United States v. Willie Robinson, Jr.

J. SKELLY WRIGHT, Circuit Judge:

This appeal from a jury conviction of federal narcotics offenses1 raises questions under the Fourth Amendment, as difficult as they are important, concerning the permissible scope of a search of the person incident to a lawful arrest for violation of a District of Columbia motor vehicle regulation. The ease was heard initially by a division of this court which reversed the conviction, one judge dissenting, on the ground that the search of appellant’s person violated the commands of the Fourth Amendment. Upon rehearing en banc, however, the court vacated the…