Pennsylvania Superior Court Dicta Weighs in on Passengers in Motor Vehicle Stops

Earlier this month, a panel of the Superior Court recognized reasonable limitations on a police officer’s ability to initiate “official investigations.”  The opinion correctly analyzes 18 Pa. C.S.A. § 4914, but dicta in the opinion raises questions about Pennsylvania’s recognition of passengers in motor vehicles Fourth Amendment rights. In Commonwealth v. Barnes, the defendant was…

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