Commonwealth v. Madera

We are concerned with the admissibility of evidence found during a warrantless search of a gym bag that the defendant was carrying when the police lawfully arrested him. The defendant argues that the search was unreasonable in violation of the Fourth and Fourteenth Amendments to the Constitution of the United States and art. 14 of the Declaration of Rights of the Constitution of the Commonwealth. We affirm the defendant’s conviction of trafficking in heroin. G. L. c. 94C, § 32E (c) (2) (1986 ed.). The only issue here concerns the denial of the defendant’s motion to suppress the evidence found…