Roberts Favors Police in Appeal of Vehicle Search
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WASHINGTON — U.S. Supreme Court nominee John G. Roberts Jr. gave a new indication of his views on police powers Friday, saying that officers were justified when they searched the trunk of a car they suspected was stolen.
In a dissenting opinion that showed deference to police officers’ needs, Roberts voted to uphold the conviction of Terry M. Jackson for an illegal gun and ammunition found in the trunk of the car he was driving. Police had first determined that the car was unregistered and had stolen license tags, and Jackson’s license was suspended.
Roberts dissented from a 2-1 ruling by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit that the search violated the 4th Amendment.
The ruling marks at least the fifth time since he joined the appeals court in 2003 that Roberts has rejected arguments that government officials violated the 4th Amendment, which bars unreasonable searches and seizures.
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