Commonwealth v. Brown

Opinion

BARROW, J.

This is an interlocutory appeal by the Commonwealth from an order suppressing evidence of cocaine found on the defendant when law enforcement officers searched him. We conclude that we may not entertain this appeal because the trial court’s suppression order is not one which the Commonwealth is permitted to appeal. Code § 19.2-398; Commonwealth v. Ragland, 7 Va. App. 452, 453, 374 S.E.2d 183, 183 (1988).

Generally, the Commonwealth may not appeal “a case involving the life or liberty of a person.” Va. Const, art. VI, § 1. See also Commonwealth v. Smith, 230 Va. 354, 357, 337…