Sotomayor opposes traffic stops based on mistakes of law
Sonia SotomayorAssociate justice, writing the dissent
Sotomayor argues that the rule further erodes Fourth Amendment protection.
Responding to
An objectively reasonable mistake of substantive law can justify a traffic stop under the Fourth Amendment.
“Departing from this tradition means further eroding the Fourth Amendment's protection of civil liberties in a context where that protection has already been worn down.”
Original text
Where this statement fits
Heien: Roberts and Sotomayor split over traffic stops based on mistakes of law
The Supreme Court held in 2014 that an objectively reasonable mistake of law can justify a traffic stop. Chief Justice John Roberts defends that rule. Justice Sonia Sotomayor argues that police should be judged against the law as it actually exists.
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Original text
About this source
The full opinions set out the disagreement over whether an objectively reasonable mistake of substantive law can justify a traffic stop.
Archived copy (opens in a new tab)Before the quotation
Sotomayor would measure the officer's understanding of the facts against the actual law.
After the quotation
She warns that allowing reasonable legal mistakes expands stop authority and can delay clarification of the law.
How this statement is classified
The label describes this statement's response within the context above.
Why this label?
Her criticism targets the rule allowing stops based on legal mistakes, not the majority's account of the facts.
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More from this case
Read the full caseRoberts writes in Heien that the Fourth Amendment tolerates only objectively reasonable mistakes of fact or law
“The Fourth Amendment tolerates only reasonable mistakes, and those mistakes—whether of fact or of law—must be objectively reasonable.”Read statement
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The Dispute Index. "Sotomayor opposes traffic stops based on mistakes of law". First published: 2026-10-22. Last updated: 2026-10-22. https://disputeindex.com/events/6457-sotomayor-argues-that-the-rule-further-erodes-fourth