State v. Rudder

In this criminal case, the Court of Appeals overturned defendant’s conviction for possession of a controlled substance on the ground that a police officer’s search of defendant’s pants pocket was unlawful and that evidence obtained in that search — the controlled substance — therefore should have been suppressed. The state sought review, arguing that the search, which involved looking into defendant’s pocket after he was stopped on suspicion of involvement in a residential burglary, was permissible under the “officer safety” doctrine described in State v. Bates, 304 Or 519, 747 P2d 991…