What potential issue did the court highlight in the detention duration during the US v. Rodriguez case?

The court highlighted that the duration of the detention in the US v. Rodriguez case was problematic because it extended beyond the initial purpose of the stop. In this case, the critical issue raised was that once a police officer, in this situation, completed the task for which the individual was initially stopped—such as checking a driver's license or running a background check—any further detention should be justified by a separate, legitimate reason.

When the extension of the stop does not have a clear purpose or legal foundation, it can lead to violations of the Fourth Amendment protections against unreasonable searches and seizures. The court's ruling emphasized that law enforcement cannot use a traffic stop as a pretext to conduct a fishing expedition without credible justification. Thus, the prolonged detention was deemed excessive in relation to the original reason for the stop, making this the focal point of the court's findings in addressing the limits of police authority during investigative detentions.