People v. Richards

The defendant, Charles W. Richards, was indicted for burglary and, before trial, moved to suppress certain evidence allegedly obtained in an illegal search. The circuit court of Peoria County granted defendant’s motion. The appellate court affirmed (103 Ill. App. 3d 1120), and we allowed the State leave to appeal.

This appeal raises but one question. Does an arrestee retain a reasonable and justifiable expectation of privacy in his personal effects once the police have legitimately viewed, inventoried and placed them in a police inventory envelope?

The testimony at the suppression hearing…