| Cady v. Dombrowski | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Argued March 2, 1973 Decided June 21, 1973 | |
| Full case name | Elmer O. Cady, Warden v. Chester J. Dombrowski |
| Citations | 413 U.S. 433 (more) |
| Case history | |
| Prior | Certiorari to the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit |
| Holding | |
| A warrantless inventory search of a vehicle under police custody for being a hazard on the highway, and whose owner was heavily intoxicated to the point of comatose unconsciousness, was reasonable and not prohibited by the Fourth Amendment. The search for weapons inside the car also served a purpose to preserve public safety. Subsequent seizure of items inside a vehicle described in a search warrant upheld as valid. | |
| Court membership | |
| |
| Case opinions | |
| Majority | Rehnquist, joined by Blackmun, Powell, White, Burger |
| Dissent | Brennan, joined by Douglas,Stewart, Marshall |
| Laws applied | |
| U.S. Const. amend. IV | |
Cady v. Dombrowski, 413 U.S. 433 (1973), was a United States Supreme Court case that introduced the community caretaking doctrine. Under the Fourth Amendment, "unreasonable" searches and seizures are forbidden. In addition to their law-enforcement duties, the police must engage in what the court has termed a community caretaking role, including the removal of obstructions from roadways to ensure the free flow of traffic. If either the vehicle is incapable of being driven or the owner is unavailable to claim it, they may inventory those vehicles they have seized without "unreasonably" searching those cars as long as proper procedures are followed.