Which of the following situations may justify a Search Incident to Arrest?

The notion of a "Search Incident to Arrest" is a critical aspect of law enforcement procedures, based on the Fourth Amendment's protections against unreasonable searches and seizures. This legal principle allows officers to conduct a warrantless search of an individual and the immediate area surrounding them at the time of arrest. The primary justification for this type of search is to ensure officer safety and to preserve evidence.

When an arrest is made, officers are permitted to search the arrestee to discover weapons that could pose a danger and to find evidence that could be destroyed. This search occurs at the time of the arrest, and it is confined to the area within the arrestee’s immediate control. The legality stems from the rationale that once a suspect is arrested, they no longer have a right to privacy regarding what they could potentially access or destroy.

The other scenarios provided do not fit the criteria for a Search Incident to Arrest. For instance, a search conducted after obtaining a search warrant is based on a different legal basis that requires prior judicial approval. Similarly, a search of a suspect's belongings during a routine traffic stop may apply different legal standards that do not strictly involve an arrest situation, and such searches may rely on probable cause or consent rather than the exigencies of an arrest