DevonLee

EliCameron
EnglishIII
May16,2014
UnitedStatesv.AndrewSokolow

OnaSundayinJuly1948,respondentwenttotheUnitedAirlinesticketcounterinHonolulu
Airport,wherehepurchasedtworoundtripticketsforaflighttoMiamileavinglaterthatday.The
ticketswerepurchasedinthenamesofAndrewKrayandJanetNorianandhadopenreturndates.
Respondentpaid$2,100fortheticketsfromalargerollof$20bills,whichappearedtocontainatotal
of$4,000.Healsogavetheticketagenthishometelephonenumber.Theticketagentnoticedthatthe
respondentseemednervoushewasabout25yearsoldhewasdressedinablackjumpsuitandwore
goldjewelryandhewasaccompaniedbyawoman,whoturnedouttobeJanetNorian.Neither
respondentnorhiscompanioncheckedanyoftheirfourpiecesofluggage.
Afterthecoupleleftfortheirflight,theticketagentinformedOfficerJohnMcCarthyofthe
HonoluluPoliceDepartmentorrespondentscashpurchaseofticketstoMiami.OfficerMcCarthy
determinedthatthetelephonenumberrespondentgavetotheticketagentwassubscribedtoaKarl
Herman,whowasresidedat348ARoyalHawaiianAvenueinHonolulu...respondentwasHermans
roommate.TheticketagentidentifiedrespondentsvoiceontheansweringmachineatHermans
number.OfficerMcCarthywasunabletofindanylistingunderthenameAndrewKrayinHawaii.
McCarthysubsequentlylearnedthatreturnreservationsfromMiamitoHonoluluhadbeenmadeinthe
namesofKrayandNorian,withtheirarrivalscheduledforJuly25,threedaysafterrespondentandhis
companionhadleft.HealsolearnedthatKrayandNorianwerescheduledtomakestopoversin
DenverandLosAngeles.
OnlyJuly25,duringthestopoverinLosAngeles,DEAagentsidentifiedrespondent.He
appearedtobeverynervousandwaslookingallaroundthewaitingarea.Laterthatday,at6:30pm,.
respondentandNorianarrivedinHonolulu.Asbefore,theyhadnotcheckedtheirluggage.Respondent
wasstillwearingablackjumpsuitandgoldjewelry.Thecoupleproceededdirectlytothestreetand
triedtohailacab,whereAgentRichardKempshallandthreeotherDEAagentsapproachedthe,.
Kempshalldisplayedhiscredentials,grabbedrespondentbythearm,andmovedthembackontothe
sidewalk.Kempshallaskedrespondentforhisairlineticketandidentificationrespondentsaidthathe
hadneither.HetoldtheagentsthathisnamewasSokolow,butthathewastravelingunderhis
mothersmaidenname,Kray.
RespondentandNorianwereescortedtotheDEAofficeattheairport.There,thecouples
luggagewasexaminedbyDonker,anarcoticsdetectordog,whichalertedonrespondent'sbrown
shoulderbag.Theagentsarrestedrespondent.Hewasadvisedofhisconstitutionalrightsanddeclined
tomakeanystatements.Theagentsobtainedawarranttosearchtheshoulderbag.Theyfoundnoillicit
drugsbutthebagdidcontainseveralsuspiciousdocumentsindicatingrespondentsinvolvementindrug
trafficking.Thenextmorning,afteraseconddogconfirmedDonkersalert,theagentsobtaineda
warrantandfound1,063gramsofcocaineinsidethebag.
AccordingtothecaseTerryv.Ohio,aruleisestablishedthatstatesReasonablesuspicionisa
legalstandardofproofinUnitedStateslawthatislessthanprobablecause,thelegalstandardfor
arrestsandwarrants,butmorethananinchoateandunparticularizedsuspicionorhunch itmustbe
basedonspecificandarticulablefacts,takentogetherwithrationalinferencesfromthosefacts.
Policemaybrieflydetainapersoniftheyhavereasonablesuspicionthatthepersonhasbeen,is,oris
abouttobeengagedincriminalactivitysuchadetentionisknownasaTerrystop.Ifpoliceadditionally
havereasonablesuspicionthatapersonsodetainedmaybearmed,theymayfriskthepersonfor
weapons,butnotforcontrabandlikedrugs.Reasonablesuspicionisevaluatedusingthereasonable
personorreasonableofficerstandard,inwhichsaidpersoninthesamecircumstancescould
reasonablybelieveapersonhasbeen,is,orisabouttobeengagedincriminalactivityitdependsupon
thetotalityofcircumstances,andcanresultfromacombinationofparticularfacts,evenifeachis
individuallyinnocuous.(Terry392U.S.at2122).
Sincetheruleclearlystatesthattheofficermusthavereasonablesuspicionthatrespondentwas,
is,orabouttobeengagedincriminalactivityfortheofficerstobrieflydetainhim,theyfirstwouldhave
neededtohavereasonablesuspicion.Alloftheinformationthattheofficersreceivedaboutthe
respondentwasnotconcreteevidence.Theticketagentsaidthatthecouplewasnervousandthat
theynevercheckedtheirbags.Butwhendidbeingnervousandnotcheckingbagsinanairport
becomeunacceptabletodo?OfficerMcCarthysoonlearnedthatKrayandNorianwerescheduleto
makestopoversinDenverandLosAngelesbuttheissueneverstatedaconcretesource.
Justbecauseacoupleseemsnervousinanairportanddoesnotchecktheirbags,doesnot
givetheofficersreasonablesuspiciontodetainrespondent.Theywerejudgingthesuspicionon
personalcharacteristicsratherthansolidevidencethatthecoupledid,is,orgoingtobeengagedin
criminalactivity.