Civil rights

One night John Doe is driving down the freeway and is pulled over for a routine traffic violation. After issuing poor Johnny a traffic ticket the officer asks him one little question that could change Johnny's insignificant life forever. "May I search your car?" Now imagine if you were in John's position, how would you have responded to the question. Would you have just said yes and let the officer go through your personal belongings, …

…tip that a person could be carrying illegal material and search you. Would tips and sources be considered a probable cause? This is just one of the shady areas left to interpretation. Evidence in a courtroom can be thrown out or dismissed purely because the manner in which it was obtained was thought to violate the fourth amendment. The call for the dismissal of evidence is left solely upon the judge in such court cases.