Fourth Amendment

In United States v. Taylor, the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit considered crucial questions about the limits of police authority during traffic stops, particularly the use of prolonged detention and K-9 units in situations where reasonable suspicion is in question.1 This case centers on a traffic stop conducted by law enforcement that led to the discovery of a firearm—but not without

The United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit heard a case arising from a law enforcement investigation into the defendant’s involvement in a drug-dealing scheme and his unauthorized possession of firearms. Ostrum first captured the attention of law enforcement during a previous investigation into another suspect. As a result of that initial investigation, officers intercepted text messages indicating repeated methamphetamine and marijuana

In an interesting case, the Sixth Circuit recently tested the limits of the particularity requirement for search warrants under the Fourth Amendment, focusing on how courts assess errors within warrants to determine the impact that such errors may have on the validity of the warrant. United States v. Kirtdoll is a case out of the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit,

The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals recently rendered a decision in the case of United States v. Ramirez, exploring the limits of the Fourth Amendment’s protections against unreasonable searches and seizures. In this case, the focus narrows in on a traffic stop scenario where an officer approached the vehicle and initiated the encounter by asking the driver, “What’s up, my man? You on probation

The recent case from the Tenth Circuit, United States v. Dawson, probes the boundaries of the Fourth Amendment’s safeguard against unreasonable searches and seizures in the context of traffic stops, specifically when the driver is operating under a rental car agreement. This case arose on the morning of October 12, 2020, when Trooper Harley Kalb was performing routine patrol duties on Highway 50 in

The United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit recently heard United States v. Amos, a case delves into the Fourth Amendment, specifically focusing on the threshold of reasonable suspicion required for a lawful seizure.1   On a September night in 2018, Officers Hugo Lemos and Nicholas Mastroianni, patrolling in southwest Philadelphia, received a distress call near Eddie’s Café. Upon arrival, they found the