Trenell D. Murphy is expected to plead guilty to drug dealing charges in a case that marked the Baltimore Police Department’s largest cocaine bust ever. The details of the plea aren’t known at this time but the defendant’s change of heart came after a federal drug rejected his attorney’s motion to suppress drug evidence found the day of the arrest.
On the day in which officer’s served an arrest warrant at the home of the defendant, they found just under 2 pounds of cocaine hidden in a dog house guarded by pit bulls. The real mother load, however, was found in a truck parked outside the home.
Murphy’s attorney requested the 41 kilograms of cocaine found under the cover on the truck bed be suppressed because the police found the cocaine before they had a warrant for the truck. The judge had to determine if looking under the cover and seeing the cocaine was a legal search.
Chief Judge Benson E. Legg found that the search of the truck bed was legal despite there being no warrant because the truck had previously been involved in a drug transporting crime. This, he said, gave officers the right to peer under the covered truck bed.
Immediately following, Murphy withdrew his request for a jury trial and the prosecution stated there would be a new arraignment. This is a sign of the pending plea.
The vast majority of criminal cases end in plea bargains. These can occur for a variety of reasons. In this case it seems that Murphy felt a jury would convict him on the serious drug charges since he was unable to get the massive amount of evidence suppressed.
In other cases a plea bargain may be struck up because the prosecution doesn’t have sufficient evidence to get a conviction on the more serious charges. Whatever the reason, a plea bargain is an agreement where the defendant agrees to plead guilty to charges that are less serious than the original ones or on the promise that the prosecution will make a lenient sentencing recommendation to the judge.
Plea bargains are appropriate in many cases. If you want me to take a look at your case and give you a consultation, we can discuss if a plea agreement may be the right move for you as well. Call me today to discuss the details of your case.
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