Which Supreme Court case established the warrantless automobile search exception, allowing police to search a car and all its contents that may conceal the object of search?

• A. Carroll v United States
• B. United States v Ross
• C. New York v Belton
• D. Adams v Williams

Answer: (A)

The main idea being tested is the automobile exception to the Fourth Amendment, which allows a warrantless search of a vehicle when there is probable cause to believe it contains contraband or evidence. This doctrine was established by Carroll v United States in 1925. The Court reasoned that cars are mobile and can be quickly moved out of the jurisdiction, so requiring a warrant would risk the loss of evidence. Because of that mobility and the relatively diminished expectation of privacy in a vehicle, officers may search the car without a warrant and may reach into places inside the vehicle where the object of the search could be hidden, including containers or secret compartments. This foundational rule has guided later refinements, such as searches of specific containers within the car or the scope of searches during lawful stops, but Carroll set the basic allowance for warrantless automobile searches.