In Wyoming v.Houghton, the court ruled that an officer may search the belongings of an automobile passenger simply because the officer suspects the driver has done something wrong.

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This is known as the "automobile exception" to the Fourth Amendment's warrant requirement, which allows for a search of a vehicle without a warrant if there is probable cause to believe that the vehicle contains contraband or other illegal items. The court held that this exception applies to passengers' belongings as well, as they have a reduced expectation of privacy while in a vehicle.

In Wyoming V