cardwell lewis argued march decided june july law enforcement officers interviewed respondent connection murder occurred five days viewed automobile thought used commission crime october response previous request respondent appeared questioning office investigating authorities left car nearby public commercial parking lot though police secured warrant respondent arrest respondent arrested late afternoon car towed police impoundment lot warrantless examination next day outside car revealed tire matched cast tire impression made crime scene paint samples taken respondent car different foreign paint fender victim car respondent tried convicted murder conviction affirmed appeal subsequent habeas corpus proceeding district concluded seizure examination respondent car violated fourth fourteenth amendments evidence obtained therefrom excluded trial appeals affirmed concluding scraping paint car exterior search within meaning fourth amendment search incident respondent arrest unconsented car seizure justified ground car instrumentality crime plain view held judgment reversed pp reversed justice blackmun joined chief justice justice white justice rehnquist concluded examination exterior respondent automobile upon probable cause reasonable invaded right privacy requirement search warrant meant protect pp primary object fourth amendment protection privacy warden hayden generally less stringent warrant requirements applied vehicles homes offices carroll chambers maroney search vehicle less intrusive implicates lesser expectation privacy pp search case concededly made basis probable cause infringed expectation privacy pp circumstances case seizure impounding car unreasonable pp vehicle seized public place access meaningfully restricted chambers maroney supra followed coolidge new hampshire distinguished pp exigent circumstances justifying warrantless search vehicle limited situations probable cause unforeseeable arises time arrest cf chambers supra pp justice powell view inquiry federal habeas corpus review state prisoner fourth amendment claim confined solely question whether defendant opportunity state courts raise claim adjudicated fairly reverse judgment appeals since respondent contend denied opportunity see schneckloth bustamonte powell concurring leo conway assistant attorney general ohio argued cause petitioner brief william brown attorney general nicholas curci assistant attorney general bruce campbell appointment argued cause filed brief respondent andrew frey argued cause amicus curiae urging reversal brief solicitor general bork assistant attorney general petersen edward korman justice blackmun announced judgment opinion chief justice justice white justice rehnquist join case presents issue legality fourth fourteenth amendments warrantless seizure automobile examination exterior police impoundment area car removed public parking lot evidence obtained upon examination introduced respondent state trial murder convicted federal district habeas corpus application ruled examination search violative fourth fourteenth amendments supp sd ohio appeals sixth circuit affirmed granted certiorari conclude circumstances case violation protection afforded amendments respondent arthur ben lewis tried convicted jury ohio state murder paul radcliffe appeal ohio affirmed judgment conviction state lewis ohio denied review lewis ohio respondent federal habeas application district record evidentiary hearing adduced following facts afternoon july radcliffe body found near car banks olentangy river delaware county ohio car gone embankment come rest brush radcliffe died shotgun wounds casts made tire tracks scene foreign paint scrapings removed right rear fender radcliffe automobile within five days radcliffe death investigation began focus upon respondent lewis learned lewis knew radcliffe lewis negotiating sale business executed contract sale purchaser jack smith employed radcliffe accountant examine lewis books police went lewis place business question observed model color car thought might used push radcliffe vehicle embankment several months later however late september lewis questioned october asked appear next morning office division criminal activities columbus interrogation october warrant respondent arrest obtained district found time addition probable cause arrest police also probable cause believe lewis car used commission crime automobile similar observed leaving scene color vehicle similar color paint scrapings victim car telephone call smith made person said radcliffe proved caller made statements true benefit lewis body repair work done grille hood right front fender parts car day following crime victim desk calendar day death showed notation call ben lewis respondent lewis complied request appear drove car activities office placed public commercial parking lot half block away arrived shortly although police possession arrest warrant entire period lewis present served warrant arrested late afternoon approximately two hours earlier lewis permitted call lawyer two attorneys present behalf office time formal arrest upon arrest lewis car keys parking lot claim check released police tow truck dispatched remove car parking lot police impoundment lot impounded car examined next day technician ohio bureau criminal investigation tread right rear tire found match cast tire impression made scene crime technician testified opinion foreign paint fender radcliffe car different paint samples taken respondent vehicle difference color texture order layering paint district concluded seizure examination lewis car violative fourth fourteenth amendments evidence obtained therefrom excluded state trial accordingly issued writ habeas corpus requiring state initiate action new trial respondent within days alternative release appeals affirming held scraping paint exterior lewis car fact search within meaning fourth amendment consent search incident lewis arrest seizure car justified ground vehicle instrumentality crime plain view ii case factually different prior car search cases decided evidence concerned product search implicates traditional considerations owner privacy interest consisted paint scrapings exterior observation tread tire operative wheel issue therefore whether examination automobile exterior upon probable cause invades right privacy interposition warrant requirement meant protect issue previously addressed notion warrant search seize dependent upon assertion superior government interest property see entick carrington tr proposition warrant valid primary right search seizure may found interest public complainant may property seized right possession gouled explicitly rejected controlling fourth amendment considerations warden hayden rather property rights primary object fourth amendment determined protection privacy said earlier decisions time underscored essential purpose fourth amendment shield citizen unwarranted intrusions privacy jones see also schmerber california katz dionisio least since carroll recognized distinction warrantless search seizure automobiles movable vehicles one hand search home office generally less stringent warrant requirements applied vehicles chambers maroney chronicled development car searches seizures underlying factor line decisions exigent circumstances exist connection movable vehicles circumstances furnish probable cause search particular auto particular articles often unforeseeable moreover opportunity search fleeting since car readily movable chambers maroney strikingly true automobile owner alerted police intentions consequence motivation remove evidence official grasp heightened still another distinguishing factor search automobile far less intrusive rights protected fourth amendment search one person building powell concurring one lesser expectation privacy motor vehicle function transportation seldom serves one residence repository personal effects car little capacity escaping public scrutiny travels public thoroughfares occupants contents plain view see people case person knowingly exposes public even home office subject fourth amendment protection katz dionisio say part interior automobile fourth amendment protection exercise desire mobile course waive one right free unreasonable government intrusion insofar fourth amendment protection extends motor vehicle right privacy touchstone inquiry present case nothing interior car personal effects fourth amendment traditionally deemed protect searched seized introduced evidence search limited examination tire wheel taking paint scrapings exterior vehicle left public parking lot fail comprehend expectation privacy infringed stated simply invasion privacy said exist abstract theoretical air pollution variance board western alfalfa circumstances probable cause exists warrantless examination exterior car unreasonable fourth fourteenth amendments established conceded police probable cause search lewis car automobile similar color model car seen leaving scene crime similarity corroborated comparison paint scrapings taken victim car color paint lewis automobile lewis repair work done car immediately following death victim nexus radcliffe day death provided reason believe car used commission crime lewis arrested cooper california iii concluding examination exterior vehicle upon probable cause reasonable yet determine whether prior impoundment automobile rendered examination violation fourth fourteenth amendments think police impounded car prior examination made spot constitutional barrier use evidence obtained thereby circumstances case seizure unreasonable respondent asserts case indistinguishable coolidge new hampshire agree present case differs coolidge scope search circumstances seizure since coolidge car parked defendant driveway seizure automobile required entry upon private property chambers maroney automobile seized public place access meaningfully restricted fact ground upon coolidge plurality opinion distinguished chambers see also cady dombrowski considering whether lack warrant seize vehicle invalidates otherwise legal examination car chambers highly pertinent chambers four men automobile arrested shortly armed robbery concluded probable cause arrest probable cause search vehicle car taken highway police station time later search producing incriminating evidence conducted stated constitutional purposes see difference one hand seizing holding car presenting probable cause issue magistrate hand carrying immediate search without warrant given probable cause search either course reasonable fourth amendment factor still obtained station house mobility car unless fourth amendment permits warrantless seizure car denial use anyone warrant secured event little choose terms practical consequences immediate search without warrant car immobilization warrant obtained respondent contends unlike chambers probable cause search car existed time prior arrest therefore exigent circumstances assuming probable cause previously existed know case principle suggests right search probable cause reasonableness seizing car exigent circumstances foreclosed warrant obtained first practicable moment exigent circumstances regard vehicles limited situations probable cause unforeseeable arises time arrest cf chambers exigency may arise time fact police might obtained warrant earlier negate possibility current situation necessitating prompt police action judgment appeals reversed ordered footnotes call made july man identified smith radcliffe stated books condition smith knew victim identify caller radcliffe gunshots heard day two women lived near site crime thus became clear someone impersonated radcliffe making telephone call calendar page july missing investigation disclosed writing indentation next underlying page july indicated written page july apparently car trunk also opened tire trunk observed supp evidence obtained part interior vehicle however introduced discussed following cases husty scher brinegar preston cooper california dyke taylor implement mfg cases decided since chambers might added list include coolidge new hampshire cady dombrowski see also harris note warrantless searches seizures automobiles harv rev petitioner contends lewis car keys parking lot claim check seized plain view incident arrest seizure served transfer constructive possession vehicle searched seized instrumentality crime feel district appeals correct rejecting argument irrespective instrumentality analyses concept constructive possession found justify search seizure item actual possession noted arrest made office division criminal activities examination vehicle took place time later police impoundment lot difference time place eliminates contention rule allowing contemporaneous searches justified example need seize weapons things might used assault officer effect escape well need prevent destruction evidence crime things might easily happen weapon evidence accused person immediate control justifications absent search remote time place arrest accused arrest custody search made another place without warrant simply incident arrest preston confronted issue propriety search car interior neither carroll supra cases require suggest every conceivable circumstance search auto even probable cause may made without extra protection privacy warrant affords coolidge concerned thorough extensive search entire automobile including interior vacuum sweepings incriminating evidence obtained search kind raises different additional considerations present examination tire operative wheel taking exterior paint samples vehicle present case reasonable expectation privacy district state argued lewis consented seizure car requesting police impound safekeeping district stated viewing evidence light favorable state petitioner lewis clearly unequivocally consent seizure search automobile testimony established petitioner consented taking custody car safekeeping evidence petitioner consented expressly impliedly seizure automobile purposes search make comparison paint scraping required section painted exterior recently repaired sampled conceivably necessitate several scrapings first sample conclusive laboratory analysis similarly make cast tire tread operative wheel require laboratory equipment address question found determinative justice powell opinion concurring result question raised briefed parties justice powell concurring result reverse judgment appeals reasons set forth concurring opinion schneckloth bustamonte stated therein hold federal collateral review state prisoner fourth amendment claims claims rarely bear innocence confined solely question whether petitioner habeas corpus provided fair opportunity raise adjudicated question state courts ibid case contention respondent denied full fair opportunity litigate claim state courts justice stewart justice douglas justice brennan justice marshall join dissenting fundamental rule area constitutional law searches conducted outside judicial process without prior approval judge magistrate per se unreasonable fourth amendment subject specifically established exceptions katz coolidge new hampshire see also camara municipal since warrant authorizing search seizure case since none specifically established exceptions warrant requirement existed convinced judgment appeals must affirmed casting way avoid impact previous decisions plurality opinion first suggests ante search really took place case since police scrape paint respondent car make observations tires whatever merit argument might possess abstract irrelevant circumstances disclosed record argument irrelevant simple reason police taking paint scrapings looking tires first took possession car fourth fourteenth amendments protect unreasonable searches seizures assuredly seizure plurality opinion next seems suggest basic constitutional rule overlooked case subject seizure automobile true course line decisions beginning carroll recognized automobile exception constitutional requirement warrant word automobile talisman whose presence fourth amendment fades away disappears coolidge supra rather carroll doctrine simply recognizes obvious moving automobile open road presents situation practicable secure warrant vehicle quickly moved locality jurisdiction warrant must sought carroll supra see also reasonable likelihood automobile moved carroll doctrine simply inapplicable see coolidge supra preston facts case make clear beyond peradventure automobile exception available uphold warrantless seizure respondent car well time automobile seized respondent keys car securely within police custody thus absolutely likelihood respondent either moved car meddled time necessary obtain search warrant realistic possibility anyone else position either loss therefore understand plurality opinion conclusion ante potential car removal period immediately preceding car seizure facts record support diametrically opposite conclusion finally plurality opinion suggests exigent circumstances might excused failure police procure warrant opinion nowhere mystical exigencies might counsel petitioner inventive suggest since authorities taken care procure arrest warrant even respondent arrived questioning scarcely said probable cause discovered late point time prevent obtaining warrant seizure automobile automobile effectively immobilized period respondent interrogation fear evidence might destroyed hardly exigency particularly remembered fear prompted seizure preceding months respondent though investigation full control car quite simply case exigent circumstances existed today clear either carroll cases require suggest every conceivable circumstance search auto even probable cause may made without extra protection privacy warrant affords chambers maroney follow settled constitutional law established decisions affirm judgment appeals dissent directed toward analysis justice blackmun plurality opinion like plurality consider issue raised justice powell concurrence neither briefed argued parties even solicitor general appeared amicus curiae urging reversal appeals judgment case candidly admitted brief satisfactory reason appears failure law enforcement officers obtained warrant appears facts case real likelihood respondent destroyed concealed evidence sought time required seek procure warrant brief amicus curiae hardly argued questioning respondent police first time alerted intentions thus suddenly providing motivation remove car official grasp ante even putting one side question respondent acted destroy evidence police custody fact fully aware official suspicion several months preceding interrogation questioned several occasions prior arrest alerted day interrogation police wished see nonetheless voluntarily drove car columbus keep appointment investigators plurality opinion correctly rejects ante petitioner contention seizure incident arrest respondent accused arrest custody search made another place without warrant simply incident arrest preston