On Point blog, page 7 of 10

Search & Seizure – Consent

Village of Menomonee Falls v. Timothy E. Rotruck, 2012AP1024-FT, District 2, 9/1, District 2, 9/19/12

court of appeals decision (1-judge, ineligible for publication); case activity

Concededly proper traffic stop; after citations issued, officer sought and obtained consent to search vehicle, resulting in seizure of contraband – court concludes that, under the circumstances, traffic stop had clearly ended thus consent wasn’t product of an unnecessarily prolonged (therefore illegal) detention.

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Reasonable Suspicion – Prolonged Stop

State v. Johnnie Austin, 2011AP2953-CR, District 1, 8/14/12

court of appeals decision (1-judge, ineligible for publication); case activity

Continued detention of Austin, following an indisputably proper stop for illegal parking, was supported by reasonable suspicion:

¶14      This court disagrees; the trial court properly found Officer Tisher’s continued detention of Austin reasonable.  If, during a valid traffic stop, an officer becomes reasonably suspicious of an individual,

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Town of Grand Chute v. William F. Thomas, 2011AP2702, District 2, 5/30/12

court of appeals decision (1-judge, not for publication); for Thomas: John M. Carroll; case activity

Traffic Stop – Duration 

¶8        Thomas argues Schellinger lacked reasonable suspicion to extend the traffic stop because the only fact supporting Schellinger’s belief that Thomas was operating while intoxicated was the odor of intoxicants.  Thomas asserts the odor of intoxicants does not, by itself, constitute reasonable suspicion that a driver is operating while intoxicated.  

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Traffic Stop – Duration – Dog Sniff

State v. Dawn M. Fletcher, 2011AP1356-CR, District 3, 3/27/12

court of appeals decision (1-judge, not for publication); for Fletcher: Earl J. Luaders, III; case activity

The court upholds search of a car following a drug dog alert which occurred while an officer was still processing a warning ticket for a conceded traffic violation:

¶7        On appeal, Fletcher concedes the initial stop was lawful.  She argues the dog sniff was illegal because the officer had no reasonable suspicion to detain the occupants of the vehicle to request a dog sniff.  

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Reasonable Suspicion – Traffic Stop extended for Field Sobriety Testing

State v. Gary A. Senger, 2011AP1950-CR, District 2, 1/18/12

court of appeals decision (1-judge, not for publication); for Senger: Robert C. Raymond; case activity

Applying the test described in State v. Betow, 226 Wis. 2d 90, 94-95, 593 N.W.2d 499 (Ct. App. 1999) for extending a traffic stop, the court concludes that the officer had reasonable suspicion to administer FSTs following a stop for driving with a revoked license.

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Traffic Stop – Duration

State v. John R. Nelson, 2011AP125-CR, District 2, 12/7/11

court of appeals decision (1-judge, not for publication); for Nelson: John A. Nelson; case activity

The officer’s observation that Nelson’s vehicle intruded “somewhat into the intersection” before stopping provided reasonable suspicion for a stop-sign violation, § 346.46(1). The stop wasn’t unnecessarily prolonged by summoning a drug dog while the officer ran record checks and issued a warning ticket.

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Traffic Stop Duration: Passenger

State v. Jamie L. Salonen, 2011 WI App 157 (recommended for publication); for Salonen: Robert J. Wells, Jr.; case activity

¶1        The trial court in this case granted Jamie L. Salonen’s motion to suppress evidence obtained after she asked to leave the scene of a roadside stop of a vehicle in which she was a passenger, which request was denied by police.  A passage in Arizona v.

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Traffic Stop – Duration; Frisk – “Armed and Presently Dangerous”

State v. Jon Paul A. Fernandez, 2010AP1394-CR, District 2, 10/12/11

court of appeals decision (1-judge, not for publication); for Fernandez: Jefren E. Olsen, SPD, Madison Appellate; case activity

Concededly lawful traffic stop (operating without headlights) wasn’t unreasonably prolonged by warrant checks, arrest of passenger on warrant for unpaid forfeiture, and then search of car incident to that arrest, before the traffic ticket was issued, ¶11 (“Absent any indication of unreasonable delay,

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Terry Stop, Compared with Arrest

State v. Daniel R. Doyle, 2010AP2466-CR, District 4, 9/22/11

court of appeals decision (1-judge, not for publication); for Doyle: John C. Orth; case activity

Transport of drunk driving suspect 3-4 miles to local police station for purpose of administering field sobriety tests didn’t covert Terry stop into arrest, given that extreme, adverse weather conditions rendered impractical such testing at the scene.

¶11      Terry is codified in Wis.

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Traffic Stop – Reasonable Suspicion (OWI); Detention to Administer FST

State v. William M. Hughes, 2011AP647-CR, District 4, 8/25/11

court of appeals decision (1-judge, not for publication); for Hughes: Michael C. Witt; case activity

Traffic stop supported by reasonable suspicion to believe Hughes was operating while intoxicated:

  • The stop occurred at night, after a football game, when there is an increased frequency of drunk driving;
  • Citizen informant reported observing vehicle weaving outside lane of travel on Interstate,
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