Missouri Court of Appeals, Southern District / Jan 14, 2020
STATE OF MISSOURI, Plaintiff-Appellant v. JAMES CHRISTOPHER BALES, Defendant-Respondent
The State appealed the trial court's order quashing a search warrant for James Christopher Bales's cell phone and suppressing evidence in a prosecution for domestic assault and child abuse. The trial court found the warrant's description of the phone inadequate, relying on Groh v. Ramirez. The appellate court reversed, holding that the search warrant was facially valid as it sufficiently described the cell phone to be seized, making the good-faith exception unnecessary to address.