State v. Mance

Lincoln Manee appeals his conviction of possession of a controlled substance, contending that the trial court erred in refusing to suppress evidence of cocaine recovered during his detention following a car stop. Manee also claims the State failed to show a proper chain of custody for the drug evidence. We hold that, given the stipulated facts before it, the trial court erred in denying Mance’s suppression motion. Because we reverse Mance’s conviction on this basis, we do not reach the chain of custody issue.

FACTS

At the suppression hearing, the parties stipulated to the following facts. On…