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Appeals court hears challenge to warrantless search of backpack after hotel-room robbery report
Summary
In Commonwealth v. Papadis Torres, defense counsel argued police conducted a full search of a backpack without probable cause or exigent circumstances, while the Commonwealth said officer reports of multiple firearms and a voice saying “I’m strapped” justified searching bags for safety; the court heard extensive questions on probable cause, pat‑frisk limits, and case law.
Boston — The appeals court on Tuesday heard argument in Commonwealth v. Papadis Torres over whether police lawfully searched a backpack seized from a woman who exited a crowded hotel room after officers responded to a reported robbery.
Attorney Joseph Smith, representing Ms. Papadis Torres, told the three‑judge panel that the officers intended a search, not a minimally intrusive pat‑frisk, and that the record contains virtually no descriptive testimony about the bag or any individualized suspicion linking the defendant to the reported robbery. “They expressly testified during the motion to suppress they were gonna search everyone’s belongings,” Smith said, arguing…
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