Opinion ID: 2273474
Heading Depth: 4
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: The Manner in Which the Search is Conducted

Text: We find that the manner of the search and the appropriateness thereof should be controlled and determined by certain factors considered in Schmerber, 384 U.S. 757, 86 S.Ct. 1826. There, the Court, after determining that probable cause supported the search, considered whether the search was reasonable and: (1) analyzed the type of search and its commonality (there, a blood test routinely used); (2) considered who performed the search (there, medical personnel); (3) weighed risk, pain and trauma to the arrestee (there, all of which were minimal); and (4) considered the skills required to conduct the search (there, medical practices controlled). Id. at 769, 86 S.Ct. 1826. We thus consider these factors in the case at bar to determine whether the manner of the search conducted on Appellee was appropriate.
We first consider two of Schmerber 's considerations in conglomerationthe type of search performed, its commonality and by whomand conclude that they support a finding that the manner of this search was appropriate. Here, trained officers conducted a search that is commonly performed on arrested individuals who officers already know hide drugs on their person. Strip searches, especially of individuals who have hidden contraband in the manner Appellee did, are necessary to preserve evidence, to prevent infiltration of contraband into detainment centers and, sometimes, for officer's safety. Thus, we find them appropriate in some cases, particularly so here because the officer became immediately aware upon the plain feel of his hand that Appellee harbored drugs in a peculiar location on his person.
We next consider the existence of risk, pain, or trauma. We first note that physical pain should not be the end of a court's inquiry, but rather mental pain should be considered as well. Here, while we find an absence of physical pain due to the search being visual in nature, we recognize that the search was probably a embarrassment to Appellee and thus consider his mental pain and its traumatic effects. We reiterate that a strip search is one of the most invasive and traumatic searches conducted. However, the fact that Appellee was turned, facing away from the open door and that no one other than the two officers were in the line of sight leads to the conclusion that the embarrassment was minimized to some degree. [9] Again, we repeat that simply because an individual chooses to hide contraband in an intimate location and does so making it immediately apparent to police, he may not then complain that the officers searched his person in an inappropriate manner absent other aggravating circumstances. Our consideration of trauma and mental pain is also affected by the fact that the officers did not come into physical contact with Appellee's genitals or buttocks. As noted by the Court of Appeals, even after seeing the drugs dangling from Appellee's genital area, the officers demonstrated restraint and common decency by removing the contraband without making physical contact with Appellee's anatomy. And while we understand that a visual examination is certainly uncomfortable, we posit that physical contact would have been even more upsetting. Thus, we find that the visual inspection, while inherently traumatic, involved minimal trauma and pain to Appellee.
Finally, we turn to the knowledge required to perform this type of search, and conclude that, unlike the medical procedure addressed in Schmerber, a visual strip search of an arrestee does not necessitate specialized training. We believe the only knowledge required to conduct a strip search is supplied by common sense and decency as demonstrated by the officers here when they performed the search within four walls and by excluding everyone but the officers involved. Here, the officers did not disrobe Appellee for public viewing and neither did they conduct the search outside in an open field. And although there is testimony that the door was partially opened, the officer testified that no one else was in the line of sight. The knowledge to do the strip search in private was exhibited by the officers in this case. Thus, we find that the officers possessed an adequate know-how to perform this type of search. After considering the factors evaluated in Schmerber, we conclude that the search was conducted in an appropriate manner.