Fourth Amendment Not Violated by Driver’s Detention for 39
Minutes After Being Stopped for Speeding, Seventh Circuit Holds
An Illinois State Trooper pulled over Oscar Bueno for driving
his van 69 MPH in a 65-MPH zone.  Trooper Owen decided to give
Bueno a written warning for speeding, but various aspects of the
situation aroused his suspicions that Bueno might be
transporting contraband.  After conducting further
investigation, Owen determined that Bueno’s van carried drug
money bound for Mexico.  Thirty-nine minutes into the stop,
Bueno was handcuffed and taken into custody.  After his
conviction on drug trafficking charges, Bueno argued on appeal
that evidence from the stop should be suppressed since the stop
had been unreasonably prolonged in violation of the Fourth
Amendment.  Earlier today, the Seventh Circuit affirmed
in United States v. Bueno (No. 11-2532) (Bauer, J.).   There was
no real question about the constitutionality of the stop itself
— the issue was simply its duration.  And the Seventh Circ