NCJ Number
97543
Date Published
1983
Length
0 pages
Annotation
This police training video cassette, accompanied by an audio cassette, reenacts the incident that led to the U.S. Supreme Court decision in U.S. v. Ross and summarizes this decision, which simplified problems associated with vehicle searches by stating that a warrantless search of an automobile stopped by police officers who had probable cause to believe the vehicle contained contraband was not unreasonable within the meaning of the fourth amendment.
Abstract
Police officers, acting on information from a reliable informant, drove to a location specified by the informant and observed a particular automobile which the informant alleged contained narcotics in the trunk. Noting that the driver matched the informant's description, the officers stopped the car. Upon approaching the car, one officer saw a bullet on the front seat, opened the glove compartment, and found a loaded weapon. The officers arrested the suspect and then opened the trunk, discovering powder which proved to be heroin. A warrantless search of the car found a large amount of cash. The driver was convicted of heroin possession with intent to distribute, with the court denying his motion to suppress the heroin and currency. This conviction was reversed on appeal, on the grounds that the search was illegal, but upheld by the Supreme Court. The Court noted that historically, warrantless searches of vehicles in transit had been considered reasonable; it further specified that probable cause justifying a warrantless search must be based on objective facts that could justify issuance of a warrant by a magistrate. The Court also extended the probable cause rule to containers or any other parts of the vehicle. Accompanying the video is a booklet that summarizes the incident and the case' progress through the courts, as well as the rationale for the Supreme Court's decision.