In the 1990 case of California v. Charles Steven Acevedo, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in favor of law enforcement's right to search a container within an automobile without a warrant if they have probable cause to believe it contains contraband or evidence. The decision was based on previous rulings that allowed for searches of vehicles under certain circumstances due to their mobile nature and lower expectation of privacy compared with homes. In this specific case, Charles Steven Acevedo had been observed by police leaving a known drug house carrying a brown paper bag which he then placed in his car trunk before driving away. When stopped and searched by officers who suspected the bag contained drugs, marijuana was indeed found inside it. Despite arguments from Acevedo’s defense team that this constituted an unlawful search as there was no warrant specifically for the paper bag, the court upheld its seizure arguing that since they could legally search entire vehicle without warrant given probable cause, individual containers within should not be exempt.

In the dissenting opinion for California v. Charles Steven Acevedo, Justice Blackmun argued that the majority's decision to uphold a warrantless search of an automobile based on probable cause was inconsistent with previous rulings and eroded Fourth Amendment protections against unreasonable searches and seizures. He contended that by allowing police officers to conduct such searches without obtaining a warrant first, it would lead to potential abuses of power. Furthermore, he criticized the Court's reasoning as being overly simplistic in its interpretation of complex legal principles related to privacy rights and law enforcement needs. He also expressed concern about how this ruling could disproportionately affect individuals who cannot afford more private means of transportation or storage than their vehicles.