State v. Joyner

OPINION OF THE COURT BY

LUM, C.J.

The State appeals from the trial court’s pretrial order suppressing evidence discovered in a search and seizure of a brown vinyl bag belonging to defendant. We affirm the judgment below on the grounds that defendant had a reasonable expectation of privacy in the bag, and that the warrantless search thus violated his constitutional right to be free from unreasonable searches and seizures.

I

A

In execution of a warrant to search for gambling devices, police officers entered a bathhouse located in the Chinatown district in the early morning hours of January 23, 1981.…