On April 22, 2014 the Supreme Court issued its decision in Navarette v. California. The question in this case was whether the Fourth Amendment requires an officer who receives an anonymous tip regarding a drunk or reckless driver to corroborate dangerous driving before stopping the vehicle.
In a 5-4 decision delivered by Justice Thomas, the Court held that the traffic stop in this case complied with the Fourth Amendment because, under the totality of the circumstances, the officer had reasonable suspicion that the truck’s driver was intoxicated. Chief Justice Roberts as well as Justices Kennedy, Breyer, and Alito joined the opinion of the Court. Justice Scalia filed a dissenting opinion, which Justices Ginsburg, Sotomayor, and Kagan joined. The judgment of the Court of Appeal of the State of California, First Appellate District, was affirmed.
To discuss the case, we have Erin Sheley, who is a Visiting Associate Professor at the George Washington University School of Law.
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