| Probable cause affidavit: |
SUBMITTED BY SMITH, BRADLEY 0477 (08040558) DID UNLAWFULLY AND KNOWINGLY HAVE IN HIS ACTUAL OR CONSTRUCTIVE POSSESSION A CONTROLLED SUBSTANCE, TO WIT: CANNABIS, COMMONLY REFERRED TO AS MARIJUANA, IN AN AMOUNT OF 20 GRAMS OR LESS, IN VIOLATION OF FLORIDA STATE STATUTE 893.13(6)(B), AND DID UNLAWFULLY HAVE IN HIS ACTUAL OR CONSTRUCTIVE POSSESSION WITH THE INTENT TO USE, OR DID UNLAWFULLY USE, AN OBJECT INTENDED OR DESIGNED FOR USE IN STORING, CONCEALING OR INJECTING, INGESTING, INHALING OR OTHERWISE INTRODUCING INTO THE HUMAN BODY, A CONTROLLED SUBSTANCE, TO WIT: AN BLUE AND ORANGE GLASS PIPE WITH BURNT RESIDUE, SAID OBJECT BEING COMMONLY USED TO SMOKE CANNABIS, AND A GRINDER CONTAINING MARIJUANA RESIDUE AND ROLLING PAPERS, IN VIOLATION OF FLORIDA STATE STATUTES 893.145 AND 893.147(1)(B) ON 041408, AT APPROXIMATELY 0800 HOURS, WHILE PATROLLING THE AREA OF EAST GULF TO LAKE HIGHWAY IN INVERNESS, I OBSERVED A GRAY GMC PICKUP TRUCK PULLING A TRAILER TRAVELING EASTBOUND ON THE AFOREMENTIONED HIGHWAY. I OBSERVED THAT THE TRAILER PULLED BY THE VEHICLE HAD INOPERABLE TAIL LIGHTS AND HAD AN OBSCURED TAG. AT THAT TIME I CONDUCTED A TRAFFIC STOP ON THE VEHICLE NEAR THE INTERSECTION OF EAST GULF TO LAKE HIGHWAY AND LITTLE JOHN STREET. AT THAT TIME I MADE CONTACT WITH THE DRIVER/DEFENDANT, MR CHRISTOPHER SLEDGE AND ASKED HIM FOR HIS DRIVER'S LICENSE, PROOF OF INSURANCE, AND PROOF OF REGISTRATION. MR SLEDGE PROVIDED ME WITH THE INFORMATION I REQUESTED, EXCEPT FOR THE REGISTRATION FOR THE TRAILER. I ALSO OBTAINED IDENTIFICATION FROM THE TWO PASSENGERS INSIDE THE VEHICLE. THEN I RETURNED TO MY PATROL VEHICLE. AT THAT TIME I RAN ALL PARTIES THROUGH NCIC/FCIC FOR POSSIBLE WANTS AND WARRANTS AND BEGAN ISSUING THE DRIVER/DEFENDANT, MR CHRISTOPHER SLEDGE, A WRITTEN WARNING, WARNING NUMBER 216287B FOR INOPERABLE TAIL LIGHTS ON TRAILER. AT THAT TIME I LEARNED THAT THE BACK SEAT PASSENGER INSIDE THE VEHICLE HAD AN ACTIVE MARION COUNTY WARRANT FOR VIOLATION OF PROBATION. THE WARRANT WAS CONFIRMED THROUGH TELETYPE. I THEN MADE CONTACT WITH THE PASSENGER AND PLACED HIM UNDER ARREST, HANDCUFFED HIM (DOUBLE-LOCKED) BEHIND HIS BACK PER THE WARRANT. UPON PATTING DOWN THE PASSENGER (DEFENDANT TWO), I LOCATED A CLEAR CIGARETTE WRAPPER CONTAINING A GREEN AND BROWN LEAFY SUBSTANCE IN THE RIGHT FRONT CHANGE POCKET OF HIS PANTS. THE SUBSTANCE WAS FIELD TESTED AND TESTED POSITIVE FOR MARIJUANA. DEFENDANT TWO WAS THEN PLACE IN THE REAR OF MY PATROL VEHICLE. I THEN MADE CONTACT WITH THE DRIVER (DEFENDANT ONE), MR CHRISTOPHER SLEDGE. I ADVISED MR SLEDGE THAT I WOULD BE CONDUCTING A SEARCH OF THE INTERIOR OF HIS VEHICLE INCIDENT TO THE ARREST OF DEFENDANT TWO. I ASKED MR SLEDGE, ALONG WITH WITNESS ONE, IF THERE WERE ANY OTHER ILLEGAL NARCOTICS OR WEAPONS INSIDE THE VEHICLE, TO WHICH THEY BOTH STATED NO. I THEN BEGAN SEARCHING THE VEHICLE, AT WHICH TIME I LOCATED A SILVER TIN CONTAINER SITTING ON TOP OF THE CENTER CONSOLE. THE CONTAINER WAS SQUARE IN SHAPE AND HAD TWO PIECES OF DUCT TAPE ON THE LID. THE DUCT TAPE WAS NOT SECURING THE LID, HOWEVER. AT THAT TIME I OPENED THE CONTAINER AND OBSERVED A CLEAR PLASTIC BAGGIE CONTAINING A GREEN AND BROWN LEAFY SUBSTANCE WHICH LATER TESTED FIELD TESTED POSITIVE FOR MARIJUANA. I ALSO OBSERVED A BLUE AND ORANGE GLASS PIPE WITH BURNT RESIDUE, COMMONLY USED FOR SMOKING MARIJUANA. I ALSO OBSERVED A GRAY GRINDER CONTAINING MARIJUANA RESIDUE. THERE WAS ALSO MARIJUANA INSIDE THE CONTAINER THAT WAS NOT INSIDE A BAGGIE, ALONG WITH A BURNT MARIJUANA CIGARETTE. AT THAT TIME I MADE CONTACT WITH MR CHRISTOPHER SLEDGE AND WITNESS ONE AND ASKED THEM WHO THE TIN CONTAINER CONTAINING THE MARIJUANA AND DRUG PARAPHERNALIA BELONGED TO. MR SLEDGE ADVISED ME THE TIN CONTAINER ALONG WITH THE MARIJUANA AND DRUG PARAPHERNALIA BELONGED TO HIM AND DID NOT BELONG TO WITNESS ONE OR DEFENDANT TWO. AT THAT TIME I PLACE MR SLEDGE UNDER ADDRESS, HANDCUFFED (DOUBLE-LOCKED) BEHIND HIS BACK AND PLACED HIM IN THE REAR OF MY PATROL VEHICLE. MR SLEDGE REQUESTED THAT HIS VEHICLE AND TRAILER BE TURNED OVER TO WITNESS ONE, WHICH IT WAS. AT THAT TIME I TRANSPORTED BOTH DEFENDANTS ONE AND TWO TO THE CITRUS COUNTY DETENTION FACILITY. MR CHRISTOPHER SLEDGE'S BOND WAS SET AT $1,000.00, PER THE BOND SCHEDULE. THE MARIJUANA INSIDE THE TIN CONTAINER WAS WEIGHED AND WEIGHED APPROXIMATELY NINE GRAMS. DEFENDANT TWO'S BOND WAS SET AT $500.00 PER THE BOND SCHEDULE FOR POSSESSION FOR CANNABIS UNDER 20 GRAMS. A HOLD WAS PLACED ON DEFENDANT TWO FOR HIS ACTIVE MARION COUNTY WARRANT. THE MARIJUANA FOUND IN HIS POCKET WAS WEIGHED AND WEIGHED APPROXIMATELY THREE GRAMS. ALL DRUGS AND DRUG PARAPHERNALIA WAS LATER TURNED IN TO EVIDENCE. MR SLEDGE WAS ISSUED HIS WARNING CITATION, A COPY OF WHICH WAS LATER TURNED IN TO RECORDS. *NOT-EXEMPT* |
