Arkansas v. Sanders

Arkansas v. Sanders

Argued February 27, 1979
Decided June 20, 1979
Full case name Arkansas v. Sanders
Citations

442 U.S. 753 (more)

Holding
Absent exigency, the warrantless search of personal luggage merely because it was located in an automobile lawfully stopped by the police is a violation of the Fourth Amendment and not justified under the automobile exception.
Court membership
Case opinions
Majority Powell, joined by Brennan, Stewart, White, Marshall,
Concurrence Burger, joined by Stevens
Dissent Blackmun, joined by Rehnquist
Laws applied
Fourth Amendment
Overruled by
California v. Acevedo, 500 U.S. 565 (1991)

Arkansas v. Sanders, 442 U.S. 753 (1979), was a decision by the United States Supreme Court, which held that, absent exigency, the warrantless search of personal luggage merely because it was located in an automobile lawfully stopped by the police is a violation of the Fourth Amendment and not justified under the automobile exception. Similar to United States v. Chadwick, the luggage was the subject of police suspicion before being placed in the vehicle.

Sanders resolved two distinct lines of cases: on the one hand, Carroll v. United States laid down the automobile exception which allowed for warrantless searches of automobiles; on the other hand, Chadwick did not allow for a warrantless search of luggage. Sanders declined to extend the automobile exception here, again stressing, as in Chadwick, the heightened expectation of privacy in one's luggage.

See also

External links