21 July 2023
TOPEKA (KSNT) – A federal judge ruled against Kansas state troopers, ordering them to stop detaining drivers without cause.
In May of 2023, a lawsuit against the Kansas Highway Patrol (KHP) started after troopers stopped motorists without reasonable suspicion, known as the Kansas Two-Step, according to a press release from the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Kansas. On Friday, a federal judge ruled in favor of motorists and ordered the KHP to stop this practice.
“This is a huge win—for our clients and for anyone else who travels on Kansas highways. We are gratified that the Court saw the ongoing harms of KHP’s unconstitutional practices and stepped in to stop the department’s widespread misconduct,” Sharon Brett, Legal Director of the ACLU of Kansas said. “Today’s decision validates that motorists’ constitutional rights cannot be cast aside under the guise of a ‘war on drugs’. It also demonstrates that courts will not tolerate the cowboy mentality of policing that subjects our citizens to conditions of humiliation, degradation, and, in some tragic cases, violence.”
The court’s order can be found below:
Memorandum and Order to Show Cause by Matthew Self on Scribd