California, United States of America
The following excerpt is from People v. Thomas, G049862 (Cal. App. 2015):
In comparison, the threshold issue here is whether the police acted reasonably in seizing appellant's computer from his office. A seizure is "far less intrusive than a search." (United States v. Payton (9th Cir. 2009) 573 F.3d 859, 863.) Whereas a search implicates a person's right to keep the contents of his or her belongings private, a seizure only affects their right to possess the particular item in question. (Segura v. United States (1984) 468 U.S. 796, 806.) Consequently, the police generally have greater leeway in terms of conducting a warrantless seizure than they do in carrying out a warrantless search. As a matter of fact, the United States Supreme Court has "frequently approved warrantless seizures of property . . . for the time necessary to secure a warrant, where a warrantless search was either held to be or likely would have been impermissible." (Ibid.)
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