Wimberly v. Superior Court

Wimberly v. Superior Court (1976) 16 Cal.3d 557, held that probable cause to search the interior of an automobile does not necessarily include probable cause to search the trunk. "In such a situation there must be some specific articulable facts which give reasonable cause to believe that seizable items are, in fact, concealed in the trunk. " (Ibid.) The court in Wimberly followed the decision of this court in People v. Gregg (1974) 43 Cal.App.3d 137. Both in Gregg and Wimberly the amount of marijuana seized in the passenger compartment of the automobile tended to show personal use only and thus there was no indication that there would be further contraband contained in the trunk. (Wimberly, at p. 572; Gregg, at p. 143.)