Supreme Court of the United States · Official docket →
Billy Puckett v. United States
Paid petition · United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit, No. 24-1293 · judgment June 11, 2025
Before the decision, roughly the 4.1% base rate. The model weighted this up for counsel who has won certiorari before and an Eighth Circuit decision below.
Question presented
In Rodriguez v. United States, this Court held that a police officer may not extend a traffic stop, absent reasonable suspicion, to conduct a dog sniff. 575 U.S. 348, 350 (2015). In reaching this conclusion, the Court explained that a stop becomes unlawful when an officer “ ‘ prolongs’—i.e., adds time to—‘the stop.’ ” Id. at 357 (quoting Illinois v. Caballes, 543 U.S. 405, 407 (2005)). In the years since Rodriguez, state and federal courts have divided over whether officers may, absent reasonable suspicion, divert from a traffic stop’s mission and ask unrelated investigatory questions that prolong the stop. The question presented is: Whether a police officer violates the Fourth Amendment by prolonging a traffic stop with unrelated investigatory questions.
Counsel of record
For petitioner
Paul Whitfield Hughes
McDermott Will & Schulte LLP
For respondent
D. John Sauer
Solicitor General
Proceedings
- May 26 2026Petition DENIED.
- May 05 2026DISTRIBUTED for Conference of 5/21/2026.
- May 04 2026Reply of petitioner Billy Puckett filed. (Distributed)
- Apr 15 2026Brief of respondent United States in opposition filed.
- Mar 05 2026Motion to extend the time to file a response is granted and the time is further extended to and including April 15, 2026.
- Mar 03 2026Motion to extend the time to file a response from March 16, 2026 to April 15, 2026, submitted to The Clerk.
- Feb 09 2026Motion to extend the time to file a response is granted and the time is extended to and including March 16, 2026.
- Feb 06 2026Motion to extend the time to file a response from February 13, 2026 to March 16, 2026, submitted to The Clerk.
- Jan 14 2026Response Requested. (Due February 13, 2026)
- Jan 07 2026DISTRIBUTED for Conference of 1/23/2026.
- Dec 30 2025Waiver of right of respondent United States to respond filed.
- Nov 26 2025Petition for a writ of certiorari filed. (Response due January 2, 2026)
- Oct 23 2025Application (25A447) granted by Justice Kavanaugh extending the time to file until November 26, 2025.
- Oct 17 2025Application (25A447) to extend the time to file a petition for a writ of certiorari from October 27, 2025 to November 26, 2025, submitted to Justice Kavanaugh.