People v. Bridgewater

Chief Justice Fitzgerald and Justices Thomas, Gar-man, Karmeier, and Burke concurred in the judgment and opinion.

Justice Freeman dissented, with opinion.

OPINION

Defendant Lavar Bridgewater was charged with aggravated unlawful use of a weapon (720 ILCS 5/24— 1.6(a)(1), (a)(3)(B) (West 2004)). He filed a motion to suppress evidence seized in a search of his vehicle. The circuit court of Will County granted defendant’s motion, but the appellate court reversed, holding the search was justified as a search incident to arrest. 375 Ill. App. 3d 414.

We allowed defendant’s petition for leave to appeal.…