Abstract
In Patel v. City of Los Angeles, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit struck down Los Angeles Municipal Code section 41.49, which authorized warrantless, on-site search and seizure of hotel and motel guest registries. In doing so, the majority recognized that in the absence of a warrant, an administrative record inspection scheme must provide the opportunity for pre-compliance judicial review of the search’s reasonableness. By recognizing section 41.49’s lack of pre-compliance review, the majority took a step to curb police officers’ arbitrary, unmonitored application of the statute. In turn, this will provide a disincentive for targeting guests without probable cause, as officers no longer have direct, uncontested access to hotel registries. In granting certiorari and hearing the case, the Supreme Court should recognize the extent to which this revision serves to prevent arbitrary police searches.
Files
Metadata
- Subject
Fourth Amendment
Law Enforcement and Corrections
State and Local Government Law
- Journal title
Boston College Journal of Law & Social Justice
- Volume
35
- Issue
3
- Pagination
E. Supp. 1
- Date submitted
6 September 2022