Does having access to the inside of your vehicle constitute a "search"?

[plifter]

Let's say a police officer makes a stop to check for illegal window tinting. He uses a light meter that hooks over top of the window. In order for this to work part of the light meter must be on the inside of the vehicle. Can this be considered a vehicle search since the officer's equipment is inside the vehicle and is being used to collect evidence? If so, this would require a warrant.

 

[Mikedani]

My 2 cents:

A search is a quest for something that is hidden.

An officer using a meter on your window is not searching for anything, he is mearly testing the window and investigating the vehicle code violation that was the reason for the stop.

 

[justathought]

Is this a hypothetical or is your next question going to be "dude, I got pulled over for window tinting and next thing you know..."?

Are your windows *so* tinted you can't see through them? If they are, get the heck off my roads and if they aren't you're going to be subject to "plain view doctrine". If they have a valid reason for pulling you over (in this case the possibility of illegal tint) and just-so-happen to notice the uzi on your back seat, you're kind of screwed. Cars aren't as private as you might wish...

Just my $.02... Now you have $.04

 

[plifter]

This is hypothetical. I did get pulled over once for window tinting but the judge determined that my windows were legal.
The issue is that the officer cannot determine if a law is being broken without accessing the inside of my vehicle.

 

[Lieutenant]

This is the same person who said, on an old post about tinted windows, the reason the windows are tinted is because he/she likes to play with himself/herself while driving. Don't even bother going any further with this person.

 

[I AM ALWAYS LIABLE]

This is the same person who said, on an old post about tinted windows, the reason the windows are tinted is because he/she likes to play with himself/herself while driving. Don't even bother going any further with this person.

My response:

Hey, Lieutenant - - is this the way you would write your "incident reports" - - with inaccurate statements or quotes? Is this how you would testify in court?

He said, and I quote, "Sometimes I like to jack off while I'm driving and the tinting gives me a bit of privacy."

Just thought I'd tug a little at your "Sam Brown". Good to see you back again.

IAAL

 

[plifter]

Do you pigs have to flame me in all of my posts? If you don't have anything to contribute why don't you get your lazy ass off of the computer and brutalize a suspect or waste some tax dollars in some D.A.R.E. program.

 

[CMSC]

Don't mind me just making a sick comment

Didn't your dad ever tell you that too much jerking off can cause you to go blind? So not only do we have a driver with overly tinted windows but he is probably blind too! You really should have your license revoked! Sorry my red headed temper gets the best of me at times!

One more comment, if you are so embarrassed to be jerking off that you while you are driving have to tint your windows then why do it at all? Ever heard of pulliing off to the side of the road??

One more thing, if you truly feel that the office putting a device on your windshield inside your car constitutes "searching" then maybe you should lay off the crack and go to a D.A.R.E. program yourself!