Opinion ID: 532961
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Burnett's Expectation of Privacy in the Tote Bag

Text: 29 Burnett's alternative claim is that he had a legitimate expectation of privacy through his possessory interest in the tote bag itself. We are not persuaded by this argument either. Parris' ownership of the bag undermines Burnett's possessory interest in it. Compare United States v. Salazar, 805 F.2d 1394, 1396 (9th Cir.1986) (defendant's assertion of ownership of container out of sight in car strengthens his argument for standing to challenge search). Since the bag was in the other bedroom, Burnett had at best limited rights to exclude others from it. By not removing his belongings from the bag, Burnett failed to take normal precautions to maintain his privacy in the bag and exhibited a very low subjective expectation of privacy in it. Burnett's claim to an expectation of privacy in the bag would have been much stronger had the bag been located in the room in which the police found him. See United States v. Robertson, 606 F.2d 853, 858 n. 2 (9th Cir.1979). As Parris' confederate, Burnett might even have been able to make out a legitimate expectation of privacy in Parris' tote bag had it been stored in a private place. Since the officers discovered the bag in plain view, Parris clearly had not taken the precautions necessary to ensure Burnett's reasonable expectation of privacy in the bag. Cf. United States v. Brown, 731 F.2d 1491, 1496 (11th Cir.), modified, 743 F.2d 1505, 1507-08 (1984) (ultimately finding that while defendant has no legitimate expectation of privacy in body of confederate who had strapped drugs thereto, defendant might have had such expectation in less private place). 30 Thus, we find that Burnett enjoyed no legitimate expectation of privacy that was violated by police action. We hold, therefore, that he cannot make out a claim of injury to his fourth amendment interests. 9 31