Police traffic stops and vehicle searches

The US Supreme Court said Monday it's okay for police in California to search a person's car for basically no reason. <br><br>That decision shouldn't affect Oklahoma, but could eventually change

Monday, October 21st 2002, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

The US Supreme Court said Monday it's okay for police in California to search a person's car for basically no reason.

That decision shouldn't affect Oklahoma, but could eventually change the way officers do their work. News on Six crime reporter Lori Fullbright explains.

Hereâ€™s a look at when officers can search cars here and why it doesn't require a search warrant. Corporal Steve Wood says even though the U-S constitution protects citizens from unreasonable search and seizure. There are exceptions to the rule, and cars are one of those exceptions. So don't assume they need a warrant, because searching a car and searching a house are two completely different things.

Tulsa Police Cpl Steve Wood, "A car has such a less expectation of privacy, except for warrant.â€ If an officer sees something in plain view in the car that breaks the law... the officer can search. Also, if the officer can explain to a judge later that he had a good reason to search the car, like he smelled marijuana or alcohol, he can search it. â€œThe court has decided that we don't need a warrant because by the time you get the warrant and get the judge to sign off on it, it can easily be moved.â€

The law causing controversy in California says officers can search your car for something as simple as you not showing them your driver's license and registration. In Oklahoma, an officer must suspect some type of criminal wrongdoing. And, frankly, this issue doesn't come up that frequently. "In Tulsa, we probably stop 12 to 13,000 cars every month, their way down the street."

If officers search your car, but, then, find a locked container inside, they'd likely have to confiscate the container, get a warrant and search it later.

The reason officers can search your car in California if you don't show your license is because they want to know who you are. That ruling was made a few months after the September 11th attacks. Thatâ€™s not reason enough to search a car in Oklahoma.

What officers here do if they stop you and you can't prove who you are, is arrest you.