United States v. Shawn Holiday

MEMORANDUM

Defendant Shawn Holiday appeals the district court’s final judgment and 120-month sentence based on his jury conviction of possession of crack cocaine and possession of crack cocaine with intent to distribute, in violation of 21 U.S.C. § 841 (a)(1). Holiday argues that the district court erred when it denied his motion to suppress evidence seized from him after his arrest, which he contends was not supported by probable cause.

We review de novo the determination of probable cause. See Ornelas v. United States, 517 U.S. 690, 699 , 116 S.Ct. 1657 , 134 L.Ed.2d 911 (1996).

Probable cause to arrest exists when, under the totality of circumstances known to the arresting officers, a prudent person would have concluded that there was a fair probability that [the defendant] had committed a crime. United States v. Lopez, 482 F.3d 1067, 1072 (9th Cir.2007). Probable cause determinations may be based in part on reasonable inferences. United States v. Davis, 530 F.3d 1069, 1084 (9th Cir.2008). The “collective knowledge doctrine” permits aggregation of facts known to each of the officers when the officers were working as a team. United States v. Ramirez, 473 F.3d 1026, 1032-33…