State of Washington v. Valdez, et al.

This court case is completed

The ACLU-WA has filed an amicus brief with the Washington Supreme Court saying that the state constitution prohibits vehicle searches based solely on the arrest of the driver. Searches should only be allowed with a warrant, or when there is a reasonable threat to officer safety or a reasonable likelihood of destruction of evidence related to the crime for which the driver was arrested. Even if a basic search is allowed, the use of a dog is improper because it cannot distinguish between accessible areas of a car and inaccessible areas, such as locked containers.