New York v. Belton
United States Supreme Court
453 U.S. 454 (1981)
Relevant factsFree
Belton (defendant) was a passenger in a car stopped for speeding; after the officer smelled marijuana, he ordered Belton and the other occupants out of the car and arrested them all. The officer then searched the passenger compartment and found cocaine inside a pocket of Belton's jacket. The cocaine was admitted at trial over Belton's objection and he was convicted, but an intermediate appellate court disagreed with the trial judge and suppressed the evidence.
IssueFree
Whether, once a car's occupant has been ordered out and placed under arrest, the passenger compartment of the vehicle and containers within it remain part of the arrestee's area of immediate control subject to a search incident to arrest.