In this case, Alexander was arrested for driving on a suspended license. Police officers inventoried the car “from cab to trunk” and found methamphetamine in the car as well as drug paraphernalia and cash. The Eighth Circuit ruled that the inventory search violated the Fourth Amendment. An inventory search cannot be used as a subterfuge to conduct a criminal search. Inventory searches must be performed to a policy that puts limitations on the scope of the inventory. The policy does not have to be in writing, but it does have to exist. Even though the court found this was a Fourth Amendment violation, they ruled the evidence was admissible under the inevitable discovery doctrine.
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