Home > Great American Court Cases > Ohio v. Robinette

Legal Citation: 519 U.S. 33 (1996)

Petitioner
State of Ohio

Respondent
Robert D. Robinette

Petitioner's Claim
Provisions of the Fourth Amendment do not require police officers to warn motorists that they are "free to go" at the end of a traffic stop.

Chief Lawyer for Petitioner
Carley J. Ingram

Chief Lawyer for Respondent
James D. Ruppert

Justices for the Court
Stephen Breyer, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Anthony M. Kennedy, Sandra Day O'Connor, William H. Rehnquist (writing for the Court), Antonin Scalia, David H. Souter, Clarence Thomas

Justices Dissenting
John Paul Stevens

Place
Washington, D.C.

Date of Decision
18 November 1996

Decision
The respondent's Fourth Amendment rights were not violated when, after being lawfully stopped, the motorist consented to...