Wilkerson (court case)

Wilkerson v. Utah was a 1972 Supreme Court case addressing whether a police officer’s act of forcibly stopping a car and searching it without a warrant violated the Fourth Amendment. The Court ruled that, under certain circumstances such as reasonable suspicion of criminal activity, law enforcement can perform a limited traffic stop and brief search without a warrant. The decision clarified the boundaries of lawful police stops, emphasizing that such measures must be justified by reasonable suspicion and not be excessive or unprovoked. This case helped define the balance between individual rights and police authority.