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Case Citation
Legal Case Name

STATE v. ULIBARRI Case Brief

Court of Appeals of New Mexico2010
240 P.3d 1050 148 N.M. 576 2010-NMCA-084 Criminal Procedure Constitutional Law

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Case Brief Summary & Legal Analysis

General Brief
4 min read

tl;dr: Police executed a search warrant, waiting only 10-12 seconds after knocking and announcing before forcibly entering a home. The court held this wait was unreasonable because officers knew the only likely occupant was an elderly man, and suppressed the resulting evidence.

Legal Significance: The reasonableness of the wait time for the knock-and-announce rule is determined by the totality of the circumstances, not a “customary” or bright-line period. Officers must consider factors like the dwelling’s size and the likely occupants’ characteristics before forcing entry.

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Case Facts & Court Holding

Key Facts & Case Background

Police obtained a search warrant for a home where the defendant, Kenneth Ulibarri, resided with his 79-year-old grandfather, Mr. Roybal. The warrant was part of a drug trafficking investigation targeting Ulibarri and others. At approximately 10:00 p.m., a team of eight officers went to execute the warrant. The lead officer was aware that Ulibarri and the other suspects had already been arrested and were not in the home. The officers knocked and announced their presence. After waiting ten to twelve seconds and hearing no response, the lead officer ordered a forced entry with a battering ram. The officer testified that a ten-second wait was “customary.” As the door was breached, it struck Mr. Roybal, who was walking to answer it, knocking him to the ground and causing injury. Mr. Roybal testified it took him ten seconds or less to get from his recliner to the door. The trial court denied Ulibarri’s motion to suppress the evidence found during the search, concluding the wait time was reasonable. Ulibarri entered a conditional guilty plea, reserving his right to appeal the denial of his motion.

Court Holding & Legal Precedent

Issue: Was a ten-to-twelve-second wait after knocking and announcing before forcibly entering a home to execute a search warrant constitutionally reasonable when officers knew the suspect was not present and the only likely occupant was an elderly man?

No. The ten-to-twelve-second wait was unreasonable under the totality of the circumstances. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commod

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IRAC Legal Analysis

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Legal Issue

Was a ten-to-twelve-second wait after knocking and announcing before forcibly entering a home to execute a search warrant constitutionally reasonable when officers knew the suspect was not present and the only likely occupant was an elderly man?

Conclusion

This case establishes that a formulaic or "customary" wait time for a Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitati

Legal Rule

Under the Fourth Amendment and the New Mexico Constitution, officers executing a Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserun

Legal Analysis

The court determined that the reasonableness of the wait time before a Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetu

Flash-to-Full Case Opinions

Flash Summary

  • A 10-12 second wait before a forced entry was unreasonable when
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat n

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