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South Dakota v. Opperman
Supreme Court of United States
Respondent/Defendant: Opperman; the defendant had parked his car illegally and the car was impounded. At the impound yard, the police officer noticed some valuables in the car so he did the regular inventory search of the car and found marijuana in the unlocked glove compartment. When the defendant came to police station to claim his car, he was arrested. The trial court convicted the defendant for possession of marijuana but the Supreme Court of South Dakota reversed the conviction ruling that the search of the car violated defendant's 4th Amendment rights.
Issue: Was the search reasonable under the 4th Amendment?
Holding: Yes
Legal Reasoning: The court stated that cars enjoy less protection under the 4th Amendment compared to homes because cars are mobile and people don't have a lot of expectation of privacy in cars. The court ruled that the search in the current case was reasonable because the officers were just conducting regular inventory search. The court reasoned that such inventory searches of the impounded cars are used in majority of the states to protect the owner's property, to protect police from stolen property disputes, and to seek out any potential dangers. The court ruled that the search of the car was reasonable and the decision of the lower court was reversed.