People v. Miller

Statement of the Case

In an information filed by the District Attorney of Los Angeles County, appellants Nassira Miller and Charles Winston Maxwell were charged with possessing cocaine for the purpose of sale, in violation of Health and Safety Code section 11351.

Appellants were arraigned and pled not guilty. Each appellant filed a motion to suppress evidence pursuant to Penal Code section 1538.5. The court denied the motions.

Appellants subsequently withdrew their pleas of not guilty and entered pleas of guilty to the charged offense. Proceedings were suspended and each appellant was placed on probation for three years on various terms and conditions, including service of 90 days in county jail. Stays of execution were granted.

Timely notices of appeal were filed from the denials of each appellant’s section 1538.5 motion.

Statement of Facts

During the week of January 14, 1985, an unidentified informant told John Cohen, a special agent for Naval Investigative Services, that she had heard that a person known as “Nanu,” who lived in Navy housing was selling large quantities of “crystal” to other people living in Navy housing, including dependents. Nanu was described…