Opinion ID: 1839728
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: seizure of property vs. seizure of person

Text: Finally, the reasoning of the district court majority, that since a defendant's person can be seized without a warrant his property should be no different, simply proves too much. If we were to follow that reasoning to its logical conclusion we would, in essence, amend the Fourth Amendment out of the Constitution and do away with the requirement of a warrant entirely for the search and seizure of property. [7] It will always be more intrusive to seize a person than it will be to seize his property. That is the nature of human values. However, such an approach would apparently have us do away with the constitutional law of search and seizure as to property entirely, simply because we have permitted the warrantless arrest of a person. The United States Supreme Court has purposely subjected the Fourth Amendment to only a few well-delineated exceptions. Coolidge v. New Hampshire, 403 U.S. 443, 455, 91 S.Ct. 2022, 2032, 29 L.Ed.2d 564 (1971). For example, the courts have carefully restricted the law of search and seizure to permit a limited search of an arrestee and his person incident to a valid arrest. See Chimel v. California, 395 U.S. 752, 89 S.Ct. 2034, 23 L.Ed.2d 685 (1969). However, the reasoning of the district court majority, if carried to its logical bounds, would do away with the limitations established to a search incident to a lawful arrest and now permit a search of anything, anywhere, based upon probable cause, without a warrant, since those actions involving property would obviously be less intrusive than seizing the person. Obviously, we are not willing to accept such a proposition and its implications. [8]