Mense v. State

Candace Mense appeals her conviction for possession of cocaine. We reverse.

An undercover police officer made two controlled purchases of crack cocaine from defendant’s mobile home. Each of the two purchases was for a single rock of crack cocaine. Based on these purchases, the police obtained a search warrant. When the police executed the search warrant, they knocked, announced, and within a few seconds, entered the mobile home. They did not wait to be refused admittance, as required by the knock-and-announce statute, section 933.09, Florida Statutes (1991).1 Inside the trailer the officers…