Michigan Department of State Police v. Sitz

Michigan Dept. of State Police v. Sitz
Argued February 27, 1990
Decided June 14, 1990
Full case nameMichigan Department Of State Police et al. v. Sitz et al. Certiorari to the Court of Appeals of Michigan
Citations496 U.S. 444 (more)
110 S. Ct. 2481; 110 L. Ed. 2d 412; 1990 U.S. LEXIS 3144
Case history
PriorSitz v. Dep't of State Police, 170 Mich. App. 433, 429 N.W.2d 180 (1988); cert. granted, 493 U.S. 806 (1989).
SubsequentOn remand, Sitz v. Dep't of State Police, 193 Mich. App. 690, 485 N.W.2d 135 (1992), affirmed, 443 Mich. 744, 506 N.W.2d 209 (1993).
Holding
Michigan State Police highway sobriety checkpoint program is consistent with the Fourth Amendment.
Court membership
Chief Justice
William Rehnquist
Associate Justices
William J. Brennan Jr. · Byron White
Thurgood Marshall · Harry Blackmun
John P. Stevens · Sandra Day O'Connor
Antonin Scalia · Anthony Kennedy
Case opinions
MajorityRehnquist, joined by White, O'Connor, Scalia, Kennedy
ConcurrenceBlackmun
DissentBrennan, joined by Marshall
DissentStevens, joined by Brennan, Marshall (Parts I, II)
Laws applied
U.S. Const. amend. IV

Michigan Dept. of State Police v. Sitz, 496 U.S. 444 (1990), was a United States Supreme Court case involving the constitutionality of police sobriety checkpoints. The Court held 6-3 that these checkpoints met the Fourth Amendment standard of "reasonable search and seizure." However, upon remand to the Michigan Supreme Court, that court held that the checkpoints nonetheless violated the Michigan constitution and remain prohibited.