State v. Scott

Barnes, Judge.

The State appeals from the trial court’s grant of Michael Scott’s motion to suppress evidence. Because we find that the police officers lacked a reasonable, articulable suspicion to stop the vehicle in which Scott was a passenger, we affirm.

Our Supreme Court has explained that three principles should guide our review of a trial court’s ruling on a motion to suppress.

First, when a motion to suppress is heard by the trial judge, that judge sits as the trier of facts. The trial judge hears the evidence, and his findings based upon conflicting evidence are analogous to the verdict…