A Norfork police officer stopped the white Dodge pickup truck the 31-year-old Lewis was driving. The officer said he had stopped the same truck the week before because the license plates on the truck belonged on another vehicle.
During that stop, the officer had warned the driver – Ashley Blalock – not to drive the truck until it was properly registered.
When Lewis was stopped in the same vehicle on July 21st, it remained unregistered. Lewis told the officer Blaylock had not told him that it was illegal to drive the truck. The officer reported that Lewis because increasingly agitated during the stop, saying he had just gotten out of prison and didnt need any more tickets.
When the contents of the truck were inventoried prior to it being towed, the officer found a small butane torch and a plastic bag containing a crystal like substance that field-tested positive for methamphetamine. A glass-smoking pipe that can be used to ingest methamphetamine was also found.
After the items were located, the officer sought and received an arrest warrant for Lewis.
A hearing was held on May 23rd before Judge Gordon Webb seeking to suppress the evidence found in the truck as a violation of Lewis constitutional protection against unreasonable search and seizure. The judge ruled against suppressing the evidence, citing, among other points, the fact that Lewis had signed warrantless search waivers in May and June last year. A person is required to sign such a waiver as a condition of being on probation or parole.
In his ruling, Judge Webb said that a person on probation or parole with an active warrantless search waiver on file had what he described as a diminished right to be left alone. The judge found the actions of the Norfork officer were reasonable given the circumstances.
The ruling paved the way for Lewis plea Thursday.
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