⚖ Oral Arguments, with Context

The Tenth Circuit considers a weapons search during a Denver traffic stop. Kevin Washington was driving with his infant son when officers stopped him for traffic violations. They found a valid temporary plate, learned the car was not stolen, and met a cooperative driver in a well-lit McDonald's parking lot. An officer nevertheless searched the car for weapons, relying on Washington's arrest history and a baseball cap he associated with local gangs. The trial judge upheld the search; Washington challenges that ruling, not the initial traffic stop. A protective search guards officers against a weapon, rather than simply investigating a crime. It requires concrete grounds to suspect present danger and ready access to a weapon. The question is whether these officers had those grounds despite Washington's calm behavior and the child in his backseat.

United States v. Washington (No. 25-1349) — U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit, argued September 16, 2026.