Florida v. Jimeno
United States Supreme Court
500 U.S. 248 (1991)
After stopping Jimeno (defendant) for a traffic violation and obtaining his consent to search the car for drugs, an officer opened an unmarked, closed paper bag next to the passenger seat and found drugs inside. Florida courts held that Jimeno's general consent to search the car did not extend to opening the closed bag, relying on a prior Florida case finding it unreasonable to pry open a locked briefcase without specific permission, and the U.S. Supreme Court granted certiorari.
Whether the Fourth Amendment allows a law enforcement officer to open a closed container within a suspect's vehicle if, under the circumstances, it is objectively reasonable to believe the scope of the suspect's consent permits the officer to do so.