Statement from a Named Informant Regarding Drugs In Georgia

In Tomlinson v. State, 242 Ga. App. 117 (527 SE2d 626) (2000), the police obtained a statement from a named informant that he had purchased drugs within the last seven days from "Brenda and Jeff" at their residence. Id. at 118. The fact that the statement was made against the informant's penal interest was enough to form the basis for the magistrate's conclusion that the informant was reliable. Id. at 119. Also, the statement was "sufficient to authorize the magistrate's common sense decision that a crime had been committed and that proof of the crime might reasonably still be found in that residence." Id. See also Swan v. State, 257 Ga. App. 704, 705-706 (1) (572 SE2d 64) (2002) (probable cause for search warrant existed where person arrested for drug offense told police that two days earlier he had purchased the drugs from "Jeannie" at a certain house and that he had seen drugs at that location); Victrum v. State, 203 Ga. App. 377, 379 (2) (416 SE2d 740) (1992) (probable cause for search warrant existed where arrestee told police the place and persons from whom he had purchased drugs and he identified the apartment in question).