State of New Jersey, Plaintiff-Respondent v. Eileen Pierce, Defendant-Appellant

Summary

The New Jersey Supreme Court held that the New Jersey Constitution’s article I, paragraph 7 bars the automatic application of the New York v. Belton rule to searches incident to warrant‑less arrests for motor‑vehicle offenses, rendering the vehicle search of the van and the cocaine found in Pierce’s jacket unconstitutional and requiring suppression of the evidence. The Court reversed the Appellate Division’s judgment and remanded the case. A concurring opinion agreed with the result but argued that Belton should not be rejected outright, advocating a narrow application consistent with Chimel.