Jones v. State

Earnest Jones was driving his truck when he was stopped by City of West Palm Beach traffic officers during a “vehicle safety inspection.” During the stop, a participating narcotics officer noticed marijuana seeds in the rear of the truck. Jones was convicted of possession of cocaine and marijuana. On appeal, he challenges the trial court’s denial of his motion to suppress the contraband. Since the written guidelines for the roadblock were inadequate, we reverse.

On January 11, 2000, the City of West Palm Beach Police Department was conducting a road block for vehicle safety inspections when…