On May 28, 2025, the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals decided the United States v. Agena[i], which serves as an excellent review of the law related to prolonged traffic stops and the searching of a passenger’s bag.  The relevant facts of Agena, taken directly from the case, are as follows: This case began with a traffic stop near Waverly, Nebraska, in June 2022. At around 2:00 a.m., Deputy Jason Schnieder and Deputy Taylor Castaneda of the Lancaster County Sheriff's Office stopped a vehicle for a traffic violation because the driver's side taillight was not illuminated. See Neb. Rev. Stat. § 60-6,219(3), [...]

On May 28, 2025, the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals decided Daniels v. Blakley[i], which serves as an excellent review of the law related to false arrest and excessive force under the Fourth Amendment.  The relevant facts of Daniels, taken directly from the case, are as follows: On April 25, 2021, Brunswick police officers responded to a reported physical attack at Gracemore Nursing Home. The call described three suspects: two Black females and one Black male with dreadlocks. At the scene, a Gracemore employee informed the officers that the assailants had fled across the street and identified one of the girls [...]

On May 9, 2025, the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals decided Moderson v. City of Neenah[i], in which the court examined whether the Fourth Amendment was violated when officers handcuffed and detained a man that escaped a hostage situation.  The relevant facts of Moderson, taken directly from the case, are as follows: At 8:56 a.m. on December 5, 2015, the City of Neenah Police Department alerted officers to a hostage situation at Eagle Nation Cycles. Initial reports indicated a long-haired, bearded man, dressed in a flannel shirt and armed with a MAC-10 submachine gun had taken two or three hostages. [...]

On April 30, 2025, the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals decided United States v. Dubon[i], which serves as an excellent review of the law related to consent to search a residence.  The relevant facts of Dubon, taken directly from the case, are as follows: In July 2022, three officers knocked on the door of a house in Richmond, Virginia. The officers were looking for a man named Rolman Balcarcel, who a tipster said had "an AR-15 and other big weapons" and may have been planning to shoot up "schools, events, etc." JA 236-37. Alvarado Dubon answered the door and allowed the [...]

On May 8, 2025, the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals decided the United States v. August[i], which serves as an excellent review of the law related to protective sweeps.  The relevant facts of August, taken directly from the case, are as follows: On May 14, 2022, the Lake Charles Police Department received a call about gunshots on the 700 block of N. Lyons Street, a residential street in Lake Charles, Louisiana. Officers Baccigalopi, Bernat, and Rainwater responded. Baccigalopi arrived on scene and spoke with the caller, who pointed him to the blue home where August resided. Baccigalopi, Bernat, and Rainwater [...]

On March 19, 2025, the Court of Appeals of Georgia decided the State v. Dean[i], in which the court of appeals examined whether the trial court erred in granting a motion to suppress based on unreasonable delay of a traffic stop.  The relevant facts of Dean, taken directly from the case, are as follows: So viewed, the record shows that on January 18, 2021, Sergeant Adam Pendelton of the Peachtree City Police Department observed Dean driving without a seatbelt or license plate; and so he initiated a traffic stop of the truck for those reasons. When Pendelton approached the passenger-side [...]