Thornton v. United States
United States Supreme Court
541 U.S. 615 (2004)
Relevant factsFree
An officer grew suspicious of Marcus Thornton (defendant) after Thornton avoided driving alongside the officer's unmarked car and the officer discovered Thornton's license plate belonged to a different vehicle; Thornton parked and exited his car before the officer made contact, and after Thornton consented to a patdown revealing drugs and was arrested and secured in the patrol car, the officer searched Thornton's vehicle and found a gun under the driver's seat.
IssueFree
Whether a police officer may perform a search incident to arrest of a suspect's car if the suspect was already outside the car when the officer made contact.