Assignment:
Stop, Search, and Seizure
Every day, law enforcement officials evaluate suspicious actions of suspects and apply their understanding of the Fourth Amendment’s prohibition against unreasonable searches and seizures in their cases. Locate an article in the recent media involving a criminal case in which a stop, a search, or a seizure was undertaken by law enforcement officials. It can be at a local or national level, though not at an international level.
Based on your current understanding of the laws regarding criminal stops, searches, or seizures, do you believe that the law enforcement agency in question accurately complied with the law?
Make a Microsoft PowerPoint presentation comprising 6 to 7 slides, keeping the following questions in mind:
- Was probable cause a factor in this case?
- If not, should it have been?
- How should probable cause be implemented, in general?
- As a law enforcement official, what are some of the questions that you might ask yourself in this case before you engage in a stop, search, or seizure or seek a warrant from the court?
- Present the details in the Notes section of your presentation.