Michelle is driving at night when a policeman pulls her over for a blown tail light.When he approaches the car he shines his flashlight into the car and sees a bag of white powder on the back seat.The officer orders Michelle out of the car and then reaches in to seize the bag.A quick examination leads him to believe that the bag contains cocaine.He arrests Michelle and takes her to the station.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The officer conducted a legal search because he had probable cause to believe that a crime had been committed due to the presence of the bag of white powder in plain view on the back seat of the car. As long as he did not physically enter the car to search it, using a flashlight to illuminate the visible area is considered a legal search without a warrant. The Fourth Amendment allows for warrantless searches under certain circumstances, including situations where the evidence is in plain view.

Michelle Is Driving at Night When a Policeman Pulls Her