DC Circuit Court delivers victory for motorists in neighborhood roadblock case Commentary
DC Circuit Court delivers victory for motorists in neighborhood roadblock case
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Gary Biller [Executive Director, National Motorists Association]: "The National Motorists Association (NMA) opposes roadblocks and/or checkpoints with only one exception: when motorists need to be warned about unseen peril ahead, such as a collapsed bridge or washed-out roadway. Currently, roadblocks are also used for vehicle safety inspections, seatbelt use, driver's license possession, mandated insurance coverage requirements, and, perhaps most commonly, DUI checkpoints.

Roadblocks are meant to intimidate and restrict the movement of people, goods, and ideas. No free society should tolerate any precedent that rationalizes the use of roadblocks. The NMA does not condone the arbitrary stopping, interrogating, intimidation or searching of motorists when those motorists are simply using the highway to commute.

We applaud the US Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit for ruling that the neighborhood motorist checkpoint program was unconstitutional. Our Fourth Amendment rights against illegal search and seizure are among the most important afforded US citizens, and must always be defended."

Opinions expressed in JURIST Commentary are the sole responsibility of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of JURIST's editors, staff, donors or the University of Pittsburgh.
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