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Chapter 8 of your textbook outlines what police can legally do on traffic stops

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Chapter 8 of your textbook outlines what police can legally do on traffic stops. It also reviews proper methods to conduct vehicle searches. For example, police officers can:

• Order the driver and passengers out of a vehicle.
• Ask the driver and occupants for proper identification.
• Examine the vehicle's VIN number to verify it matches the plates.   

Please respond to the following in a substantive post:

• 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?  

Be sure to provide full citations and references, formatted according to Strayer Writing Standards.   

• For assistance and information, please refer to the Strayer Writing Standards link in the left-hand menu of your course. 

Please respond substantively to at least one other post. Choose to respond to those who have few or no responses.

Consider questions such as these in response to your classmate's post: 

• What are the similarities and differences between your responses?
• What points did your classmate make that you found particularly persuasive? 
• What is one aspect of the scenario that you would recommend your classmate take into consideration?