The U.S. Supreme Court's recent decision in Arizona v. Gant seems to have muddies the waters of automobile searches which had been fairly clear since the Court's 1981 decision in New York v. Belton. Before Gant, law enforcement had pretty much free reign to search the interior of a vehicle following the arrest of a suspect. Now Gant allows a police officer to search a vehicle "immediate grab" area where a suspect may have been able to reach to access a weapon or hide evidence, and also if the officer reasonably believes the vehicle contains evidence related to the reason for the suspect's arrest. One now has to wonder if law enforcement will simply have all vehicles towed if the suspect is arrested and then conduct an inventory search of the vehicle. What are your thoughts?
New York v. Belton, 453 U.S. 454 (1981). In Arizona v. Gant, — U.S. —, 2009 WL 1045962,
