Maryland v. Pringle
Pringle was a front-seat passenger in a car that was stopped and searched by police. After police found $763 in cash in the glove compartment and baggies of cocaine hidden in the armrest in the back seat, Pringle was arrested. Pringle confessed at the police station and was later convicted of possession with intent to distribute cocaine. He challenged his conviction on the grounds that there was no probable cause to arrest him, and therefore his confession should have been suppressed as the fruit of an illegal arrest. The trial and appeals courts in Maryland found that probable cause existed and upheld the conviction. The highest state court reversed, holding that the police officer did not have reasonable grounds to believe that Pringle, who was a front-seat passenger in the car and not its owner, knew about the existence of the drugs in the back seat armrest or had dominion or control over them at the time of his arrest.
Question Presented:
Where drugs and a roll of cash are found in the passenger compartment of a car with multiple occupants, and all deny ownership, does the Fourth Amendment prohibit a police officer from arresting
the occupants of the car?
