Commonwealth v. Prophete

The Commonwealth appeals from an order entered in the Superior Court suppressing cocaine and marijuana seized by the police during a search of the defendant’s person. The drugs fell to the ground when the defendant complied with an order by the police to remove his pants. After an evidentiary hearing, the judge entered a memorandum of decision and order *549in which she ruled that the drugs must be suppressed because the officers lacked probable cause to conduct a strip search of the defendant. A single justice of this court granted the Commonwealth leave to pursue an interlocutory appeal from…