Searches on the Street: Stop and Frisk
Law enforcement has a limited right to stop people on the street and frisk them. Learn about how the police can use certain types of evidence as a way to search people out in public.
In general, if a reasonable person in the suspect’s shoes wouldn’t feel free to leave an encounter with the police, then there’s been either a detention or an arrest. Determining which can be tough—and sometimes crucial.
A search is more extensive than a frisk—but the line can be hard to draw.
Even officers who have reason to frisk you can't search wherever and however they want. Learn about the limits to pat downs or what's called a Terry frisk.
Reasonable suspicion is a legal standard that applies in different criminal-law contexts, most often where searches and seizures are involved.
The difference between an arrest and detention can be crucial in evaluating a person's constitutional rights under the Fourth Amendment.
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