Press Play with Madeleine Brand
Supreme Court Divided in Police Seizure Decision
The Supreme Court ruled Monday that police can seize evidence during unconstitutional traffic stops in some cases. If suspects have outstanding arrest warrants, the court says, cops can search their cars, even if they stopped them for no reason. The 5-3 decision revealed a sharp divide between the conservative and liberal justices.
By Madeleine Brand • • 1 min readThe Supreme Court ruled Monday that police can seize evidence during unconstitutional traffic stops in some cases. If suspects have outstanding arrest warrants, the court says, cops can search their cars, even if they stopped them for no reason. The 5-3 decision revealed a sharp divide between the conservative and liberal justices. Justice Sonia Sotomayor wrote a blistering dissent saying her colleagues in the majority weakened the Fourth Amendment’s protection against unreasonable searches, which would cause more discrimination against minorities.
How might the decision affect everyday citizens?
