Hall v. Commonwealth

Opinion

MOON, J.

We consider whether the “traffic-checking detail” guidelines appropriately limited the discretion of the trooper so that the stop of the defendant was “reasonable” under the fourth amendment. Because the guidelines did not properly limit the officer’s discretion, we reverse Ernest Thomas Hall’s conviction for driving after having been declared an habitual offender which was based upon evidence obtained from the stop.

To ensure that an individual’s expectation of privacy is not subjected to arbitrary invasion solely at the unfettered discretion of police officers in the field,…