New York v. Belton (1980)
- Docket
- 80-328
- Decided
- 1980-01-01
Summary
Question: May an officer lawfully search a car without a warrant after the occupants are separated from the vehicle and under arrest? Conclusion: Yes. In a 6-3 vote, Justice Potter Stewart wrote the majority opinion reversing the lower court. The Supreme Court rejected the previously used case-by-case analysis for whether a search is reasonable in favor of a bright line rule. The Court held that a police officer can always lawfully search a car and any compartments in that car after arresting its occupants. The search in this case was incident to a lawful arrest and did not violate the Fourth or Fourteenth Amendment. Justice William H. Rehnquist wrote a concurrence, stating that he joined in the opinion because the majority was unwilling to overturn Mapp v. Ohio , which held that evidence obtained in unlawful searches and seizures cannot be used in criminal prosecutions. Justice John Paul Stevens wrote a concurrence, expressing that the “automobile exception” to the warrant requirement clearly gave the police officer authority to conduct the search in this case. Justice William J. Brennan wrote a dissent, stating that the bright line rule adopted by the majority was a departure from prior precedent. He argued that a clear rule will not provide officers in the field with any greater guidance about what searches are permissible. Justice Thurgood Marshall joined in this dissent. Justice Byron R. White wrote a dissent, expressing that the new rule permits officers to search luggage, briefcases, or other containers in a car without a warrant or any suspicion that they contain relevant evidence. Justice Marshall also joined in this dissent.