MCOLES State Licensing Practice Exam

What principle is established in Terry v. Ohio regarding stop and frisk procedures?

1. All individuals can be stopped at any time

2. Reasonable suspicion of weapons is necessary for a stop

3. Police must have a search warrant

4. No suspicion is needed for pedestrian stops

The correct answer is: Reasonable suspicion of weapons is necessary for a stop

The principle established in Terry v. Ohio relates specifically to the need for reasonable suspicion to justify stop and frisk procedures. The ruling determined that law enforcement officers are permitted to stop an individual if they have a reasonable suspicion that the person is involved in criminal activity. In addition, if the officer has a reasonable belief that the person may be armed and a threat to their safety or to others, they can conduct a limited frisk for weapons. This case is significant because it created a balance between the need for police to protect themselves and the public versus the individual’s Fourth Amendment rights against unreasonable searches and seizures. The requirement for reasonable suspicion is a lower standard than probable cause, which is required for an arrest, but it nonetheless protects individuals from arbitrary stops by police. Thus, the ruling reinforces the idea that law enforcement must have specific and articulable facts—rather than mere hunches or unparticular suspicions—to justify such encounters.