Which Supreme Court case is significant for the legal doctrine of search incident to arrest?

The significance of United States v. Robinson in the context of the legal doctrine of search incident to arrest lies in its establishment of clear parameters regarding the rights of law enforcement to search an individual at the moment of arrest. In this landmark case, the Supreme Court ruled that police officers can conduct a full search of an individual’s person without a warrant when they make a lawful arrest, even if the officer does not suspect that the individual is armed or dangerous.

The decision reinforced the idea that a search incident to arrest is justified by the need to safeguard officer safety and to preserve evidence. The ruling created a broad precedent that solidified the understanding that the scope of such searches is not limited to weapons but can extend to any items found in the individual's pockets or on their person at the time of arrest. As a result, this case is pivotal in law enforcement protocols regarding searches during the arrest process.

Other cases mentioned might touch on aspects of criminal procedure, but none directly establish the framework and justification for the search incident to arrest doctrine as robustly as United States v. Robinson.