Vol. 39  No. 7 POLICE MAY CONSTITUTIONALLY CONDUCT AN INVENTORY SEARCH OF BELONGINGS WHEN THE PROPERTY IS LAWFULLY RETAINED AND THE SEARCH IS DONE IN COMPLIANCE WITH POLICE REGULATIONS, EVEN AFTER THE INDIVIDUAL HAS BEEN RELEASED

In United States v. Sapalasan,1 the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed the denial of a motion to suppress drug evidence found during an officer’s inventory search of an individual’s backpack. The court held that police may constitutionally conduct an inventory search of belongings when the property is lawfully retained and the search is done […]