Practical case law analysis, officer-safety guidance, and legal updates written for today's law enforcement professionals.
231 articles
We have received several questions about the recent U.S. Supreme Court decision Barnes v. Felix, so I wanted to take a moment to share some information and hopefully generate dialogue within your agency. What was the question in Barnes v. Felix? In Barnes v. Felix, Docket 23-1239, the question before the United States Supreme Court
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This question came in from an officer in Tennessee. EMS was forcing a subject to go to the hospital against their will and asked police to help escort the subject to the ambulance, which may require force because they were refusing to go. The officer added that the subject was not doing anything criminally wrong
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Today, we have another question about search and seizure, this time from an officer in the state of Virginia. The officer asks: If a positive canine alert for drugs occurs on a vehicle, does that give you the right to search the driver and passengers for drugs? The short answer is: Generally, it gives you
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Understanding Probable Cause in Law Enforcement: Insights for New Officers As a new officer in law enforcement, one of the questions that can often arise during traffic stops is how to determine when you have enough probable cause to search a vehicle. It s not always immediately clear, and the decision-making process can seem ambiguous at
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In a recent discussion about law enforcement and constitutional rights, a fascinating case from Montana brought up some thought-provoking questions about the extent of a police officer s authority during traffic stops, particularly when a suspect enters their driveway or private property. The key issue revolves around the concept of “curtilage,” or the area immediately surrounding
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One open beer in the console and a driver who will not hand it over. Can you enter the car and look for more? A hard yes, and why one-and-done is not the rule.
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Does asking for consent to search extend the stop and violate Rodriguez? No. Here is what courts actually measure, and the two states where the rule is different.
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Recorded for the Roadside Chat just outside Cleveland, Ohio. Today s question: can you run the serial number of a firearm that you are holding during a traffic stop? Can you run a gun s serial number during a traffic stop? The answer is most likely, but there are some caveats I want to go over. So
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Recorded in North Las Vegas while teaching a search and seizure class. The question is one that keeps coming up around the country: does Rodriguez v. United States mean you can never extend a traffic stop? Hey guys, it s Anthony Bandiero here, attorney and senior legal instructor, bringing the roadside chat. This broadcast is coming
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