State v. Higginbotham

The State of Wisconsin (State) seeks review of a court of appeals' decision which reversed the circuit court's judgment convicting the defendant, Brian J. Higginbotham (Higginbotham), on his no-contest plea to the charge of arson, party to the crime. The court of appeals held that evidence seized in the search of Higginbotham's home and automobile should have been suppressed because the warrant-issuing judge did not have a substantial basis for concluding that probable cause existed to issue the warrant. In view of our strong preference for search warrants and the great deference we accord to…