State v. Keating

¶1 Phillip Earnest Keating appeals his conviction, by jury trial in the First Judicial District Court, Lewis and Clark County, of two counts of possession of dangerous drugs (one felony and one misdemeanor), and two counts of misdemeanor possession of drug paraphernalia. We affirm.

¶2 The issue is whether the District Court erred in denying Keating’s motion to suppress evidence.

¶3 At 3:30 a.m. on June 10, 1995, a Helena, Montana, city police officer on routine patrol noticed a small pickup truck with its dome light on and passenger door open parked next to Uncle Pete’s Pawn Shop. The officer…