Opinion ID: 693416
Heading Depth: 4
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Search of Desirae's Belongings

Text: 35 Paskewitz is also entitled to summary judgment on the claim against her for searching Desirae's belongings, but for a different reason. To benefit from the Fourth Amendment, the Lenzes must show that they have a  'constitutionally protected reasonable expectation of privacy'  in the object of the alleged search. Oliver v. United States, 466 U.S. 170, 177, 104 S.Ct. 1735, 1740-41, 80 L.Ed.2d 214 (1984) (quoting Katz v. United States, 389 U.S. 347, 360, 88 S.Ct. 507, 516, 19 L.Ed.2d 576 (1967) (Harlan, J., concurring)). Fourth Amendment rights are personal and may not be vicariously asserted. Rakas v. Illinois, 439 U.S. 128, 133, 99 S.Ct. 421, 425, 58 L.Ed.2d 387 (1978). Thus, in a variety of circumstances, courts have held that a person does not have a reasonable expectation of privacy in another's belongings. See, e.g., id. at 148-49, 99 S.Ct. at 433 (no standing to object to the search of another's car); United States v. Bella, 605 F.2d 160, 161 (5th Cir.1979) (no standing to complain of search of a companion's luggage); People v. Rielly, 190 A.D.2d 695, 593 N.Y.S.2d 275, 277 (App.Div.1993) (defendant had no standing to object to search of his son's schoolbag). This is true even when the person claiming the Fourth Amendment right has a reasonable expectation of privacy in the premises where the other's property was found. 10 See Bella, 605 F.2d at 161 (holding that defendant had no standing to object to a search of his companion's luggage, which had been seized from the trunk of the defendant's car). 36 The summary judgment record at best suggests only that Paskewitz searched Desirae's closet and bedroom. It does not appear from the record that the closet was used by anyone but Desirae. Neither do the Lenzes claim any personal rights by virtue of their care for Desirae. Thus, the Lenzes base their illegal search claim against Paskewitz solely on Paskewitz's compromise of Desirae's privacy interest and not on any violation of their own privacy interests. The Lenzes do not contend that Desirae's youth should distinguish this case from other cases in which individuals were found to lack standing to challenge the search of another's property. We therefore conclude that the Lenzes lack standing to claim that Paskewitz violated their Fourth Amendment rights in her search of Desirae's belongings. Summary judgment in Paskewitz's favor was appropriate on this claim.