People v. Inman

QUINN, Chief Justice.

In this interlocutory appeal the People challenge an order suppressing a small packet of cocaine seized from a purse belonging to the defendant, Patricia J. Inman, during an inventory search performed at a county jail in the course of booking the defendant for drunk driving. We conclude that the district court applied an incorrect legal standard with respect to the scope of a permissible inventory search upon arrest, and we accordingly reverse the order of suppression.

I

The defendant was charged with the crimes of unlawful possession of cocaine, 1 unlawful possession of…