You respond at the baggage claim area; you pick up a suitcase that you know belongs to the suspect, and the suspect denies ownership. At that point:

• A. You may search the suitcase because you found it at the airport.
• B. You may search the suitcase since it is abandoned.
• C. You may search only with a warrant.
• D. You may search only with the owner's consent.

Answer: (B)

Abandoned property can be searched without a warrant because the owner has relinquished their expectation of privacy. In a busy public place like baggage claim, a suitcase that is left unattended and not being claimed is treated as abandoned once there’s a reasonable opportunity to locate the owner and no one claims it. Once considered abandoned, the item can be seized and its contents searched to identify it or uncover evidence. The suspect’s denial of ownership doesn’t by itself negate abandonment; abandonment focuses on the owner’s intent to give up possession. If abandonment cannot be established, then a warrant or owner consent would be required to search.