State v. Wisdom

¶1 We address the legality of a law enforcement officer’s search of a zipped shaving kit bag found on the seat of a truck. The officer had arrested the truck’s driver because the truck was stolen. The driver informed the officer of methamphetamine being on the seat, but did not consent to a search of his bag. Despite the triviality of the circumstances, this appeal concerns a critical issue surrounding Washington’s constitutional prohibition against law enforcement disturbing private affairs “without authority of law.” Despite the banality of the facts, this appeal raises a fundamental…