Which case is most closely associated with the stop and frisk doctrine?

Which case is most closely associated with the stop and frisk doctrine?

• A. Popple v. State
• B. Florida v. Royer
• C. Terry v. Ohio
• D. Illinois v. Lafayette

Answer: (C)

The stop-and-frisk idea is rooted in Terry v. Ohio. That 1966 decision established that a police officer can briefly stop a person if there’s reasonable suspicion of criminal activity, and can frisk or pat down for weapons if the officer believes the person may be armed and dangerous. This creates a lower threshold than probable cause and limits the frisk to a quick check for weapons, aimed at preventing harm to the officer and others. The other cases touch on related Fourth Amendment issues (detentions, searches, or different contexts), but they do not establish or epitomize the stop-and-frisk framework the way Terry v. Ohio does. So Terry v. Ohio is the case most closely associated with the doctrine.

The stop-and-frisk idea is rooted in Terry v. Ohio. That 1966 decision established that a police officer can briefly stop a person if there’s reasonable suspicion of criminal activity, and can frisk or pat down for weapons if the officer believes the person may be armed and dangerous. This creates a lower threshold than probable cause and limits the frisk to a quick check for weapons, aimed at preventing harm to the officer and others. The other cases touch on related Fourth Amendment issues (detentions, searches, or different contexts), but they do not establish or epitomize the stop-and-frisk framework the way Terry v. Ohio does. So Terry v. Ohio is the case most closely associated with the doctrine.