Background
During an immigration status check of a passenger on a bus in Texas, a United States Border Patrol Agent squeezed the soft luggage of Steven D Bond. The Agent thought the bag held a "brick-like" object. After Bond admitted that it was his bag and then consented to a search of the bag, the Border Patrol Agent found a "brick" of methamphetamine. Bond was arrested and indicted on Federal drug charges. Bond moved to suppress the "brick" of methamphetamine, because the agent had conducted an illegal search of the bag when squeezing it. He claimed that this was a violation of the Federal Constitution's Fourth Amendment prohibition on unreasonable searches and seizures. The district court denied the motion, and found Bond guilty. The Court of Appeals held that the agent's manipulation of the bag was not a search under the Fourth Amendment.
The issue before the Court was primarily: was the United States Border Patrol Agent's manipulation of the carry-on luggage a violation of the Fourth Amendment?
Read more about this topic: Bond V. United States (2000)
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