Trunk Search Without a Warrant? Court Says That Went Too Far Even Under Automobile Exception.

“The automobile exception provides ‘police who have probable cause to believe a lawfully stopped vehicle contains evidence of criminal activity or contraband may conduct a warrantless search of any area of the vehicle in which the evidence might be found.’” (People v. McGee(2020) 53Cal.App.5th 796, 801, quoting People v. Evans(2011) 200Cal.App.4th 735, 753.) The scope of a warrantless search is “defined by the object of the search and the places in which there is probable cause to believe that it may be found.” (United States v. Ross(1982) 456 U.S. 798, 824 (Ross).)

Here, the searching police officer received information via a radio broadcast from another officer that a juvenile on probation with a firearm restriction likely placed a firearm under the front passenger seat in defendant Hilario Leal, Jr.’s car before the defendant got into his car and drove away. Defendant’s car was under constant surveillance from the time of the alleged firearm placement until the searching officer conducted the search. When search the passenger compartment of defendant’s car yielded no firearm, the searching officer decided to search the trunk, where he discovered a firearm. Defendant was charged with several offenses and filed a motion to suppress the firearm; the trial court denied the motion. Defendant ultimately pled no contest to being a felon in possession of a firearm. The question presented is whether the search of the defendant’s trunk was justified under the automobile exception. We conclude it was not.

Read full case here: California v. Leal, https://law.justia.com/cases/california/court-of-appeal/2023/c096463.html