Terry v. Ohio Case Brief

 

Terry v. Ohio Case Brief (1968) | IRAC Format

Case Name:
Terry v. Ohio, 392 U.S. 1 (1968)

Issue 🔎

Does a police officer's stop and frisk of an individual without a warrant or probable cause violate the Fourth Amendment’s protection against unreasonable searches and seizures?

Rule 📜

The Fourth Amendment prohibits unreasonable searches and seizures. However, a brief investigative stop ("stop and frisk") is allowed when a police officer has a reasonable suspicion, based on specific and articulable facts, that criminal activity is afoot and that the individual may be armed and dangerous. The frisk must be limited to a pat-down of outer clothing to check for weapons.

Analysis 🧠

The Court reasoned that the Fourth Amendment’s protections are not absolute barriers to all police-citizen encounters. A balance must be struck between the individual’s right to personal security and the government's interest in crime prevention and officer safety.

In Terry’s case, the officer’s observations — including the suspects repeatedly pacing, peering into a store window, and conferring with one another — were seen as specific behaviors that a trained officer could reasonably interpret as casing a location for a robbery. This went beyond a vague hunch; it was based on observable, articulable facts.

The frisk was narrowly focused on officer safety. It was limited to a pat-down of outer clothing for weapons, not a full search. The Court emphasized that because the intrusion was minimal and grounded in a legitimate safety concern, the stop and frisk was reasonable under the Fourth Amendment.

Thus, while "probable cause" is usually required for searches and seizures, the Court carved out an exception for brief, protective stops based on reasonable suspicion — as long as the officer can point to specific reasons for the action.

Conclusion ✅

The U.S. Supreme Court upheld the officer’s stop and frisk as reasonable under the Fourth Amendment. The decision created the "stop and frisk" doctrine, allowing limited searches based on reasonable suspicion aimed at protecting public and officer safety.

Key Takeaways 📚

  • "Reasonable suspicion" must be based on clear, articulable facts — not just a hunch.

  • A frisk is only for detecting weapons, not gathering evidence.

  • Terry v. Ohio established a major Fourth Amendment exception still highly relevant today.

Historical Context 🕰️

Decided during the civil rights era, Terry v. Ohio balanced growing concerns over rising crime with constitutional protections. It expanded police authority, but it also sparked ongoing debates about racial profiling and the limits of government power in everyday encounters.


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