Case Explained: UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE SIXTH CIRCUIT UNITED STATES OF AMERICA v. JAEONTAE MOORE ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) )

Court: United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit

Filed: 2026-07-07

The Sixth Circuit affirmed the district court’s denial of Jaeontae Moore’s motion to suppress evidence of a firearm found in a vehicle. The court applied the automobile exception to the Fourth Amendment warrant requirement, holding that law enforcement possessed probable cause to search the car because there was a “fair probability” it contained evidence of a crime. Specifically, an off-duty police officer observed Moore brandish a firearm while arguing with the driver, and after Moore fled on foot without the weapon, officers reasonably believed the gun remained in the vehicle as the last known location of the evidence. The court ruled that this probable cause justified the warrantless search under *United States v. Woods* and *California v. Acevedo*, noting that the exception applies even if officers had time to obtain a warrant and that the scope of the seizure was not exceeded by temporarily detaining the driver during the search. As a result, the evidence remains admissible for Moore’s conviction, and his conditional plea agreement stands without modification.

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