Question 1

The minimum requirement for a valid vehicular stop to be valid is that the police have ________ of unlawful activity.

Accepted Answer

Reasonable suspicion is the minimum requirement for police to make a valid vehicular stop. It means that the officer has a particularized and objective basis for suspecting legal wrongdoing.

Question 2

A vehicle search after a valid stop requires ________ to be present for the search to be considered valid.

Accepted Answer

Probable cause is the legal standard required for a vehicle search after a valid stop to be considered valid. It means there must be a reasonable basis to believe that a crime has been committed and that evidence of the crime is present in the vehicle.

Question 3

Which of the following Supreme Court cases gave way to the so-called "automobile exception" to the warrant requirement?

Accepted Answer

Carroll v. United States (1925) established the "automobile exception" to the Fourth Amendment's search warrant requirement, allowing police to search a vehicle without a warrant if they have probable cause to believe that it contains contraband or evidence of a crime. This exception is based on the mobility of vehicles and the impracticality of obtaining a warrant in such situations.

Question 4

In United States v. Chadwick, the Court held that a warrantless search of a movable container found in a motor vehicle is invalid in the absence of ________.

Accepted Answer

In United States v. Chadwick, the Court held that a warrantless search of a movable container found in a motor vehicle is invalid in the absence of exigent circumstances, emphasizing the need for either a warrant or a pressing need to bypass that requirement.

Question 5

Stopping an automobile at random and without ________ is unreasonable under the Fourth Amendment.

Accepted Answer

Stopping an automobile at random and without probable cause is unreasonable under the Fourth Amendment.

Question 6

Before a stop can occur, the totality of the circumstances must yield a particularized suspicion that contains:

Accepted Answer

Both statements A and B accurately describe the requirements for a stop to occur based on the legal standard of reasonable suspicion. This standard requires that law enforcement officers make an assessment based on the totality of the circumstances, leading to a particularized suspicion that the person involved is engaged in criminal activity.

Question 7

In United States v. Ross, the Court ruled that when making a valid search of a car, the police may search:

Accepted Answer

In United States v. Ross, the Supreme Court ruled that if police officers have valid grounds to search a vehicle, they are allowed to search the entire vehicle and any containers found within that might conceal the object of the search, including the trunk and any packages or luggage.

Question 8

In Michigan v. Long, the Court ruled that a(n) ________ search of an automobile, after a valid stop, is permissible if the officer has a reasonable belief that the suspect is dangerous and might gain immediate control of a weapon.

Accepted Answer

In Michigan v. Long, the Supreme Court ruled that a limited search of an automobile, after a valid stop, is permissible if the officer has a reasonable belief that the suspect is dangerous and might gain immediate control of a weapon. This decision was based on the principles of officer safety and the prevention of harm, allowing for a protective search of the vehicle's passenger compartment under certain conditions.

Question 9

Motor homes used on public highways are considered ________ for purposes of the Fourth Amendment.

Accepted Answer

Motor homes used on public highways are considered automobiles for purposes of the Fourth Amendment, which affects the application of search and seizure rules. This classification allows for certain searches without a warrant under the automobile exception, recognizing the mobile nature and reduced expectation of privacy in vehicles compared to homes.

Question 10

Which of the following is not a reason why inventory searches without a warrant of the person and possessions of arrested individuals are permissible under the Fourth Amendment?

Accepted Answer

Inventory searches are allowed for reasons such as protecting an owner's property, ensuring against claims of lost or stolen items, and protecting police from danger, but not for the purpose of searching for additional evidence against the defendant.

Question 11

Which case law stresses the importance of a carefully crafted departmental policy governing the opening of closed containers after vehicle impoundment?

Accepted Answer

Florida v. Wells emphasizes the importance of having a specific departmental policy in place for the opening of closed containers following vehicle impoundment, ensuring that such searches are not conducted arbitrarily.

Question 12

The police may conduct a warrantless search of the passenger compartment of a car and of the contents therein if it is ________.

Accepted Answer

The police may conduct a warrantless search of the passenger compartment of a car and of the contents therein if it is incident to a lawful arrest. This is based on the legal principle that, following a lawful arrest, officers may search the area within immediate control of the arrestee to prevent the concealment or destruction of evidence.

Question 13

In ________, the Court held that a traveler's luggage is an "effect" and is under the protection of the Fourth Amendment. This case defines the limit of what police officers can do to pieces of luggage and belongings of passengers.

Accepted Answer

In Bond v. United States, the Supreme Court ruled that physical manipulation of a person's luggage to detect its contents is a search under the Fourth Amendment, thereby recognizing luggage as an "effect" protected from unreasonable searches and seizures.

Question 14

An anonymous 911 call that contains enough information to enable officers to corroborate its veracity and reliability is sufficient to establish ________ for an investigative stop.

Accepted Answer

Reasonable suspicion is the legal standard required for an investigative stop. It means that the officer has enough facts or information to believe that criminal activity is afoot. An anonymous 911 call, if it provides enough detail that officers can independently corroborate, can establish this level of suspicion.

Question 15

The search of a vehicle is governed by rules that, over the years, have expanded the power of the police.

Accepted Answer

The legal standards and rules governing the search of a vehicle by police have evolved, often expanding the circumstances under which law enforcement can conduct searches without a warrant, such as the automobile exception to the Fourth Amendment's search warrant requirement.

Question 16

The warrantless search of an automobile is valid if there is reasonable suspicion to believe it contains contraband.

Accepted Answer

The correct legal standard for a warrantless search of an automobile is probable cause, not reasonable suspicion. Probable cause means there are facts or evidence that would lead a reasonable person to believe that contraband or evidence of a crime is present in the vehicle.

Question 17

If probable cause exists that an automobile contains contraband, a warrantless search is valid even if the automobile is first moved to a police station.

Accepted Answer

The U.S. Supreme Court has held that if police have probable cause to believe an automobile contains contraband, they may search the vehicle without a warrant, even if it is first moved to a police station, due to the automobile exception to the Fourth Amendment. This exception is based on the inherent mobility of vehicles and the diminished expectation of privacy in an automobile compared to a home.

Question 18

Evidence obtained from closed containers during inventory searches is not admissible in court unless authorized by departmental policy.

Accepted Answer

Evidence obtained from closed containers during inventory searches can be admissible in court if the search was conducted according to standardized departmental policy aimed at inventorying an impounded vehicle's contents, not for investigatory purposes.

Question 19

Reasonable suspicion to believe that a container in an automobile holds contraband or seizable evidence justifies a warrantless search of that container, even in the absence of probable cause to search the vehicle.

Accepted Answer

Reasonable suspicion alone does not justify a warrantless search of a container in a vehicle; probable cause is required for such a search under the automobile exception to the Fourth Amendment.

Question 20

There is a need for a warrant in vehicle searches if the vehicle is readily movable, especially if there is time to obtain a warrant.

Accepted Answer

The Supreme Court has established exceptions to the warrant requirement for vehicles, recognizing that their inherent mobility often makes it impractical to obtain a warrant, under the automobile exception to the Fourth Amendment.

Quiz 9: Vehicle Stops and Searches