The collective knowledge doctrine is a legal theory used in the state to give law enforcement officers expanded opportunities to legally perform a search on a criminal suspect without a warrant. Generally, the doctrine has allowed police and prosecutors to successfully argue that any single police officer involved in an investigation or pursuit is entitled to perform a warrantless search or arrest if any other officer involved in the investigation, or a combination of them, had sufficient knowledge to justify the apparent constitutional violation. This doctrine has been applied in the state even under circumstances where the officer performing the warrantless intrusion had not communicated with any other officers about what they knew.
The Massachusetts Supreme Court recently addressed an appeal challenging the application of this doctrine in light of state constitutional protections afforded by Article 14 of the Massachusetts Constitution. The defendant from the recently decided case was searched and arrested on suspicion of armed robbery after reports came in of a suspect that allegedly matched the description of the suspect, who police had encountered on the street. The search of the defendant revealed cash and a gun, and the victim of the crime later identified the defendant as the perpetrator of the robbery.
At the defendant’s trial, his counsel moved to suppress the evidence found in the search, arguing that the officer who performed the search did not have reasonable suspicion that the defendant was actually the suspect. The trial court denied the defendant’s motion, ruling that under the collective knowledge doctrine, the arresting officer could be imputed with all of the cumulative knowledge of any law enforcement personnel involved in the investigation, and with that knowledge, reasonable suspicion could be demonstrated. The defendant was ultimately convicted of the crimes he was charged with, and sentenced to a prison term.
The defendant appealed the trial judge’s ruling on his motion to suppress, arguing that the application of the collective knowledge doctrine was unfair and violated the State Constitution. In addressing the appeal, the high court ruled that the trial court’s application of the collective knowledge doctrine was not constitutional Specifically, the court found that the court’s ruling illegitimately granted any officer involved in the investigation all of the cumulative knowledge of the investigation, without analyzing whether the arresting officer was in communication with the rest of the team.
- The Court ultimately affirmed the defendant’s conviction, however, finding that even if the collective knowledge doctrine was to be modified in accordance with the state constitution and that this particular arresting officer did have sufficient knowledge to constitute probable cause for the search that was performed. Although this particular defendant was not helped by the high court’s narrowing of the collective knowledge doctrine, the recently decided appeal likely sets a precedent that may protect future criminal suspects from unconstitutional warrantless searches.
Have you Been Criminally Charged After an Unconstitutional Search?
If you or someone close to you is facing charges for a crime allegedly committed in Massachusetts, you may be entitled to the dismissal of the charges against you based on the unconstitutional conduct of the investigating or arresting officers. Police in the state are notoriously poorly trained in respecting the constitutional rights of the citizenry, but it often takes a well-prepared and executed legal defense to hold the government accountable for their transgressions. The Massachusetts criminal defense attorneys at the Law Office of Patrick J. Murphy are experienced in fighting against illegal searches and other unacceptable police conduct. We want to battle the charges against you. Our firm represents clients facing all Massachusetts misdemeanors and felonies, including robberies and firearms offenses. Contact our office at 617-367-0450 to schedule a free and confidential consultation with one of our lawyers.