Rodriguez v. United States

The court held that “a police stop exceeding the time needed to handle the matter for which the stop was made” constitutes an unreasonable seizure under the Fourth Amendment. When conducting a traffic stop, officers may check the driver’s license, determine whether there are outstanding warrants against the driver and inspect the automobile’s registration and proof of insurance. The court noted that all of these tasks are related to the objective of the stop, which is enforcement of the traffic code and ensuring that vehicles on the road are operated safely and responsibly. On the other hand, a dog sniff aimed at detecting evidence of a crime is not a routine measure ordinarily incident to a traffic stop. Consequently, the court noted the critical question is not whether the dog sniff occurs before or after the officer issues the ticket, but whether conducting the dog sniff extends the duration of the stop. If the dog sniff extends the duration of the stop, it is a violation of the Fourth Amendment unless the officer has reasonable suspicion of criminal activity.