The following excerpt is from Lynch v. Christiansen, 52 F.3d 333 (9th Cir. 1995):
Probable cause and a search warrant are required to lawfully search the property of an individual. This requirement is excepted if consent to search the property is given by the owner or by a third party who possesses common authority over or some other sufficient relationship to the property. See, e.g., United States v. Matlock, 415 U.S. 164, 171 (1974).
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