California police can’t search inside a suspect’s vehicle for identification if the driver refuses to produce a license and registration on demand, the state Supreme Court ruled Nov. 25 in a case of first impression.
The justices concluded police made an unreasonable search by entering a vehicle to locate a driver’s ID. In this case, police found methamphetamine in the search of a driver’s purse. The trial court suppressed the evidence.
The 4-3 court held the desire to obtain a driver’s ID following a traffic stop doesn’t constitute an independent, categorical exception to the Fourth Amendment’s requirement for a warrant. ...