State v. Salas

BENCH, Presiding Judge:

Defendant Miguel Enrique Salas appeals his jury conviction of possession of a controlled substance, a third degree felony, in violation of Utah Code Ann. § 58-37-8 (1990). We reverse.

FACTS

On the morning of March 2, 1990, Deputy William F. McCarthy of Metro Narcotics received a tip from an informant that defendant would be in possession of cocaine during his lunch hour. At approximately 11:00 a.m., McCarthy ran a check through the State computer to determine whether defendant had a valid driver’s license. McCarthy was unable to locate a valid license. He later ran a…