The U.S. Supreme Court in May ruled that police may handcuff and arrest drivers for minor traffic infractions. The ruling stemmed from the 1997 arrest of a Texas woman for driving while she and her children were not wearing seat belts. The police arrested Gail Atwater, took her to the police station and towed her vehicle to an impound lot. She pleaded no-contest to the seat belt offense and paid the maximum $50 fine. The high court ruled 5-4 that the arrest did not violate the Fourth Amendment's protection against unreasonable search and seizures.