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Article: Seat-belt case sparks Fourth Amendment debate in Supreme Court.(The Dallas Morning News)
- Article from:
- Knight Ridder/Tribune News Service
- Article date:
- December 4, 2000
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2000 Knight-Ridder/Tribune News Service. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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WASHINGTON _ A woman arrested for not wearing her seat belt triggered a constitutional debate Monday by Supreme Court justices on the types of infractions that allow police officers to take scofflaws into custody.
Gail Atwater of Lago Vista, Texas, was arrested in 1997 because she and her two children were not wearing their seat belts, an offense punishable by a $50 fine. She sued the city and the arresting officer, citing her Fourth Amendment protections against unreasonable search and seizure.
The question before the court: Does the Fourth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution prohibit police officers from arresting people whose infractions are only ...