Case Name: UNITED STATES of America, Plaintiff-Appellee, v. James Leland JOHNSON, Defendant-Appellant
Court: United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
Jurisdiction: United States
Decision Date: 1970-08-13
Citations: 431 F.2d 441
Docket Number: No. 27025
Parties: UNITED STATES of America, Plaintiff-Appellee, v. James Leland JOHNSON, Defendant-Appellant.
Judges: 
Reporter: Federal Reporter 2d Series
Volume: 431
Pages: 441–452

Head Matter:
UNITED STATES of America, Plaintiff-Appellee, v. James Leland JOHNSON, Defendant-Appellant.
No. 27025.
United States Court of Appeals, Fifth Circuit.
Aug. 13, 1970.
John R. Brown, Chief Judge, and Thornberry and Wisdom, Circuit Judges, concurred specially and filed opinion.
Godbold, Circuit Judge, dissented and filed opinion.
Jack W. Torbert, Gadsden, Ala., for appellant.
Wayman G. Sherrer, U. S. Atty., R. Macey Taylor, M. L. Alexander, Asst. U. S. Attys., Birmingham, Ala., for appellee.
Before JOHN R. BROWN, Chief Judge WISDOM, GEWIN, BELL, THORNBERRY, COLEMAN, GOLDBERG, AINSWORTH, GODBOLD, DYER, SIMPSON, MORGAN, CLARK and INGRAHAM, Circuit Judges.

Opinion:
PER CURIAM:
The Court en banc is of the opinion that the panel correctly decided that inspections of motor vehicles performed by police officers, who were entitled to be on the property where the vehicles were located, which in no way damaged the vehicles and were limited to determining the correct identification numbers thereof were not searches within the meaning of the Fourth Amendment; and that alternatively, if either of such inspections constituted a Fourth Amendment search, then no search warrant was necessary because such inspections were reasonable and did not violate the right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers or effects. To the extent that Glisson v. United States, 406 F.2d 423 (5th Cir. 1969) would find such a search or inspection constitutionally infirm, that decision is expressly overruled by this opinion.
THORNBERRY, Circuit Judge, joined by Chief Judge JOHN R. BROWN, and WISDOM, Circuit Judge, concurring specially:
We believe the inspection of serial numbers involved in this case were searches subject to the Fourth Amendment, but we concur in the result reached by the majority because we believe the searches were reasonable.
. 413 F.2d 1396.