Opinion ID: 171617
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Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Warrantless Search of the Car

Text: Finally, Mr. DeJear argues that even after he stated that there was some weed in the car, the police could still not search the car without first obtaining a warrant. He maintains that the warrant requirement applies to vehicles in private driveways. Aplt's Br. at 25. Mr. DeJear's argument is not persuasive. Since Carroll v. United States, 267 U.S. 132, 153, 45 S.Ct. 280, 69 L.Ed. 543 (1925), the Supreme Court has recognized an exception to the Fourth Amendment's warrant requirement when there is probable cause that a car contains contraband. See California v. Carney, 471 U.S. 386, 392, 105 S.Ct. 2066, 85 L.Ed.2d 406 (1985); Cardwell v. Lewis, 417 U.S. 583, 590, 94 S.Ct. 2464, 41 L.Ed.2d 325 (1974). The exception is based upon (a) mobility (which makes the delay imposed by the warrant requirement too great an obstacle to effective law enforcement) and (b) reduced expectations of privacy. Carney, 471 U.S. at 390-93, 105 S.Ct. 2066; United States v. Mercado, 307 F.3d 1226, 1228 (10th Cir.2002). The police may also search an automobile's passenger compartment without first obtaining a warrant if there is probable cause to arrest one of its occupants. See Thornton, 541 U.S. at 623, 124 S.Ct. 2127 (stating that [o]nce an officer determines that there is probable cause to make an arrest [of an occupant of an automobile], it is reasonable to allow officers to ensure their safety and to preserve evidence by searching the entire passenger compartment). We acknowledge that some courts have concluded that the automobile exception [to the warrant requirement] may not apply when it is parked at the residence of the criminal defendant challenging the constitutionality of the search. United States v. Fields, 456 F.3d 519, 524-25 (5th Cir.2006). However, Mr. DeJear does not contend that the car was parked outside his residence. As a result, the principle set forth in Thornton establishes that the search of the car comported with the Fourth Amendment. In particular, once Mr. DeJear told Officer Morrison that he was stuffing some weed into the seat, there was probable cause to arrest Mr. DeJear. Thus, the police could search the passenger compartment without first obtaining a warrant.