United States v. Brignoni-Ponce
| United States v. Brignoni-Ponce | |
|---|---|
| Argued February 18, 1975 Decided June 30, 1975 | |
| Full case name | United States v. Brignoni-Ponce |
| Citations | 422 U.S. 873 (more) 95 S. Ct. 2574; 45 L. Ed. 2d 607; 1975 U.S. LEXIS 10 |
| Case history | |
| Prior | Certiorari to the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit |
| Holding | |
| Border Patrol officers on roving patrols cannot stop a vehicle near border when the only ground for suspicion is that the occupants appear to be of Mexican ancestry. | |
| Court membership | |
| |
| Case opinions | |
| Majority | Powell, joined by Brennan, Stewart, Marshall, Rehnquist |
| Concurrence | Rehnquist |
| Concurrence | Burger (in judgment), joined by Blackmun |
| Concurrence | Douglas (in judgment) |
| Concurrence | White (in judgment), joined by Blackmun |
| Laws applied | |
| U.S. Const. amend. IV | |
| Part of a series on |
| Chicanos and Mexican Americans |
|---|
|
United States v. Brignoni-Ponce, 422 U.S. 873 (1975), was a case in which the Supreme Court determined it was a violation of the Fourth Amendment for a roving patrol car to stop a vehicle solely on the basis of the driver appearing to be of Mexican descent. A roving patrol car must have articulable facts that allow for an officer to have a reasonable suspicion that the person is carrying illegal aliens beyond their ethnicity. The Court handed down a 9–0 decision that affirmed the Circuit Court's ruling in the case. This case was also the final case that William O. Douglas presided on, as he retired shortly after this case, ending his record 36 years as an Associate Justice.