Opinion ID: 2336250
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Radar Detector

Text: If a police officer views an object from a lawful vantage point, and the incriminating nature of the object is immediately apparent to the officer, a warrantless seizure of the object is justified. Commonwealth v. Ellis, 541 Pa. 285, 297, 662 A.2d 1043, 1049 (1995). There can be no reasonable expectation of privacy in an object that is in plain view. To judge whether the incriminating nature of an object was immediately apparent to the police officer, reviewing courts must consider the totality of the circumstances. Id. (citing Illinois v. Gates, 462 U.S. 213, 103 S.Ct. 2317, 76 L.Ed.2d 527 (1983)). The Superior Court correctly stated why it was reasonable for Officer Jones to seize the radar detector. [T]he officer viewed the radar detector on the truck's dashboard from his lawful vantage point outside of the truck. He immediately recognized that possession of a radar detector constitutes a violation of federal law. 49 C.F.R. § 392.71 (No driver shall use a radar detector in a commercial motor vehicle, or operate a commercial motor vehicle that is equipped with or contains any radar detector). See also 67 Pa.Code §§ 229.181, 231.181 (incorporating by reference 49 C.F.R. § 392.71); 67 Pa. Code § 229.3 (incorporating by reference 49 C.F.R. § 390.5 (relating to definition of radar detector)). The incriminating nature of the evidence was, therefore, immediately apparent to the officer. Accordingly, the warrantless seizure of the radar detector at that point would have been permissible under the plain view doctrine. We are not persuaded that the seizure became impermissible because it was delayed until a time when the truck was impounded. Commonwealth v. Petroll, 696 A.2d 817, 825 (Pa.Super.1997) (case citation omitted). Sergeant McCurdy testified that he saw the radar detector from the median of the road, [7] immediately knew that its possession or use by a commercial driver was illegal, and he relayed what he had seen to Officer Jones, who directed the owner of the impoundment lot to seize the contraband. (N.T. Suppression Hearing, 5/6/96, at p. 29-32). The totality of the circumstances gave the police probable cause to seize the radar detector.