Vela v. State

Hector Vela, a/k/a Hector Vera, appeals from a judgment of conviction, following a bench trial, for trafficking in cocaine. The state cross-appeals from the trial court’s suppression of additional cocaine seized. We affirm the judgment of conviction and dismiss the state’s cross-appeal.1

On appeal, Vela contends that the cocaine admitted into evidence was the fruit of a warrantless search conducted without his consent and, therefore, should have been suppressed. However, after hearing testimony from the officers who conducted the search and contradictory testimony from the defendant, the court…