State v. Cooke

The opinion of the Court was delivered by

VERNIERO, J.

This appeal involves the question whether the “automobile exception” to the warrant requirement of the New Jersey Constitution requires a finding of exigent circumstances. That question has become significant because the United States Supreme Court has held that exigent circumstances are not required under the Fourth Amendment to the United States Constitution, concluding that probable cause that a vehicle contains contraband is itself sufficient justification to conduct the search without a warrant. Pennsylvania v. Labran, 518 U.S. 938,…