Commonwealth v. Hooker

In this appeal from his conviction for illegal possession of a class B substance, cocaine, with intent to distribute (G. L. c. 94C, § 32A[a]), we consider the defendant’s contention that the trial judge erroneously denied his motion to suppress evidence seized in a warrantless search of the taxicab in which he was a passenger. We conclude that the trial judge erred in his application of the appropriate legal standards to the facts found, and we reverse the defendant’s conviction.

1. Facts. We summarize the facts found by the motion judge. *684On July 31, 1998, Officer Michael Devane, a Boston…