{"argument_date":"2003-11-05T00:00:00Z","arguments":[{"argument_date":"2003-11-05T00:00:00Z","heading":"What happened at the argument","official_detail_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcript/2003","official_transcript_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/02-1060.pdf","paragraphs":["Gary Feinerman argued the checkpoint was designed to find witnesses to a specific crime.","Feinerman asked if the checkpoint is per se invalid or governed by a balancing test.","Feinerman noted that narcotics checkpoints were found invalid in a previous case.","Ramsell argued that mass suspicionless seizures violate the Fourth Amendment without exigent circumstances."],"reargument":false,"sequence":1,"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 19, lines 15-7","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/02-1060.pdf","page_label":"file page 19, lines 15-7"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 29, lines 31-33","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/02-1060.pdf","page_label":"file page 29, lines 31-33"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 15-21","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/02-1060.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 15-21"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 5-13","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/02-1060.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 5-13"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 51, lines 25-33","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/02-1060.pdf","page_label":"file page 51, lines 25-33"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 53, lines 41-41","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/02-1060.pdf","page_label":"file page 53, lines 41-41"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 55, lines 43-60","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/02-1060.pdf","page_label":"file page 55, lines 43-60"}]}],"caption":"Illinois v. Lidster","case_history":[{"changed_at":"2026-08-29T20:06:30.868304Z","explanation":"An official oral-argument transcript was verified.","status":"argued"},{"changed_at":"2026-08-29T20:06:30.898186Z","explanation":"An official oral-argument transcript was verified.","status":"argued"}],"case_status":"argued","dek":"Illinois argues its witness checkpoint is legal. Lidster claims it violates the Fourth Amendment.","dek_sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 19, lines 15-7","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/02-1060.pdf","page_label":"file page 19, lines 15-7"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 29, lines 31-33","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/02-1060.pdf","page_label":"file page 29, lines 31-33"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 15-21","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/02-1060.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 15-21"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 51, lines 25-33","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/02-1060.pdf","page_label":"file page 51, lines 25-33"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 53, lines 41-41","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/02-1060.pdf","page_label":"file page 53, lines 41-41"}],"dispositions":[],"latest_court_document_date":"2003-11-05T00:00:00Z","maturity":"official_transcript","official_detail_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcript/2003","official_disposition_urls":[],"official_docket_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/docket/docketfiles/html/public/02-1060.html","primary_docket":"02-1060","revisions":[{"correction_note":"Rewritten to the concise citizen-facing editorial standard.","created_at":"2026-08-31T16:07:48.226619Z","maturity":"official_transcript","revision_number":1},{"correction_note":"Migrated to the dated official Court activity contract without model use.","created_at":"2026-09-05T03:22:24Z","maturity":"official_transcript","revision_number":2}],"schema_version":"1.1","sections":[{"heading":"What this case is about","paragraphs":["The Court must decide if a checkpoint seeking witnesses to a known crime is valid."],"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 19, lines 15-7","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/02-1060.pdf","page_label":"file page 19, lines 15-7"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 29, lines 31-33","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/02-1060.pdf","page_label":"file page 29, lines 31-33"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 15-21","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/02-1060.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 15-21"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 51, lines 25-33","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/02-1060.pdf","page_label":"file page 51, lines 25-33"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 53, lines 41-41","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/02-1060.pdf","page_label":"file page 53, lines 41-41"}]},{"heading":"How the case got here","paragraphs":["The Supreme Court heard oral argument in this case on November 5, 2003."],"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 5-13","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/02-1060.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 5-13"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 55, lines 43-60","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/02-1060.pdf","page_label":"file page 55, lines 43-60"}]},{"heading":"What each side wants","paragraphs":["Illinois wants the Court to uphold the checkpoint as a valid law enforcement tool.","Lidster wants the Court to strike down the checkpoint as an unconstitutional seizure."],"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 19, lines 15-7","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/02-1060.pdf","page_label":"file page 19, lines 15-7"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 29, lines 31-33","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/02-1060.pdf","page_label":"file page 29, lines 31-33"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 15-21","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/02-1060.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 15-21"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 51, lines 25-33","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/02-1060.pdf","page_label":"file page 51, lines 25-33"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 53, lines 41-41","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/02-1060.pdf","page_label":"file page 53, lines 41-41"}]},{"heading":"What each side says","paragraphs":["Illinois argues the checkpoint is valid because it targets a specific known crime.","Lidster argues the checkpoint is invalid because it seizes people without individual suspicion."],"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 19, lines 15-7","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/02-1060.pdf","page_label":"file page 19, lines 15-7"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 29, lines 31-33","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/02-1060.pdf","page_label":"file page 29, lines 31-33"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 15-21","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/02-1060.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 15-21"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 51, lines 25-33","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/02-1060.pdf","page_label":"file page 51, lines 25-33"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 53, lines 41-41","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/02-1060.pdf","page_label":"file page 53, lines 41-41"}]},{"heading":"What the justices asked","paragraphs":["Chief Justice Rehnquist asked if the case was submitted after the arguments concluded."],"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 55, lines 43-60","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/02-1060.pdf","page_label":"file page 55, lines 43-60"}]},{"heading":"Why it matters","paragraphs":["This case defines the limits of police power to stop drivers for witness information. It shapes how states investigate hit-and-run accidents and other crimes. The outcome affects daily driving rights and public safety efforts."],"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 19, lines 15-7","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/02-1060.pdf","page_label":"file page 19, lines 15-7"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 29, lines 31-33","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/02-1060.pdf","page_label":"file page 29, lines 31-33"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 15-21","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/02-1060.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 15-21"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 51, lines 25-33","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/02-1060.pdf","page_label":"file page 51, lines 25-33"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 53, lines 41-41","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/02-1060.pdf","page_label":"file page 53, lines 41-41"}]},{"heading":"What happens next","paragraphs":["This article currently covers the argument record. Use the official docket link for later case activity."],"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 5-13","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/02-1060.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 5-13"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 55, lines 43-60","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/02-1060.pdf","page_label":"file page 55, lines 43-60"}]}],"slug":"2003-02-1060-illinois-v-lidster","term":"2003","title":"Does the Fourth Amendment ban checkpoints that seek witnesses to a specific crime?","title_sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 19, lines 15-7","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/02-1060.pdf","page_label":"file page 19, lines 15-7"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 29, lines 31-33","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/02-1060.pdf","page_label":"file page 29, lines 31-33"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 15-21","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/02-1060.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 15-21"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 51, lines 25-33","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/02-1060.pdf","page_label":"file page 51, lines 25-33"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 53, lines 41-41","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/02-1060.pdf","page_label":"file page 53, lines 41-41"}],"topics":[],"undated_disposition_date_fallback":null,"updated_at":"2026-09-05T03:22:24Z"}