In Chapter 7, we reviewed the rule of law and how this impacts on policing. Consider a U.S. citizen’s
constitutional rights as afforded by the 4th Amendment in regards to search and seizure. Remember the
differences between reasonable suspicion and probable cause and which is needed for a stop and frisk, and
which is needed for an arrest. Get ready to test your knowledge!
Take the short quiz: Spot the Illegal Police Stop (Links to an external site.). Note: these are all real cases!
There are 7 scenarios. Read the scenario, make your decision as to whether or not it was a legal stop, and
then click yes or no under each one. Once you click yes or no, you will see the correct answer and the
reasoning behind the legal ruling.
Note in your essay how many of the 7 you correctly answered (you will not be graded on how many you got
correct/incorrect), and your overall beliefs about how you did. Did you find it hard to make the right choice?
Consider the case of Indianapolis v. Edmond (Links to an external site.). (This is one of the scenarios). Do
you agree with the Supreme Court ruling in this case? Why or why not? Be sure to support your answer in
regards to our rights afforded to us by the 4th amendment, the role of the police – public safety, and the goal of
the stop.
Sample Solution
