Advanced Traffic Stops

1. Questioning Occupants

2. Prolonging the Stop

a. Example: Rodriguez v. US
b. Example: Arizona v. Johnson
c. Pro Tip – Rodriguez is all about time not topic.

3. Best Practice: Permitted – Routine questions rapport/de-escalation travel plans “breadcrumbs.” Requires R.S. – Intrusive questions, unrelated crimes, hunches and accusations.
4. Checking license stats, warrants against driver, and inspecting paperwork are all related to stop.
   1. Example: U.S. v. Campbell
   2. Example: U.S. v. Holt
   3. Per U.S. v. Mason
   4. Example: State v. Smith
   5. Asking generally if illegal items are in the vehicle relates to highwaysafety.
   6. Watch the Video: Obstructed View and Unrelated Questions
   7. Example: Driver was stopped for faulty blinker.
   8. Watch the Video: Unrelated Drug Questions
5. Completed Unrelated Questions May Occur With:

a. Consent

b. Unavoidable Downtime

c. Multi-tasking

d. Backup Officer

e. Per People v. White

Module Five – Passengers

1. Identifying Passengers
2. Controlling Passengers

a. Example: Brendlin v. California

b. Example: Arizona v. Johnson

c. Example: Maryland v. Wilson

1. Legal Rule
2. Best Practice

Module Six – Consent to Search

1. Why Suspects Consent to Search

a. Can explain away evidence

b. Hope evidence won’t be found

c. Appear cooperative

d. Consent is consistent with innocence

e. May feel discovery is inevitable

2. Free and Voluntary Consent

3. Facts to Consider

a. Threats or Misinterpretations

b. Show of Force

c. Allowing Person to Watch

d. Advising He Can Deny Consent

e. Level of Intrusion

4. Common Authority

a. Legal Rule

b. Pro Tip

c. The “Piggyback Rule”

d. Examples

5. Don’t Exceed Scope

a. Legal Rule

b. Pro Tip

c. Example: US v. Gregoire

6. Your Words Matter

1. Search
2. Example: People v. Cantor
3. Example: US v. Elliott
4. Consent is automatically withdrawn when you ask to search for aparticular thing which is found.
5. A destructive search requires explicit permission.
6. Example: US v. Osage
7. Examples
8. Examples

Module Seven – Community Caretaking

1. Community caretaking encounters are not criminal investigations.

2. Example: State v. Cryan

3. Example: State v. Elders

4. Example: State v. Martinez

5. Example: Comm. V. Livingstone

6. What would you articulate?

a. Example: Comm. V. Robertson

Module Eight – Warrantless Searches

1. Six Warrantless Searches

a. Weapons

i. Pro Tip

ii. Three Justifications

iii. Example: State v. Chang

iv. Watch the Video: Driver Grabs Another Gun from Car

v. Factors to Consider

vi. Example: US v. Arnold vii. Often Up held Patdowns

viii. Watch the Video: Officer Conducts Illegal Patdown

b. Search Incident to Arrest

i. Example: Arizona v. Gant

ii. Example: People v. Sims

c. Evidence Related Search

i. You arrest a driver for a DUI, can you search car for evidence?

ii. Watch video:“Traffic Stop: Warrant”

iii. Example: U.S. v. Reedy

d. Inventory Searches

i. Pro Tip

ii. Example: U.S. v. Del Rosario

iii. Pro Tip

iv. Red Flags–Courts keep an eye out for the following:

•   No community caretaking rationale articulated.
•  Tow called after “thorough” inventory conducted.
•  Tow not typically called for same situations.
•  Area searched not typical.
• Policy not followed.

v. Example: Com. v. Landamus

vi. Example: Blakes v. Superior Court

vii. Ask the class

viii. Watch the Video: Goodbye, My Love

e. K9 Searches

i. Example: US v. Ludwig

ii. Example: US v. Cornejo iii. Example: US v. Hawley iv. Example: State v. Linze

v. Watch the video: Loitering Call vi. Example: US v. Thomas

vii. What if the dog touches the vehicle without handler direction?

viii. Watch the Video: Florida Traffic Stop With Free Air Sniff

ix. Takeaway: Instinctual touching is also problematic under Jones.

x. Example: State v. Howard xi. Example: State v. Dorff

f. PC Search

1. Step One: Probable Cause
2. The most powerful word in a police report is the word,“because.”
3. Step Two- Not Within Curtilage
4. Apparently Mobile
5. Disabled Vehicles
6. Legal Rule: you conduct the search in the same manner as if you had a warrant.
7. Example: US v. Ross
8. Watch video: Traffic Stop, PC Search
9. Watch video: Let’s Put it All Together

g. Passengers