Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Officers received an open parcel containing marijuana from a private parcel delivery company.  The officers repackaged the marijuana with a GPS tracking device and parcel wire, affixed the original label addressed to “Michael Davis,” and then conducted a controlled delivery to the address on the shipping label, a hotel. Gregory Lagrone retrieved the parcel from the hotel, and surveillance officers followed him by car to his home.  A short time later, the parcel wire activated a monitor with surveillance officers, indicating that the parcel had been opened.  The officers then knocked and announced themselves.  When no one answered, they entered the home without a warrant due to the risk of destruction of the marijuana.  In the subsequent prosecution of Lagrone, the trial court granted his motion to suppress evidence obtained from the warrantless entry of the home.  The State appeals.  We ordered oral argument to ask the parties to address, in part, the relevance to this case of United States v. Jones, 132 S. Ct. 945 (2012), regarding the constitutionality of attaching a warrantless GPS tracking device to a person’s effects.

 The Scheduled Panel Members are Judges Najam, Kirsch, and, May.

Location:
Indiana Court of Appeals Courtroom
State House, Room 413