State v. Robinson

Citations

• 2019 Ohio 5370

Syllabus

The trial court properly denied appellant's motions to suppress evidence where the traffic stop was valid because the trooper who initiated the stop observed appellant violate two traffic laws. The trooper then had probable cause based on smelling a strong odor of raw marijuana in appellant's car to search the passenger compartment and trunk area. Appellant's convictions were supported by sufficient evidence and were not against the manifest weight where troopers discovered a secret compartment in appellant's vehicle that contained five pounds of marijuana and appellant admitted that he owned the car and was its only driver. The trial court did not abuse its discretion in permitting testimony from a trooper that appellant was under investigation by a law enforcement agency to provide proper context as to how the trooper became aware of appellant, as well as to show that appellant lied to the trooper upon the trooper's initial contact with appellant.