Opinion ID: 788213
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: The Officer's Unconstitutional Visual Search of Washington's Room

Text: 43 Washington also claims that the six RPD officers unconstitutionally gained visual access to his room when they required that the door to his room be left open. Officer Sceirine admitted that he and the other officers approached Washington's room without probable cause to search it. After Washington's friend, Nolan, exited the room, the officers refused to let Nolan close the door after Washington asked him to do so. Officer Sceirine testified that, with the door open, the officers had a fairly ample view of the room. 44 It is clearly established Federal law that police officers may only gain visual access to a hotel room if (1) the room's occupant voluntarily opens the hotel room door in response to a request (but not a threat or a command), (2) the officers have a warrant, or (3) the officers have probable cause and one of the exceptions to the warrant requirement exists. 10 Bailey v. Newland, 263 F.3d 1022, 1030-31, 1033 (9th Cir.2001); see also Winsor, 846 F.2d at 1573-74 (holding that the police did effect a `search' when they gained visual entry into the room through the door that was opened at their command, which the officers needed probable cause to justify). Whether a hotel room door is opened in response to a threat or a command or is kept open against the wishes of the room's occupant, police officers obtain visual access to the room by using their power to require that the door be open. Both scenarios result in a search within the meaning of the Fourth Amendment, and both scenarios require consent, a warrant, or probable cause plus an exception to the warrant requirement. Here, the officers possessed none of these legal grounds for gaining visual access to Washington's room. Thus, the officers violated Washington's Fourth Amendment rights when they gained visual access to his room by refusing to let Nolan close its door. 45