State of Wisconsin v. Frederick S. Smith

We are asked to decide whether the police violated Frederick S. Smith's Fourth Amendment rights when a police officer asked for his driver's license during a traffic stop even though reasonable suspicion for the stop dissipated as the officer approached the car, or when the police officer opened the passenger door after being

told the driver's door and window were broken. The Fourth Amendment protects "against unreasonable searches and seizures, and our analysis focuses on what is reasonable in light of the particular circumstances. See Terry v. Ohio, 392 U.S. 1, 21 (1968); see also Elkins v. United States, 364 U.S. 206, 222 (1960)("What the Constitution forbids is not all searches and seizures, but unreasonable searches and seizures.").

We hold that when an officer conducts a valid traffic stop, part of that stop includes checking identification, even if the reasonable suspicion that formed the basis for the stop in the first place has dissipated.