On Tuesday, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit ruled in favor of Ausencio Martinez, finding that Illinois State Police Trooper and K9 handler Anthony Muzzillo had violated his Fourth Amendment right against unreasonable searches and seizures by using an administrative inspection of Martinez's semitruck as a pretext to engage in a criminal search.
At 3:16 a.m. on October 7, 2021, Muzzillo and another K9 officer—acting on a tip from an unnamed law enforcement agency—pulled over Martinez. The two weren't on regular patrol and had been waiting on the side of the highway for "at least thirty minutes," looking out for Martinez's semitruck.
