Criminal Defense Attorney and Kaedian LLP Partner Kacey McBroom points to a ruling this week in a 9th Circuit Court of Appeals case, United States v. Torres, that gives police even broader discretion in searching vehicles. Claiming they are conducting “inventory searches” – searches meant to protect or otherwise safeguards belongings in a vehicle – was found to be a permissible reason to search a car that does not otherwise meet the requirements for such searches under the 4th amendment. The case, says McBroom, sets a slippery slope precedent for police claiming some form of public good to circumvent otherwise well-established privacy rights. The full opinion can be found here.