The People of the State of New York v. Josefina Jimenez

Summary

The New York Court of Appeals reversed the Appellate Division, granting the defendant's motion to suppress the handgun seized from her purse during a warrantless search incident to arrest. The Court held that the People failed to meet the constitutional burden of showing exigent circumstances, rendering the search unlawful. The Court also reduced the defendant's trespass conviction to a lesser degree and remanded for resentencing. Justice Abdus‑Salaam dissented, arguing that the record supported the lower courts' finding of a reasonable exigency and that the conviction should be affirmed.