| Atwater v. City of Lago Vista | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Argued December 4, 2000 Decided April 24, 2001 | |
| Full case name | Gail Atwater, et al., Petitioners v. City of Lago Vista, et al. |
| Citations | 532 U.S. 318 (more) 121 S. Ct. 1536; 149 L. Ed. 2d 549; 2001 U.S. LEXIS 3366; 69 U.S.L.W. 4262; 2001 Cal. Daily Op. Service 3203; 2001 Daily Journal DAR 3953; 2001 Colo. J. C.A.R. 2069; 14 Fla. L. Weekly Fed. S 193 |
| Case history | |
| Prior | United States District Court for the Western District of Texas ruled for the City; reversed, 165 F.3d 380 (5th Cir. 1999); vacated, 171 F.3d 258 (5th Cir. 1999); District Court ruling affirmed by en banc court, 195 F.3d 242 (5th Cir. 1999); cert. granted, 530 U.S. 1260 (2000). |
| Subsequent | None |
| Holding | |
| Police may make a warrantless arrest when someone commits a misdemeanor offense. | |
| Court membership | |
| |
| Case opinions | |
| Majority | Souter, joined by Rehnquist, Scalia, Kennedy, Thomas |
| Dissent | O'Connor, joined by Stevens, Ginsburg, Breyer |
| Laws applied | |
| U.S. Const. amend. IV | |
Atwater v. Lago Vista, 532 U.S. 318 (2001), was a United States Supreme Court decision which held that a person's Fourth Amendment rights are not violated when the subject is arrested for driving without a seatbelt. The court ruled that such an arrest for a misdemeanor that is punishable only by a fine does not constitute an unreasonable seizure under the Fourth Amendment.