Appeals court rules Hailey police violated man’s rights

HAILEY, Idaho — The Idaho Court of Appeals has ruled that Hailey Police violated a man’s rights by questioning him about a meth pipe before reading him his Miranda rights.

The Times-News reports that the court on Wednesday ruled that 20-year-old Osvaldo Guadalupe Arenas’ statement that he had a meth pipe in his pocket should be suppressed at trial.

Arenas was arrested in 2014 on suspicion of possessing drugs and drug paraphernalia after police stopped his car and found he had an arrest warrant. During the arrest, Arenas told police he had no paraphernalia on him. When an officer was patting him down the officer felt the pipe and asked what it was. Arenas admitted it was a pipe before he was read his Miranda rights.

The case will now be sent back to Blaine County District Court.