Page 161 - Original 2020 Legal Guide By Jack Ryan

Task: Probable Cause Searches of Motor Vehicles

California v. Acevedo, 500 U.S. 565 (1991).

An officer who observes a container being placed in a vehicle, and

who has probable cause to believe the container contains evidence

or contraband, may search the container under the motor vehicle

exception to the warrant requirement.

• This case overruled previous decisions that would have required the

police to immobilize the item and then obtain a search warrant.

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