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Case No. 23-1466

State of Iowa
v.
Walter Deon Latrell Baylor

Appellee

State of Iowa

Appellant

Walter Deon Latrell Baylor

Attorney for the Appellee

Anagha Dixit, Assistant Attorney General

Attorneys for the Appellant

Travis M. Visser-Armbrust (until withdrawal)
Michael H. Johnson

Court of Appeals

Court of Appeals Opinion

Opinion Number:
23-1466
Date Published:
Oct 16, 2024
Summary

            Appeal from the Iowa District Court for Muscatine County, Jeffrey D. Bert, Judge.  AFFIRMED.  Considered by Greer, P.J., and Ahlers and Badding, JJ.  Opinion by Greer, P.J.  (9 pages)

            After a warrantless search of Walter Baylor’s vehicle, the district court initially granted Baylor’s motion to suppress, concluding the officers conducted an improper inventory search.  The State moved to reconsider the ruling.  Applying the automobile exception, the district court then reversed course and denied the motion to suppress.  Baylor appeals, arguing the district court’s initial ruling applying State v. Ingram, 914 N.W.2d 794 (Iowa 2018) was correct.  OPINION HOLDS: We find there was probable cause to search the vehicle once an officer observed a digital scale with residue in an open glove box, so the automobile exception applied to search the vehicle without a warrant.  We affirm the district court’s ruling denying Baylor’s motion to suppress and affirm his conviction and sentence.

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