October Term 2015 · Docket 14-1373
Does an unlawful stop taint evidence found after a valid arrest?
Utah seeks to admit drugs found after a lawful arrest. Strieff argues the initial unlawful stop tainted the evidence.
Verified source milestones
- — An official oral-argument transcript was verified.
- — An official oral-argument transcript was verified.
The arguments, in order
This case may have been argued more than once. Each entry below uses that session's official transcript. Later arguments do not erase earlier ones.
Argument 1 ·
What happened at the argument
Utah's lawyer argued the arrest was lawful and independent.
Strieff's lawyer argued the unlawful stop caused the warrant discovery.
Justice Sotomayor asked what was objectively reasonable about the stop.
Justice Kagan questioned the likelihood of finding a warrant during a stop.
Read the official transcript for this argument · Official argument details
Sources used for this argument breakdown
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 10, lines 20-40 — Transcript, file page 10, lines 20-40
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 11, lines 6-10 — Transcript, file page 11, lines 6-10
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 18, lines 14-38 — Transcript, file page 18, lines 14-38
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 28, lines 44-26 — Transcript, file page 28, lines 44-26
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 18-42 — Transcript, file page 3, lines 18-42
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 44-46 — Transcript, file page 3, lines 44-46
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 50-14 — Transcript, file page 3, lines 50-14
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 8-16 — Transcript, file page 3, lines 8-16
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 4, lines 46-50 — Transcript, file page 4, lines 46-50
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 5, lines 28-44 — Transcript, file page 5, lines 28-44
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 5, lines 4-6 — Transcript, file page 5, lines 4-6
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 55, lines 22-48 — Transcript, file page 55, lines 22-48
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 57, lines 50-1 — Transcript, file page 57, lines 50-1
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 6, lines 36-8 — Transcript, file page 6, lines 36-8
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 7, lines 22-44 — Transcript, file page 7, lines 22-44
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 8, lines 48-18 — Transcript, file page 8, lines 48-18
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 8, lines 8-30 — Transcript, file page 8, lines 8-30
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 9, lines 28-38 — Transcript, file page 9, lines 28-38
A citizen's guide to the whole case
What this case is about
Police stopped Strieff without reasonable suspicion. They found an arrest warrant. They searched him and found drugs. The lower court suppressed the drugs. Utah wants the Court to admit the evidence.
Official sources for this section
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 18, lines 14-38 — Transcript, file page 18, lines 14-38
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 28, lines 44-26 — Transcript, file page 28, lines 44-26
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 18-42 — Transcript, file page 3, lines 18-42
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 55, lines 22-48 — Transcript, file page 55, lines 22-48
How the case got here
The Supreme Court heard oral argument in this case on February 22, 2016.
Official sources for this section
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 8-16 — Transcript, file page 3, lines 8-16
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 57, lines 50-1 — Transcript, file page 57, lines 50-1
What each side wants
Utah wants the Court to admit the drugs found during the arrest.
Strieff wants the Court to suppress the drugs found during the arrest.
Official sources for this section
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 18, lines 14-38 — Transcript, file page 18, lines 14-38
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 28, lines 44-26 — Transcript, file page 28, lines 44-26
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 18-42 — Transcript, file page 3, lines 18-42
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 55, lines 22-48 — Transcript, file page 55, lines 22-48
What each side says
Utah argues the arrest was lawful and independent of the stop.
Strieff argues the unlawful stop caused the discovery of the warrant.
Official sources for this section
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 18, lines 14-38 — Transcript, file page 18, lines 14-38
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 28, lines 44-26 — Transcript, file page 28, lines 44-26
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 18-42 — Transcript, file page 3, lines 18-42
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 55, lines 22-48 — Transcript, file page 55, lines 22-48
What the justices asked
Justice Kagan asked if finding a warrant is a rare event.
Justice Ginsburg asked if a person's name is suppressible evidence.
Official sources for this section
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 10, lines 20-40 — Transcript, file page 10, lines 20-40
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 11, lines 6-10 — Transcript, file page 11, lines 6-10
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 44-46 — Transcript, file page 3, lines 44-46
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 50-14 — Transcript, file page 3, lines 50-14
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 4, lines 46-50 — Transcript, file page 4, lines 46-50
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 5, lines 28-44 — Transcript, file page 5, lines 28-44
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 5, lines 4-6 — Transcript, file page 5, lines 4-6
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 57, lines 50-1 — Transcript, file page 57, lines 50-1
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 6, lines 36-8 — Transcript, file page 6, lines 36-8
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 7, lines 22-44 — Transcript, file page 7, lines 22-44
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 8, lines 48-18 — Transcript, file page 8, lines 48-18
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 8, lines 8-30 — Transcript, file page 8, lines 8-30
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 9, lines 28-38 — Transcript, file page 9, lines 28-38
Why it matters
This case defines the scope of the exclusionary rule. It determines whether police can use unlawful stops to find warrants. It affects how courts handle evidence from flawed police conduct.
Official sources for this section
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 18, lines 14-38 — Transcript, file page 18, lines 14-38
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 28, lines 44-26 — Transcript, file page 28, lines 44-26
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 18-42 — Transcript, file page 3, lines 18-42
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 55, lines 22-48 — Transcript, file page 55, lines 22-48
What happens next
This article currently covers the argument record. Use the official docket link for later case activity.
Official sources for this section
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 10, lines 20-40 — Transcript, file page 10, lines 20-40
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 11, lines 6-10 — Transcript, file page 11, lines 6-10
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 44-46 — Transcript, file page 3, lines 44-46
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 50-14 — Transcript, file page 3, lines 50-14
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 8-16 — Transcript, file page 3, lines 8-16
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 4, lines 46-50 — Transcript, file page 4, lines 46-50
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 5, lines 28-44 — Transcript, file page 5, lines 28-44
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 5, lines 4-6 — Transcript, file page 5, lines 4-6
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 57, lines 50-1 — Transcript, file page 57, lines 50-1
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 6, lines 36-8 — Transcript, file page 6, lines 36-8
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 7, lines 22-44 — Transcript, file page 7, lines 22-44
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 8, lines 48-18 — Transcript, file page 8, lines 48-18
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 8, lines 8-30 — Transcript, file page 8, lines 8-30
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 9, lines 28-38 — Transcript, file page 9, lines 28-38
Official Court provenance
Official docket and case history · Official Supreme Court oral-argument detail page
Title and summary sources
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 18, lines 14-38 — Transcript, file page 18, lines 14-38
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 28, lines 44-26 — Transcript, file page 28, lines 44-26
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 18-42 — Transcript, file page 3, lines 18-42
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 55, lines 22-48 — Transcript, file page 55, lines 22-48
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 18, lines 14-38 — Transcript, file page 18, lines 14-38
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 28, lines 44-26 — Transcript, file page 28, lines 44-26
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 18-42 — Transcript, file page 3, lines 18-42
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 55, lines 22-48 — Transcript, file page 55, lines 22-48
Revision history
- Revision 1 · Official Transcript ·
Correction: Rewritten to the concise citizen-facing editorial standard.
- Revision 2 · Official Transcript ·
Correction: Migrated to the dated official Court activity contract without model use.