Whren v. United States
From wikilawschool.net. Wiki Law School does not provide legal advice. For educational purposes only.
| Whren v. United States | |
| Court | Supreme Court of the United States |
|---|---|
| Citation | |
| Date decided | June 10, 1996 |
| Appealed from | US Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit |
Facts
In June 1993, two police officers were patrolling an area in Washington DC known for high drug trafficking.
Two black men in their Nissan Pathfinder car turned right at an intersection without using a turn signal and drove away from the police at an unreasonable speed.
The officers stopped the car for not using a turn signal and speeding. When the officers approached the car, they found bags of crack cocaine in plain view inside the car.Issues
Would a reasonable officer pull over a defendant for not using a turn signal?
Arguments
The defendants argued that the stop and search of the vehicle were unconstitutional under the 4th Amendment to the US Constitution. They stated that if the police hadn't followed them, they wouldn't have sped away.
The defendants argued that the police wouldn't have stopped them but for the fact they were black men.Holding
Pretext doesn't matter when police officers search for drugs after a minor traffic violation.
Rule
Police officers may use a traffic stop to search for illegal drugs.
