City of Indianapolis v. Edmond
City of Indianapolis v. Edmond | |
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Argued October 3, 2000 Decided November 28, 2000 | |
Full case name | City of Indianapolis, et al. v. James Edmond, et al. |
Citations | 531 U.S. 32 (more) 121 S. Ct. 447; 148 L. Ed. 2d 333; 2000 U.S. LEXIS 8084; 69 U.S.L.W. 4009; 2000 Cal. Daily Op. Service 9549; 2000 Colo. J. C.A.R. 6401; 14 Fla. L. Weekly Fed. S 9 |
Case history | |
Prior | Edmond v. Goldsmith, 38 F. Supp. 2d 1016 (S.D. Ind. 1998), reversed, 183 F.3d 659 (7th Cir. 1999); cert. granted, 528 U.S. 1153 (2000). |
Holding | |
Police may not conduct roadblocks "whose primary purpose is to detect evidence of ordinary criminal wrongdoing." Such roadblocks must have a specific primary purpose, such as keeping roadways safe from impaired drivers, or enforcing border security. | |
Court membership | |
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Case opinions | |
Majority | O'Connor, joined by Stevens, Kennedy, Souter, Ginsburg, Breyer |
Dissent | Rehnquist, joined by Thomas; Scalia (only as to Part I) |
Dissent | Thomas |
Laws applied | |
U.S. Const. amend. IV |
City of Indianapolis v. Edmond, 531 U.S. 32 (2000), was a case in which the Supreme Court of the United States limited the power of law enforcement to conduct suspicionless searches, specifically, using drug-sniffing dogs at roadblocks.[1] Previous Supreme Court decisions had given the police power to create roadblocks for the purposes of border security,[2] and removing drunk drivers from the road.[3] This decision stated that the power was limited to situations in which the search was "designed to serve special needs, beyond the normal need for law enforcement."
The Court drew a line on check point programs that followed Police v. Sitz,[3] "whose primary purpose" is "to detect evidence of ordinary criminal wrongdoing". The Court refused to "credit the 'general interest in crime control' as justification for a regime of suspicionless stops."
The opinion was delivered by Justice O'Connor, joined by Justices Stevens, Kennedy, Souter, Ginsburg, and Breyer.
Chief Justice Rehnquist delivered a dissenting opinion, in which Justice Thomas joined, and Justice Scalia joined as to part I.
Justice Thomas also filed a separate dissent.
See also[]
- List of United States Supreme Court cases, volume 531
- List of United States Supreme Court cases
- United States v. Martinez-Fuerte (1976)
- Michigan Dept. of State Police v. Sitz (1990)
- Illinois v. Lidster (2004)
References[]
External links[]
- Text of City of Indianapolis v. Edmond, 531 U.S. 32 (2000) is available from: Justia Library of Congress Oyez (oral argument audio)
- United States Supreme Court stubs
- United States Supreme Court cases
- United States Supreme Court cases of the Rehnquist Court
- United States Fourth Amendment case law
- Government of Indianapolis
- Federal court cases involving Indiana
- 2000 in United States case law
- American Civil Liberties Union litigation
- Detection dogs