The 2000 presidential election will determine much more than who controls the White House. Supreme Court Chief Justice William Rehnquist, Justice John Paul Stevens, and Justice Sandra Day O'Connor are likely to retire during the next administration. Appointment of three new justices could set the court's direction for a generation as many cases are decided by a 5 to 4 vote. Issues likely to be at stake include federalism, property rights, religious liberties, school choice, and abortion. Many African-American leaders and civil libertarians have loudly protested that black motorists are being targeted by police on the highways and forced to undergo humiliating searches.
Several lawsuits accuse state police of using race as a factor in selecting cars to pull over.
Courts, including the U.S. Supreme Court, have generally ruled that subjective intentions of officers are irrelevant. So long as a traffic law is violated, the stop is legal. Traditional police power to strictly enforce traffic laws is fast becoming a license to freely search for drugs on roadways. In recent years, the U.S. Supreme Court has given police officers greater leeway to stop cars, detain drivers and their passengers, and search vehicles. The Supreme Court is expected to decide two cases involving this issue by June.