Chambers v. Maroney

Chambers v. Maroney, 399 U.S. 42 (1970), is a landmark decision of the United States Supreme Court.

Police arrested Chambers and others after a robbery. They searched the suspects’ car at the police station without a warrant and found incriminating evidence. Chambers argued that the warrantless search of the automobile violated the Fourth Amendment because the car was no longer mobile and the police had time to obtain a warrant.

Significance

Justice White’s 6-3 opinion upheld the search under the automobile exception to the warrant requirement. The Court held that if police have probable cause to search a vehicle, they may search it at the scene or later at the station without a warrant. The mobility of vehicles creates exigent circumstances that justify immediate searches, and the privacy interest in an automobile is less than in a home or office because vehicles are heavily regulated and travel on public roads.

Category

US Federal Case Law