Court Opinion

ID: 9572511
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-21 20:42:22.245091+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T12:33:18.671275
License: Public Domain

BRETT, Presiding Judge,
dissenting:
I must dissent to the opinion’s finding that the search of the appellant’s canvas bag was proper on the basis of a search incident to arrest, involving the arrestee and the surrounding area. The opinion relies on Chimel v. California, 395 U.S. 752, 89 S.Ct. 2034, 23 L.Ed.2d 685 (1969).
In United States v. Chadwick, 433 U.S. 1, 97 S.Ct. 2476, 53 L.Ed.2d 538 (1977), however, the Supreme Court discussed the Chi-mel approval of searches incident to lawful arrest. They stated that the reasons justifying a search in a custodial arrest are based on the need to safeguard the officers from the arrestee’s attempts to use a weapon or to destroy evidence. The area which may properly be searched incident to a lawful arrest is limited to areas from within which the arrestee might gain possession of a weapon or destructible evidence.
Such was not the situation in the instant case. The appellant had immediately dropped the canvas bag upon arrest and the officers had seized it and safely removed it from the appellant’s grasp. Once this occurred the rationale behind Chimel becomes inapplicable as the bag was no longer within the appellant’s immediate control. The search therefore cannot be viewed as incidental to the arrest under Chimel or as justified by any other exigency.
The Supreme Court has applied this type of reasoning not only in Chadwick but also in United States v. Schleis, 433 U.S. 905, 97 S.Ct. 2968, 53 L.Ed.2d 1089 (1977). In Schleis, the district court upheld a warrant-less search of a briefcase which the arrestee was carrying at the time of his arrest. The Supreme Court reversed and remanded Schleis in light of their reasoning in Chadwick. Based on the foregoing,' I find the warrantless search of the appellant’s canvas bag is not justifiable as a search incident to arrest. Thus it was conducted illegally and I therefore respectfully dissent.