Opinion ID: 1122542
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Evidence From the Automobile Search

Text: Defendant argues that the trial court abused its discretion in denying his motion to suppress the victim's property, which was seized during a search of the car in which defendant was riding when arrested in Illinois. Defendant contends that the search violated both the Fourth Amendment of the United States Constitution and article 2, § 8 of the Arizona Constitution. At trial, defendant argued that the Illinois police conducted an illegal investigative search without a warrant. The trial court found the search to be a valid inventory search performed incident to a lawful arrest. We agree. On appeal, defendant expands his argument and argues for the first time that the inventory search was not conducted pursuant to established police procedures. Defendant was one of two passengers in a car stopped by Mark Wilkans of the Hodgkins, Illinois, police department. Wilkans smelled alcohol on the breath of the driver, who was then arrested for driving under the influence after failing field sobriety tests. Pursuant to departmental policy, Wilkans attempted to determine whether the car could be released to either of the passengers. When Wilkans radioed in information about both men, the dispatcher replied that one of the two was wanted on an outstanding felony warrant. Wilkans secured the passengers and arrested defendant after determining that he was wanted for murder in Pima County, Arizona. The other passenger was also detained because he was too intoxicated to drive. Under Hodgkins police policy, the car had to be impounded because no occupant could legally operate it. Police policy was to inventory items in cars that were impounded. Given the large number of items in the car, Wilkans had the car towed to the station before conducting the inventory. At the station, police inventoried the contents of several sealed boxes and a duffle bag belonging to defendant. On appeal, defendant argues for the first time that this search violated his constitutional rights because the state did not show that Hodgkins police policy was to inventory the contents of closed containers. In fact-intensive inquiries on motions to suppress, the court is not obliged to consider new theories from either side asserted for the first time on appeal, and there are good reasons for not doing so. State v. Brita, 158 Ariz. 121, 124, 761 P.2d 1025, 1028 (1988). Aside from this, defendant's position still lacks merit. [I]nventory searches are now a well-defined exception to the warrant requirement of the Fourth Amendment. Colorado v. Bertine, 479 U.S. 367, 371, 107 S.Ct. 738, 741, 93 L.Ed.2d 739 (1987). Police may conduct inventory searches as long as they are conducted pursuant to standardized criteria and not because of mere suspicions of criminal activity. Id. at 375, 107 S.Ct. at 743. An officer may be allowed sufficient latitude to determine whether a particular container should or should not be opened in light of the nature of the search and characteristics of the container itself. Florida v. Wells, 495 U.S. 1, 4, 110 S.Ct. 1632, 1635, 109 L.Ed.2d 1 (1990). When questioned about the department's policy for inventory searches, Wilkans testified that All property that comes into our possession from any vehicles that we are going to take and separate from the driver or owner has to be inventoried, the contents therein have to be listed, and any pre-existing damage to the car noted on the towing. (Emphasis added.) Hodgkins police policy is to inventory the contents of property taken into possession. That is what occurred here. The trial court, on the record before it, reasonably found this search to be a valid inventory search conducted pursuant to Hodgkins police policy. Because we agree with the trial court's finding, we do not reach the state's alternative theory of inevitable discovery.