Los Angeles police may not hold impounded cars for 30 days without justification, a federal appeals court decided Wednesday. In a unanimous decision, a three-judge panel of the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals revived a class-action lawsuit against the police for holding vehicles for 30 days. The court said impounding a vehicle must be justified under the 4th Amendment, which bars unreasonable searches and seizures. “A seizure is justified under the Fourth Amendment only to the extent that the government’s justification holds force,” Judge Alex Kozinski wrote for the panel. She agreed to pay the towing and impound charges and showed she had a valid license.

Source: Los Angeles Times June 21, 2017 20:03 UTC