Officers legitimately stopped an auto and had probable cause to believe that it contained narcotics inside the passenger area. During the search of the car the officer found a closed paper bag and a zippered leather pouch. To lawfully search further, the officer _____.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Since the officers had probable cause to believe that narcotics were inside the passenger area, they are allowed to conduct a warrantless search of the car and its contents as long as they believe the evidence they're looking for is somewhere inside the vehicle. The closed paper bag and zippered leather pouch are within the passenger area and therefore subject to search without a warrant. The officers may immediately open both the bag and the pouch to search for narcotics.

Officers Legitimately Stopped an Auto and Had Probable Cause to Believe