State v. Ferguson, 204 N.C. App. 451 (Jun. 15, 2010)

There was insufficient evidence that the defendant had constructive possession of bags of marijuana found in a vehicle. An officer found a vehicle that had failed to stop on his command in the middle of a nearby street with the engine running. The driver and passengers had fled. Officers searched the vehicle and found, underneath the front passenger seat, a large bag containing two smaller bags of marijuana; in the glove box, a small bag of marijuana; and in the defendant’s handbag, a burned marijuana cigarette. The defendant, who had been sitting in the back seat, did not own the vehicle. There was no evidence that the defendant behaved suspiciously or failed to cooperate with officers after being taken into custody. There was no evidence that the defendant made any incriminating admissions, had a relationship with the vehicle’s owner, had a history of selling drugs, or possessed an unusually large amount of cash.