State v. Nelson

This is a criminal case in which defendant appeals his convictions for possession of a controlled substance (cocaine) and being an ex-convict in possession of a firearm. His sole argument on appeal is that the trial court erred in denying his motion to suppress evidence seized from his person (the cocaine) and from the van he was driving (the pistol) after a traffic stop. We affirm.

We take our statement of facts and most of our analysis from the excellent briefs filed by the parties. On January 27,1984, at noon, Officer Haebe observed defendant driving through St. Helens in a van which lacked…