Criminal Practice – Search & Seizure – Reasonable Suspicion

State v. Mello. (Lawyers Weekly No. 10-06-0983, 1 p.) (Per Curiam) Appealed from Forsyth County Superior Court. (V. Bradford Long, J.) On appeal from the N.C. Court of Appeals. N.C. S. Ct. Click here for the full text of the opinion.

Holding: We affirm our Court of Appeals’ holding that the combination of presence in an area known to be a center of drug-related activity coupled with evasive action on the part of individuals involved in some sort of interaction with a defendant is sufficient to support a “reasonable articulable suspicion” necessary to support an investigative detention.