Research Example: Fast Criminal Defense Research in Midpage.ai

Here’s a mock research assignment showcasing how Midpage can help a criminal defense attorney uncover needed cases in just a few minutes.

The scenario

Your client was stopped at 1:30 AM for allegedly failing to signal a lane change. The officer quickly expanded the stop into a DUI investigation, ultimately arresting your client after field sobriety tests. You’re considering filing a motion to suppress, arguing the officer unlawfully prolonged the stop without reasonable suspicion.

The problem is that you don’t know how Florida appellate courts have handled this type of stop expansion, or whether courts have thrown out evidence when the officer shifted from a minor traffic violation to a DUI investigation.

Here’s what doing the research on Midpage would feel like.

Step 1: Start with a search

We start with a broad proposition search:
“Florida appellate cases involving DUI traffic stops prolonged beyond the original purpose of the stop”

The first result, Cahill v. State, addresses the constitutionality of a DUI roadblock. While the court upheld a brief delay at the checkpoint, it doesn’t speak directly to a stop prolonged into a DUI investigation. Thanks to the AI summary, we can quickly set it aside and move on.

Helpful context, but not our case.

Step 2: Use AI filters to zero in

To refine, we add an AI filter:

“Did the court suppress evidence because the officer lacked reasonable suspicion to extend the stop into a DUI investigation?”

Filtering to cases where the answer is Yes narrows our results to 8 Florida appellate cases. One case stands out immediately, Nicholas v. State

Step 3: Dig into the promising case

When we open Nicholas, the summary notes that the officer lacked founded suspicion to justify the initial stop, as the defendant's driving did not amount to erratic behavior or a traffic infraction. Without specific facts indicating impairment, extending the encounter was unconstitutional.

This is the type of authority you need to argue that your client’s stop was unlawfully prolonged.

Step 4: Build the argument quickly

Within 15 minutes of research, we’ve:

• Identified Florida precedent (Nicholas) directly on point.

• Collected clear appellate language distinguishing lawful suspicion from insufficient justification

Now, you’re ready to draft a suppression motion without spending hours combing through irrelevant traffic stop or DUI opinions.

The takeaway

Midpage lets criminal defense attorneys jump straight to the most relevant cases, filter by outcome, and uncover arguments they might otherwise miss. Whether you’re challenging a stop, fighting a search, or analyzing sentencing issues, you can get from “I don’t know this area” to “I have the beginnings of a winning argument” in under half an hour.