Evidence, cocaine, search, reasonable suspicion, Fourth Amendment.

Federal officials appeal a lower court's ruling which suppressed evidence collected under two search warrants. Federal authorities arrested William Riley and an accomplice for violating federal narcotics laws. Acting upon information gathered during their investigation, federal investigators secured a search warrant for Riley's residence. Based on evidence discovered in Riley home, investigators secured a second warrant to search a rented storage locker. Investigators discovered a large amount of cocaine and firearms inside Riley's storage locker. Riley submitted a motion to quash the evidence collected under the two search warrants.

The U.S. District Court for the District of Vermont suppressed the evidence collected during the search of Riley's home and rented storage locker. The court ruled the warrants for Riley's house and the locker were insufficiently supported by probable cause and were not properly worded. Federal officials now appeal.

The federal government wins. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit reversed the ruling of the lower court. The appeals court ruled the warrants were valid and that investigators exercised good faith in the conduct of their search of Riley's property.