Opinion ID: 792220
Heading Depth: 4
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Reasonableness of Waller's Legitimate Expectation of Privacy

Text: 18 Second, this court must inquire whether Waller's expectation of privacy is one that society is prepared to recognize as reasonable. The Supreme Court determined in Bond that under the Fourth Amendment a bus traveler has a reasonable expectation that his carry-on luggage would not be subject to invasive exploration by governmental officials. 529 U.S. at 335-38, 120 S.Ct. 1462. The same reasonableness justifies Waller's expectation of privacy in this case. Waller had recently moved his things from the Storey residence, but had not taken up residence in Howard's apartment. Waller was transient, using Howard's apartment primarily for showering, changing clothes, and storing his personal belongings. He placed some of his personal items in a piece of luggage, zipped the luggage closed, and stored it in the bedroom closet of the apartment. Under these circumstances, Waller's expectation that his luggage would not be subject to [p]hysically invasive inspection was reasonable. Id. at 337, 120 S.Ct. 1462. Moreover, the government does not argue that society would find such an expectation of privacy to be unreasonable. Inasmuch as Waller exhibited an actual expectation of privacy that society is prepared to recognize as reasonable under the Fourth Amendment, the district court erred in finding that Waller did not have authority to challenge the search of his luggage. 19