Which case discusses the 'gathering evidence' justification for searching a passenger compartment?

• A. Carroll v United States
• B. Arizona v Grant
• C. United States v Chadwick
• D. Brown v State

Answer: (B)

The concept here is how a vehicle search can be justified to gather evidence, specifically when police search the passenger compartment as part of a search incident to arrest. In Arizona v. Grant, the Supreme Court clarified that a vehicle search incident to arrest isn’t unlimited. Beyond the rule that the arrestee’s immediate reach matters, there is a second way a passenger compartment can be searched: if there is probable cause to believe that evidence relevant to the offense of arrest may be found in the vehicle. That “gathering evidence” justification is what allows a police officer to search the interior of the car for items linked to the crime, even if the arrestee isn’t within reach. This narrows the scope of vehicle searches to two main situations: the arrestee can access the passenger area, or there is probable cause to find evidence in the vehicle. Carroll v. United States established the general automobile exception based on mobility and probable cause to search a vehicle, but it doesn’t center on the specific gathering-evidence rationale for the passenger compartment in the same way. United States v Chadwick deals with containers and privacy expectations inside a vehicle, and Brown v. State covers a different context, so they don’t capture this particular justification.