Whren v. United States
Encyclopedia
Whren v. United States, 517 U.S. 806
(1996), was a United States Supreme Court
decision which "declared that any traffic
offense committed by a driver
was a legitimate legal basis for a stop."
The case's Supreme Court syllabus
states that the court held that "the temporary detention of a motorist upon probable cause
to believe that he has violated the traffic laws does not violate the Fourth Amendment's
prohibition against unreasonable seizures
, even if a reasonable
officer would not have stopped the motorist absent some additional law enforcement
objective."
Case citation
Case citation is the system used in many countries to identify the decisions in past court cases, either in special series of books called reporters or law reports, or in a 'neutral' form which will identify a decision wherever it was reported...
(1996), was a United States Supreme Court
Supreme Court of the United States
The Supreme Court of the United States is the highest court in the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all state and federal courts, and original jurisdiction over a small range of cases...
decision which "declared that any traffic
Traffic
Traffic on roads may consist of pedestrians, ridden or herded animals, vehicles, streetcars and other conveyances, either singly or together, while using the public way for purposes of travel...
offense committed by a driver
Driving
Driving is the controlled operation and movement of a land vehicle, such as a car, truck or bus.Although direct operation of a bicycle and a mounted animal are commonly referred to as riding, such operators are legally considered drivers and are required to obey the rules of the road...
was a legitimate legal basis for a stop."
The case's Supreme Court syllabus
Syllabus
A syllabus , is an outline and summary of topics to be covered in an education or training course. It is descriptive...
states that the court held that "the temporary detention of a motorist upon probable cause
Probable cause
In United States criminal law, probable cause is the standard by which an officer or agent of the law has the grounds to make an arrest, to conduct a personal or property search, or to obtain a warrant for arrest, etc. when criminal charges are being considered. It is also used to refer to the...
to believe that he has violated the traffic laws does not violate the Fourth Amendment's
Fourth Amendment to the United States Constitution
The Fourth Amendment to the United States Constitution is the part of the Bill of Rights which guards against unreasonable searches and seizures, along with requiring any warrant to be judicially sanctioned and supported by probable cause...
prohibition against unreasonable seizures
Search and seizure
Search and seizure is a legal procedure used in many civil law and common law legal systems whereby police or other authorities and their agents, who suspect that a crime has been committed, do a search of a person's property and confiscate any relevant evidence to the crime.Some countries have...
, even if a reasonable
Reasonable person
The reasonable person is a legal fiction of the common law that represents an objective standard against which any individual's conduct can be measured...
officer would not have stopped the motorist absent some additional law enforcement
Law enforcement
Law enforcement broadly refers to any system by which some members of society act in an organized manner to promote adherence to the law by discovering and punishing persons who violate the rules and norms governing that society...
objective."
See also
- Reasonable suspicionReasonable suspicionReasonable suspicion is a legal standard of proof in United States law that is less than probable cause, the legal standard for arrests and warrants, but more than an "inchoate and unparticularized suspicion or 'hunch' ";...
- Probable causeProbable causeIn United States criminal law, probable cause is the standard by which an officer or agent of the law has the grounds to make an arrest, to conduct a personal or property search, or to obtain a warrant for arrest, etc. when criminal charges are being considered. It is also used to refer to the...
- List of United States Supreme Court cases, volume 517
- List of United States Supreme Court cases by the Rehnquist Court
External links
- Summary from Oyez project
- Decision from Justia US Supreme Court Center
- Summary of the case from jrank
- Discussion of the case in the Supreme Court collection of Cornell University Law School
- http://supreme.justia.com/us/517/806/case.html