Terry vs. Ohio (1968)
Details of the Case: An officer in normal clothes noticed Terry and two other men in what seemed to be a stick-up. He was suspicious of the men so he frisked them and found weapons on two of them. He supposedly found a concealed weapon on Terry, so he was sentenced to three years in jail.
Decision and Justification: 8 votes for Ohio, 1 vote against. The court ruled that the officer's actions were reasonable and the weapons found on the men could be used as evidence against them in court. The court believed that the officer did the search in an effort of protecting himself and the people around him and the weapons found were used as extra justification.
Lasting Effect: Officers can now stop and search someone without cause to arrest them. If the officer believes that they will affect the safety of others, they have reason to frisk the person.
Important Details: Terry and the other men were walking up and down the same street and kept looking through a store window before talking to the other men. The officer believed they were planning to rob this store.
Decision and Justification: 8 votes for Ohio, 1 vote against. The court ruled that the officer's actions were reasonable and the weapons found on the men could be used as evidence against them in court. The court believed that the officer did the search in an effort of protecting himself and the people around him and the weapons found were used as extra justification.
Lasting Effect: Officers can now stop and search someone without cause to arrest them. If the officer believes that they will affect the safety of others, they have reason to frisk the person.
Important Details: Terry and the other men were walking up and down the same street and kept looking through a store window before talking to the other men. The officer believed they were planning to rob this store.