In the case of New York v. Class, 1985, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in favor of law enforcement officers who had searched a vehicle without obtaining a warrant after pulling over its driver for speeding and discovering he did not have his license on him. The defendant argued that this search violated his Fourth Amendment rights against unreasonable searches and seizures because it was conducted without probable cause or a warrant. However, the court held that when an officer has lawful access to an area (in this case, inside the car), they are allowed to conduct visual inspections within their plain view - including looking at any items left out in open sight such as weapons or contraband drugs - even if those items were not initially visible from outside of the vehicle's windows or doors before opening them during their investigation into another offense like traffic violations.

In the dissenting opinion for New York v. Class, Justice O'Connor argued that the majority's decision to allow police officers to search a vehicle without a warrant after stopping it for a traffic violation was an overreach of power. She contended that this ruling violated Fourth Amendment rights against unreasonable searches and seizures. The justice believed there should be limitations on such searches, specifically when they are not directly related to ensuring officer safety or preserving evidence related to the reason for the stop. In her view, allowing broad searches in these circumstances could lead to potential abuses of power by law enforcement officials who might use minor traffic violations as pretexts for conducting more invasive investigations without probable cause or warrants.