Privacy In Our Vehicles

As American citizens, we enjoy safeguards against unreasonable searches and seizures afforded to us by the 4th Amendment. Furthermore, the 4th Amendment grants us a reasonable expectation of privacy within our homes and on our persons. But, you may ask, what about when we are in our vehicles? Do we enjoy that same level of privacy as we do in our homes? According to our textbook no, we don’t. Our vehicles have a lesser expectation of privacy for several reasons, among them are mobility, public view and the government’s regulation of vehicles. Due to the mobility of a vehicle, it is easier to destroy evidence or escape. Additionally, while a vehicle is out on the road the occupants, and to some extent the contents of the vehicle, are in plain view. Does this mean that we can be stopped without cause? If I were a Supreme Court Justice my answer would be, at least …show more content…
The first example is a DUI checkpoint. In Michigan Department of State Police v. Sitz, 496 U.S. 444, the U.S. Supreme Court held that sobriety checkpoints were reasonable and the California Supreme Court established some recommended guidelines for the setting up of DUI checkpoints in Ingersoll v. Palmer, 43 P.2d. 1299 (1987) which included the neutral application of the checkpoint, reasonable location, and advanced public notice, among others. Another example where a vehicle stop without the benefit of reasonable suspicion would be permissible is a checkpoint to obtain information about a recent crime that occurred in the area. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in Illinois v. Lidster 540 U.S. 419 (2004) that the checkpoint was reasonable based on the issue of public safety, provided the stop only minimally interfered with a person’s liberty. This ruling was partially based on the concept that law enforcement is permitted to seek public help in the investigation of a