Wisconsin Supreme Court says asking about gun allowed

MADISON, Wis. (AP) -- The Wisconsin Supreme Court has ruled that a Milwaukee police officer did not violate the constitutional rights of a person pulled over for a routine traffic stop when the officer asked if they had a weapon in the car.

The decision Tuesday came in a case of a black Milwaukee man who was asked whether he had a weapon. The unanimous Supreme Court overturned lower court rulings that said the police officer did not have reasonable suspicion to ask the question.

But the Supreme Court, in a ruling written by Justice Shirley Abrahamson, said none of the officer's actions or question violated the driver's constitutional protection against illegal search and seizure.

The court says asking a driver about the presence of weapons during a traffic stop relates to officer safety and is "negligibly burdensome."

Share this article: