State v. Sterndale

In this interlocutory transfer, the State appeals a ruling of the Superior Court (Murphy, J.) granting the defendant’s motion to suppress certain evidence. The State argues that the search that uncovered the evidence was proper: (1) as a search incident to arrest; (2) under the exigent circumstances exception to the State constitutional warrant requirement; or (3) under the automobile exception to the State constitutional warrant requirement. We affirm and remand.

On April 26, 1993, Officer Kirk Gautier of the Nashua Police Department was on routine patrol in a marked police cruiser. At…