delivered by

VERNIERO, J.

This case implicates defendant’s right to be free of unreasonable searches and seizures under the Fourth Amendment of the United States Constitution and the analogous provision under our State Constitution. Specifically, we are called on to examine a pat-down search of defendant’s person and a warrantless search of his automobile that yielded, respectively, drug paraphernalia and marijuana. Three lower courts evaluated the actions of the police officer who had conducted those searches, each finding no constitutional violation. We agree and…