State v. Noel Ignacio Moronta

Summary

The court held that police lacked an objectively reasonable basis to enter and search the third-floor apartment without a warrant after officers found the reported deceased person on the second floor. The emergency-aid and evidence-destruction rationales did not justify the entry, and the inevitable-discovery argument was waived because it was not raised below. Because the improperly admitted third-floor evidence could have affected all drug-related convictions and subsequent warrant searches, the error was not harmless, so the convictions were vacated and the case remanded for a new trial.