Criminal Procedure, Pages 240–242
Illinois v. Lafayette
Supreme Court of the United States, 1983
View opinion on Lexis AdvanceFacts:
Defendant was arrested for getting into an altercation with a theater manager. While booking him, police had him place all belongings on a counter. These included a shoulder bag, in which police found ten amphetamine pills.
Issue:
Can police search the personal effects of a person as part of the procedure incident to booking and jailing the person after a lawful arrest?
Reasoning:
The individual's Fourth Amendment interests must be balanced against the government's interests in proper handling of taken items, preventing liability to claims of theft, and detecting items that could pose a danger to the arrestee or others.
Rule/Holding:
Routine inventories of a person's personal effects at booking subject to standard police procedure are reasonable under the Fourth Amendment.