Which case is associated with the principle that an officer may search the entire interior of a vehicle to uncover items that may conceal the object of search?

• A. New York v Belton
• B. Carroll v United States
• C. South Dakota v Opperman
• D. Arizona v Grant

Answer: (B)

The principle being tested is the automobile exception: when a vehicle is involved, officers can search without a warrant if there is probable cause to believe the vehicle contains evidence of a crime, because a car can be quickly moved and privacy expectations are lower. In Carroll v United States, the Court reasoned that a warrantless search of a vehicle is permissible under probable cause and that the scope of such a search extends to the interior and any compartments within the vehicle that could conceal the object of the search. This means officers may search not just the obvious areas, but the whole interior where concealed items might be hidden, to uncover what they’re after.

This concept is distinct from other cases. For example, New York v Belton deals with a search incident to arrest and confines the search mainly to the passenger compartment of the vehicle, not the entire interior in every situation. South Dakota v Opperman centers on inventory searches of impounded vehicles, not on probable cause to seize contraband. Arizona v Grant addresses limits on vehicle searches after arrest, focusing on exigent circumstances and reasonable scope, rather than establishing the broad interior search principle.