• Consider this scenario:
  • Officers Ortega and Marrow made a traffic stop after a vehicle failed to stop for a red light at Vine Street and Hollywood Boulevard. The officers approached the vehicle. Using their flashlights, they observed two males in the front seat. Officer Ortega then noticed what appeared to be a plastic bag on the floorboard of the vehicle's passenger side. The officers then ordered the occupants out of the vehicle, and they searched and detained both individuals. Upon searching the driver, Officer Marrow found a handgun in his waistband. The officers proceeded to arrest the driver for carrying a concealed weapon. They placed the driver in the back of their police vehicle. The officers then focused on the plastic bag in the front compartment. Testing showed the plastic bag contained white powder cocaine. The officers then placed the passenger under arrest for possession of narcotics. They also impounded the vehicle.
• Address these questions:
  • Was the arrest of the driver legal? Why or why not?
  • Was it legal for the officers to search the vehicle and obtain the plastic bag? Why or why not?
  • Was the arrest of the passenger legal? Why or why not?