State v. Tschantre

Defendant appeals from his conviction for possession of a controlled substance. ORS 475.992. He assigns error to the trial court’s denial of his motion to suppress evidence of methamphetamine found in a cellular telephone case in defendant’s possession where police opened the case under the purported authority of an inventory ordinance and police department policy. We affirm.

While on patrol in February 1998 in Bend, Officer Hayes recognized a car as one associated with armed suspects in a drug investigation. Hayes stopped the car after observing an equipment violation.1 She approached the…