Opinion ID: 1191368
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: The Search of Lightford's Person.

Text: The recent companion cases of United States v. Robinson, 414 U.S. 218, 94 S.Ct. 467, 38 L.Ed.2d 427, and Gustafson v. Florida, 414 U.S. 260, 94 S.Ct. 488, 38 L.Ed.2d 456, 1973, are dispositive of the question on the admissibility of the heroin found on Lightford during the search of his person. The High Court held that in a lawful custodial arrest a full search of the person is not only an exception to the warrant requirement of the Fourth Amendment to the United States Constitution, but is also a reasonable search under that Amendment. In Lightford's case, the officers effected a custody arrest of appellant pursuant to a valid warrant. Once this was done, they had the authority under Robinson and Gustafson to effect a full search of appellant. Therefore, the search of Lightford at the time he was arrested and taken into custody was a reasonable search, and the heroin seized from his person at that time was properly admitted into evidence.