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231 articles

Do We Need a Warrant to Use Grabify?
Investigative Detentions

Do We Need a Warrant to Use Grabify?

Generally, ruses do not require warrants. Clicking is voluntary, and most courts treat IP addresses the way the Supreme Court treated dialed numbers under the pen register cases.

October 10, 2025 Blue to Gold
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Stop and Frisk on Traffic Stop
Investigative Detentions

Stop and Frisk on Traffic Stop

One weapon gives probable cause there are more. Michigan v. Long covers the grab area and the containers in it, but peel the onion. And on a consensual encounter, armed alone is not enough.

September 9, 2025 Blue to Gold
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Patdowns During a Civil Standby
Consensual Encounters

Patdowns During a Civil Standby

It is not your detention, which makes it feel unorthodox. But lawfully present plus investigating something, with specific reasons you are in danger, is enough. And there may be an imminent battery in front of you.

September 9, 2025 Blue to Gold
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Case Law on Standing
Investigative Detentions

Case Law on Standing

Abandoned property gets no Fourth Amendment protection, so there is no standing to contest the search. But asking only is it yours leaves the door open. Ask the second question.

September 9, 2025 Blue to Gold
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Panels and Precedents: A Mini-Course on the Federal Circuit Courts
4th Amendment Basics

Panels and Precedents: A Mini-Course on the Federal Circuit Courts

What happened in United States v. Perez? A recent question I received from an officer highlighted the importance of understanding how lower appellate courts apply precedent in resolving cases and what it takes to overrule or abrogate precedent. The focus here is on the federal circuit courts of appeals. The exact question asked by the

July 31, 2025 Blue to Gold
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The Importance of Psychological Preparedness and the Danger of Deficit of Initiative
Law Enforcement Liability

The Importance of Psychological Preparedness and the Danger of Deficit of Initiative

Hey guys, I wanted to take a minute to share a video with you from an incident that is analyzed in our new Law Enforcement Liability course (https://portal.bluetogold.com/course-description/law- enforcement-liability/). What happened on the Chicago traffic stop? A subject was stopped by a Chicago Police Department tactical traffic enforcement unit for a seatbelt violation. The subject

July 26, 2025 Blue to Gold
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