Opinion ID: 166692
Heading Depth: 4
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: The Search of Mr. Lewis’s Truck

Text: The officers’ search of Mr. Lewis’s truck also did not violate the Fourth Amendment. When the officers apprehended Mr. Lewis, they had probable cause to arrest him, which would also require them to impound his truck. Officer Miller conducted an inventory search of the vehicle after he called for a tow truck to come and get the truck for impound. This was entirely proper. It is common practice for the police to conduct an inventory of the contents of vehicles they have taken into their custody or are about to impound. Such inventories are now a well-defined exception to the warrant requirement of the Fourth Amendment. They are not treated as investigative searches because they serve three administrative purposes: the protection of the owner’s property while it remains in -11- police custody, the protection of the police against claims or disputes over lost or stolen property, and the protection of the police from potential danger. United States v. Tueller , 349 F.3d 1239, 1243 (10th Cir. 2003) (internal quotation marks and citations omitted). -12-