Opinion ID: 1232263
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Duration of Seizure

Text: ¶ 45 Duration is a second factor to consider in evaluating whether Trooper Hyer's conduct in seizing Malone and subsequently questioning him was unreasonable under the Fourth Amendment. As we noted in Griffith, questioning can transform a reasonable seizure into an unreasonable one if it extends the stop beyond the time necessary to fulfill the purpose of the stop. 236 Wis. 2d 48, ¶54 (citing Sharpe, 470 U.S. at 684-85). The original purpose of the stop was to investigate the traffic violation. The purpose of the stop was transformed as Hyer became aware of additional information that justified expanding his investigation to pursue his reasonable suspicion that the occupants of the vehicle might be committing or about to commit a crime involving narcotics. Thus, Hyer had a new purposeto investigate his suspicion regarding criminal activity. However, Hyer's lawful authority to pursue his suspicion of criminal activity did not mean that the stop could last indefinitely. ¶ 46 Malone does not claim that either the overall length of time or the length of time Hyer questioned Malone exceeded the outer limits of the Fourth Amendment. Rather, we understand Malone to argue that any extension of the stop was unjustified. We disagree. Malone fails to present an alternative argument regarding the permissible length of the detention if we were to find that Hyer was justified in pursuing his suspicion of criminal activity in a reasonable manner. Because Malone does not address this issue, neither do we.