Final answer:
The car search was likely justified under the Fourth Amendment based on probable cause provided by an informant's tip. It adhered to the legal standards for warrantless searches when probable cause is established, making the seizure of the marijuana constitutional.
Step-by-step explanation:
The search of the vehicle in question was conducted based on probable cause. This legal standard for determining whether a search or seizure is constitutional requires a lower threshold of evidence than what is needed for a conviction. In this scenario, the tip from a reliable informant suggesting the subject would be transporting marijuana provided the necessary probable cause for law enforcement to conduct the search without a warrant. Given that the car was identified as described by the informant and subsequently found to contain marijuana supports the notion that the search was justified under the Fourth Amendment, which protects against unreasonable searches and seizures.
Under the Fourth Amendment, it is stated that, "The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause." Therefore, if an officer has probable cause to believe that a crime has been committed or that evidence will be found, a search may be constitutional even without a warrant.
It is also important to note that there are exceptions to the warrant requirement, including situations where exigent circumstances exist or if the evidence is in plain view. In this case, the evidence was in the trunk of the car, which is typically accessible to search during a traffic stop upon establishment of probable cause.