Georgia Appeals Court Determines Sufficient Probable Cause for Search Warrant

Bartow Superior Court convicted Tyrone Johnson of trafficking in cocaine and possession of cocaine with intent to distribute. Mr. Johnson filed a Motion to Suppress Evidence, believing that the accompanying affidavit to the search warrant did not provide “a confidential informant’s reliability and credibility.” The court denied his motion.

Georgia’s Court of Appeals reviewed Mr. Johnson’s case and determined that a controlled drug purchase validated the informant’s reliability and was witnessed by an officer. The Court considered the circumstances as a whole and agreed that the magistrate court had probable cause for the search warrant and supported the trial court in denying Mr. Johnson’s Motion to Suppress.