Law of the Case: United States v. Thompson, 876 F2 1381 (1989) (From Crime to Court: Police Officer's Handbook, P 5-12, 1989, Joseph C. Coleman)

• NCJ Number: 121062
• Author(s): J C Coleman
• Date Published: 1989
• Length: 8 pages
• Sponsoring Agency: South Carolina Law Enforcement Training Council
• Corporate Author: South Carolina Criminal Justice Acad
• Publication Format: Document
• Publication Type: Legislation/Policy Analysis
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

The facts of the case of United States v. Thompson provide guidance on when police officers can legally justify an investigative stop of a criminal suspect based on the information supplied by a reliable informant in combination with factors that the police officer observes later.

Abstract

Thompson appealed his conviction for cocaine possession following a search at the airport, contending that the police lacked probable cause to arrest him and that any consent to a search was not voluntary. However, the defendant matched all the other details of the description by a confidential informant and thus that the police officer had reasonable grounds for believing that the remaining unverified piece of information was likewise true. In addition, the police officer did not violate the defendant's rights by approaching him and making inquiries. Moreover, looking at an airline ticket did not represent a search, and the officer did not intimidate the suspect to obtain consent for the search of the suspect's bag and person. Discussion of Federal sentencing guidelines regarding acceptance of personal responsibility and its relationship to the level of offense. For a related discussion of this case, see NCJ-121061.