An officer stops a vehicle, and as the situation unfolded, t…
An officer stops a vehicle, and as the situation unfolded, the driver was arrested because he had illegal drugs in his possession. In search incident to arrest (Chimel v. California), the officer finds a suitcase in the trunk. The officer asks Mr. Criminal, “is that your suitcase?” Mr. Criminal denies ownership of the suitcase. The officer opens it anyway and finds twenty pounds of a green leafy material consistent with the appearance and smell of marijuana (later determined by the crime scene tech that is was in fact marijuana). The officer is correct in confiscating the marijuana and the court will allow the marijuana entered into evidence. Why? Choose the correct response below.