A federal judge in Brooklyn has ruled that “special exigencies” may justify a search of personal baggage—in this case, a backpack—that is outside of a suspect’s reach at the time of arrest.

Specifically, Eastern District Judge Nicholas G. Garaufis held that, in the post-9/11 world, the danger a backpack might pose while in the trunk of a police car justified an officer’s search of an arrestee’s bag, even though it was no longer within the defendant’s reach.