State of Tennessee v. Derishon Wadlington

The defendant, Derishon Wadlington, was detained in a Union City Walmart store, after being observed attempting to leave the premises without paying for a belt, which she had in her possession. Union City police officers were called and, taking the defendant into custody, found a small clear bag containing a green leafy substance in her purse. At the jail, her purse was inventoried and found to contain a large clear bag containing a white powder, which was determined to be cocaine. She filed a motion to suppress the evidence, which was granted after the trial court determined that the officers lacked probable cause to arrest the defendant. The State appealed. Following our review, we conclude that the officers had probable cause to arrest the defendant, and, thus, the subsequent search of her purse was lawful. Accordingly, we reverse the trial court’s suppression of the evidence and remand the matter to the trial court.