Criminal Evidence project

Consider a defendant who was a passenger on a public bus. She placed her carry-on luggage in a public luggage rack. When the bus stopped at a border checkpoint, a border patrol officer entered the bus and verified immigration status. After doing so, the officer “squeezed” soft carry-on luggage in the public bins. He detected a hard, brick-like object in the defendant’s luggage, which on inspection turned out to be illegal drugs. The defendant was convicted, despite her Fourth Amendment objection to the search of her luggage. The Supreme Court reversed the conviction.

• Do you agree with the initial trial court or the United States Supreme Court?
• Explain your position