Opinion ID: 169726
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Search of Beckstead's car

Text: Beckstead also asserts that officers violated the Fourth Amendment when they searched his car, found in the parking lot outside Morris' apartment, without a warrant. In his opening brief, Beckstead only mentions the car search in two section headings, a single sentence in the brief's summary, and two phrases in arguments otherwise challenging the search of Morris' apartment. He makes no specific argument challenging the car search anywhere in the body of his opening brief. Nor does he assert any law in support of a Fourth Amendment challenge to the car search. It is insufficient merely to state in one's brief that one is appealing an adverse ruling below without advancing reasoned argument as to the grounds for appeal. Gross v. Burggraf Constr. Co., 53 F.3d 1531, 1547 (10th Cir.1995). Because Beckstead failed to brief this issue adequately in his opening brief, he has waived it. See Stump, 211 F.3d at 533; Gross, 53 F.3d at 1547. Even if we addressed the merits of his Fourth Amendment challenge to the search of his car, however, that argument does not warrant relief. The district court upheld this search under the automobile exception to the Fourth Amendment's warrant requirement. Under that exception, officers possessing probable cause to believe a car contains contraband may search the car without first obtaining a search warrant. See United States v. Brooks, 438 F.3d 1231, 1241 (10th Cir. 2006) (citing, e.g., California v. Carney, 471 U.S. 386, 392, 105 S.Ct. 2066, 85 L.Ed.2d 406 (1985)). The rationale for the automobile exception is based on both the inherent mobility of cars (as it is often impracticable to obtain a warrant before a car can be driven away) and the fact that there is a reduced expectation of privacy with motor vehicles. United States v. Mercado, 307 F.3d 1226, 1228 (10th Cir. 2002). In this case, when the officers looked into Beckstead's car, they saw glassware which could be used to manufacture methamphetamine. Further, the officers had just discovered a methamphetamine lab in a nearby apartment, after receiving an anonymous tip. That anonymous tip had also included additional information indicating that there was a black Pontiac matching the description of Beckstead's car that was involved with the lab. And when officers first approached the apartment, Beckstead's car had been parked in front of the apartment where officers found the lab. All of these facts were sufficient to give officers probable cause to believe there was contraband in Beckstead's car. See United States v. Ledesma, 447 F.3d 1307, 1319 (10th Cir.2006) (considering totality of circumstances to determine officers had probable cause to search under automobile exception). Their warrantless search of Beckstead's car, therefore, did not violate the Fourth Amendment. Beckstead asserts that, under the circumstances of this case, officers had time to obtain a warrant before searching the car because it was parked when they discovered it. But that fact is of no moment: Although the automobile exception is based in part on exigency, `the justification to conduct such a warrantless search does not vanish once the car has been immobilized; nor does it depend upon a reviewing court's assessment of the likelihood in each particular case that the car would have been driven away, or that its contents would have been tampered with, during the period required for the police to obtain a warrant.' United States v. Ludwig, 10 F.3d 1523, 1528 (10th Cir.1993) (quoting Michigan v. Thomas, 458 U.S. 259, 261, 102 S.Ct. 3079, 73 L.Ed.2d 750 (1982) (per curiam)). Therefore, the district court did not err in denying Beckstead's motion to suppress the evidence discovered in his car.