People v. McKinnon

Opinion

MOSK, J.

In this typical air freight search case we are called upon to reconsider People v. McGrew (1969) 1 Cal.3d 404 [82 Cal.Rptr. 473, 462 P.2d 1], and Abt v. Superior Court (1969) 1 Ca,1.3d 418 [82 Cal.Rptr. 481, 462 P.2d 10], in the light of supervening developments in the law. As will appear, we conclude that the rule of those decisions is no longer to be followed, and that a chattel consigned to a common carrier for ship*903ment may lawfully be searched upon probable cause to believe it contains contraband.

Defendants Lloyd George McKinnon and John Scott Turk were charged with…