Sup Mt denied where police looking in house for missing dementia patient found pot plants State v Mordente

Sup Mt denied where police looking in house for missing dementia patient found pot plants State v Mordente 444 NJ Super. 393 (App. Div. 2016)

The court affirms the denial of a motion to suppress the evidence of marijuana plants found in the basement of a home searched as part of the police protocol for locating missing persons. The sixty-five year old missing woman in this case suffered from dementia, and was reported by her son as having left the home at some point during the night prior to the search. 

In his dissent, Judge Fuentes opines that the police emergency aid doctrine does not justify this search under the guidelines set forth in State v. Vargas, 213 N.J. 301 (2013), and prior case law.