Commonwealth v. Gonsalves

(dissenting, with whom Lynch, J., joins). Twenty-two years ago the Supreme Court of the United States announced a rule intended better to assure the safety of police officers against the sometimes lethal dangers of routine traffic stops. Today the court, invoking the Constitution of this State, rejects that rule. Virtually every other State has accepted the Supreme Court’s rule. Indeed, until today we too had always cited the Supreme Court’s rule with approval. Because I believe today’s decision to be unwarranted in principle and unwise in policy, I respectfully dissent.

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In Pennsylvania v.…