S.D.W.Va.: Discusses the “hierarchy among tenants” for apparent authority

Police came to defendant’s house on a child welfare call and asked to come in, and they were permitted. The court discusses the “hierarchy among tenants” for apparent consent. United States v. MacArthur, 2012 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 52269 (S.D. W.Va. April 13, 2012):

Co-tenant consent may also be limited where a hierarchy among tenants in authority over the premises makes the consent of one insufficient to validate a search of the entire premises. For example, although a short-term guest has a reasonable expectation of privacy in his temporary quarters, Minnesota v. Olson, 495 U.S. 91, 99, 110 S. Ct. 1684, 109 L. Ed. 2d 85 (1990), his control over all portions of the home where he stays may not be as extensive as that of the owner, or a more permanent co-tenant. See Olson, 495 U.S. at 99 (“From the overnight guest’s perspective, he seeks shelter in another’s home precisely because it provides him with privacy, a place where he and his possessions will not be disturbed by anyone but his host and those his host allows inside.“) (emphasis added); see also State v. Grant, 614 N.W. 2d 848, 853 (Iowa App. 2000) (“an overnight guest’s legitimate expectation of privacy does not vitiate the homeowner’s ability to consent to a search of his home.”) (collecting cases).