Constitutional Law & Civil Rights Flashcards

Under Terry v. Ohio, what level of suspicion is required for a police officer to conduct a brief investigative stop?

Answer: Reasonable articulable suspicion

Terry stops require only reasonable articulable suspicion, a lower standard than probable cause.

The 'plain view' doctrine allows officers to seize evidence without a warrant when which conditions are met?

Answer: The officer is lawfully present, the item is immediately apparent as contraband, and discovery is inadvertent

Plain view requires lawful presence, immediately apparent incriminating nature, and lawful access to the object.

A suspect invokes their right to counsel during a custodial interrogation. What must officers do?

Answer: Immediately cease all questioning until an attorney is present

Under Edwards v. Arizona, once a suspect invokes the right to counsel, all interrogation must stop until counsel is present.

Which Supreme Court case established that evidence obtained in violation of the Fourth Amendment is generally inadmissible in court?

Answer: Mapp v. Ohio

Mapp v. Ohio (1961) applied the exclusionary rule to state courts, building on the federal rule from Weeks v. United States.

Under the Fourteenth Amendment, the Equal Protection Clause prohibits officers from making enforcement decisions based primarily on a person's:

Answer: Race or national origin

Selective enforcement based on race or national origin constitutes racial profiling and violates the Equal Protection Clause.

Which amendment protects citizens from being compelled to testify against themselves in a criminal case?

Answer: Fifth Amendment

The Fifth Amendment's self-incrimination clause protects individuals from being forced to be witnesses against themselves.

The 'good faith' exception to the exclusionary rule, established in United States v. Leon, applies when:

Answer: Officers acted in reasonable reliance on a facially valid search warrant

The good faith exception allows evidence obtained under a defective warrant if officers reasonably relied on it in good faith.