Скачать или смотреть Police K-9 Searched Your Car? Know Your Rights in Florida (Rodriguez v United States)

In Rodriguez v. United States, the case began with a routine traffic stop in Nebraska. A police officer pulled over Dennys Rodriguez for briefly veering onto the shoulder of the highway. The officer checked his license, registration, and insurance, and then issued a written warning. At that point, the purpose of the stop was over.

But instead of letting Rodriguez go, the officer asked if he could walk a drug-sniffing dog around the car. Rodriguez said no. The officer then made him wait on the side of the road for several minutes until another officer arrived with a K-9. The dog walked around the car and alerted to the presence of drugs. A search followed, and officers found methamphetamine.

Rodriguez challenged the search, arguing that once the ticket was issued, the officer had no right to detain him further. The government argued that the brief delay—less than 10 minutes—was minimal and reasonable under the Fourth Amendment.

The U.S. Supreme Court disagreed with the government. It held that even a short delay after the purpose of the stop is finished violates the Fourth Amendment unless there is reasonable suspicion of some other criminal activity. The Court emphasized that the mission of a traffic stop is limited: things like checking your license, registration, insurance, and issuing a citation. Once that’s done, the officer can’t keep you there just to wait for a dog.

The ruling made it clear that police can’t turn routine traffic stops into open-ended criminal investigations unless they have a lawful reason. In this case, the search was unconstitutional, and the evidence was suppressed.

This decision has had a major impact on traffic stop cases across the country, including Florida, where courts apply the same standard. If a stop is prolonged just to get a dog on scene, and there’s no new reasonable suspicion, it’s a violation of your rights.