Tag Archives: U. S. Supreme Court

U. S. Supreme Court Addresses Anonymous Tips

Posted on April 25, 2014 by Randall

This week, the United States Supreme Court decided upon the validity of an anonymous tip precipitating a vehicle stop.  Prado Navarette v. California was a 2008 case which involved an anonymous tipster calling in a 911 complaint to the California Highway Patrol of a pickup truck that had run her off of the road.  CHP officers pulled over a truck matching the vehicle’s description and subsequently arrested the occupants for possessing 30 pounds of marijuana in the truck’s bed. In a 5-4 decision, the majority opinion concluded that an anonymous tip can constitute reasonable suspicion for police to effect an investigative traffic stop under the Fourth Amendment.  Citing United States … Continue reading →

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Supreme Court: Miranda Not Required for Prisoners

Posted on February 22, 2012 by Randall

On 2/21/2012, the Supreme Court of the United States ruled in the case of Howes, Warden vs. Fields, No. 10-680.  This case addresses the issue of police questioning of a prisoner without giving Miranda Warnings.  The High Court held that Miranda protections do not apply to prisoners, as long as certain circumstances are present. What is interesting about the majority opinion, written by Justice Samuel J. Alito, and joined by Justices Roberts, Scalia, Kennedy, Thomas, and Kagans, is the reasoning the Court used in overturning the U.S. Court of Appeals Sixth Circuit assertion that the interview of prisoner Randall Fields by sheriff’s deputies was a custodial interrogation. Although it is … Continue reading →

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