⚖ Oral Arguments, with Context

The Ninth Circuit hears Nicholas Severns' challenge to evidence obtained during a traffic stop. Tribal officers stopped a rental car for speeding in Browning, on Montana's Blackfeet Reservation. Severns was the passenger, and neither occupant had a valid driver's license. Officers checked their identities and warrants, called county law enforcement, and used a drug-detection dog. The investigation uncovered fentanyl. Severns asked the district court to keep the evidence out, saying the officers had unlawfully prolonged the stop. The judge rejected that request, finding that the officers acted reasonably. This appeal brings together two Supreme Court decisions: Cooley, addressing tribal officers' authority over non-Indians, and Rodriguez, limiting how long a traffic stop may last. Severns will argue that waiting about fifteen minutes to contact county officers created extra time for an unrelated drug investigation. The government will respond that routine identification and warrant checks were still underway, so there was no unlawful extension.

United States v. Severns (No. 25-7217) — U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, argued October 16, 2026.