A police officer may search a vehicle if he/she has reasonable cause that would allow a warrant to have been issued if the officer had attempted to do so, because taking the time to seek a warrant would create the likelihood that the automobile would change location.

Question

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This principle is based on the automobile exception to the Fourth Amendment's search warrant requirement, which allows police to search a vehicle without a warrant if they have probable cause to believe that it contains evidence of a crime, due to the inherent mobility of vehicles and the potential for evidence to be moved or destroyed.

A Police Officer May Search a Vehicle If He/she Has