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Appeals court weighs whether keys and glovebox search exceeded police authority in Blanchette case
Summary
In Commonwealth v. Blanchette, defense counsel argued officers lacked lawful basis to seize keys and use them to open a locked compartment, and that inventory and search procedures were not properly documented; the court also questioned speedy-trial delay and pretrial incarceration prejudice. The panel reserved decision after argument.
Attorney Susan Annis argued the warrantless seizures and subsequent use of keys to open a locked compartment were disproportionate to the BOLO justification and not supported by a written inventory policy covering searches of a person. "The keys were taken from his person, not in the vehicle," Annis said, arguing the motor-vehicle inventory policy introduced at trial did not authorise opening containers…
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