Delaware v. Prouse
United States Supreme Court
440 U.S. 648 (1979)
Relevant factsFree
A police officer stopped Prouse's (defendant) car solely to check his license and registration, without any suspicion of wrongdoing or any departmental policy requiring the stop, and upon approaching smelled and saw marijuana in plain view, leading to its seizure; the trial court suppressed the evidence, the Delaware Supreme Court affirmed on Fourth Amendment grounds, and Delaware (plaintiff) sought Supreme Court review.
IssueFree
Whether, under the Fourth Amendment, the reasonableness of a warrantless seizure must be weighed against the public interest the seizure serves.