United States v. Jennifer Richmond

GREGG COSTA, Circuit Judge:

*354 During a traffic stop, a state trooper pushed his fingers against the vehicle's tire to try and confirm his suspicion that it contained more than just air. We conclude that the brief physical examination of the tire was subject to the Fourth Amendment under the recently revived trespass test for deciding what is a search. The search was a reasonable one, however, because there was probable cause to believe the loose tire posed a safety risk.

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Texas State Trooper Manuel Gonzales was patrolling U.S. Highway 77 in south Texas when he saw a blue pickup Jennifer…