Opinion ID: 2271465
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: The Reasonable Place and Manner of the Strip Search

Text: Finally, we are satisfied that the strip search of Scott was performed in a reasonable place and manner. It was conducted, in accordance with official police guidelines, in a secure and private setting by two officers who were of the same gender as Scott. The officers employed a methodical, step-by-step procedure that minimized, as much as possible, the invasion of privacy required to discover the contraband on Scott's person. No undue force was employed; indeed, Scott was allowed to remove all his clothing himself, and the searching officers had almost no physical contact with him. Scott complains about being asked to bend over from the waist and assume a vulnerable and humiliating position, but that was a reasonable request to expose the only remaining area in which the suspected drugs might have been (and of course were) secreted. Scott was not put through any bizarre or unnecessary contortions or manipulations. While he presumably exposed his anus when he bent over, the officers immediately terminated the search upon finding the packet of drugs on the outer surface of Scott's buttock and refrained from any additional, gratuitous inspection of his anal cavity. Thus, the search did not extend beyond its justification; it was no more intrusive than necessary. Scott's bodily integrity was not compromised, and he was not mistreated, harassed, or abused. Lieutenant Murphy's seizure of the obviously incriminating packet of drugs from the exposed surface of Scott's buttock was reasonable too. It did not increase the unpleasantness or indignity of the procedure to which Scott was subjected. Inasmuch as Lieutenant Murphy could (and did) retrieve the packet without having to extract it from Scott's anal cavity or endangering Scott's health or safety in any way, we conclude that no warrant was necessary to authorize its seizure.