Colaw v. Commonwealth

COLEMAN, Judge.

Paula Colaw was convicted in a bench trial of possession of cocaine. The sole issue on appeal is whether the trial court erred by denying Colaw’s motion to suppress the cocaine found in the search of a friend’s house where she was staying as an overnight guest. Colaw argues the trial court erred in finding the seized cocaine admissible under the “good faith exception” to the warrant requirement as established in United States v. Leon, 468 U.S. 897, 104 S.Ct. 3405, 82 L.Ed.2d 677 (1984). We agree and reverse the conviction.

BACKGROUND

On September 12, 1997 at approximately 10:00…