State v. Wright

The opinion of the court was delivered by

SABATINO, J.A.D.

This criminal appeal concerns the “third-party intervention” doctrine, often referred to as the “private search” doctrine. In certain instances, New Jersey courts and various other jurisdictions have applied the doctrine to authorize the police to inspect or search a defendant’s property without a warrant, so long as the police do not exceed the scope of the private actor’s intrusion that led to the police’s involvement.

The trial court relied upon this doctrine in denying defendant’s motion to suppress drugs and other incriminating…