Title: People v. Moss

State: illinois

Issuer: Illinois Supreme Court

Document:

Docket No. 99616-Agenda 12-September 2005.
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, Appellant, v. 							
WINIFRED MOSS, Appellee.
Opinion filed December 15, 2005.
 
	JUSTICE GARMAN delivered the opinion of the court:
	Defendant was arrested and charged in the circuit court of Saline
County with one count of unlawful possession of a controlled
substance. 720 ILCS 570/402(a)(2)(A) (West 2002). The evidence
supporting this charge was recovered during a lawful traffic stop.
Defendant was a passenger in the vehicle stopped by police and was
also its registered owner. He gave consent to a search of the vehicle.
While the vehicle search was in progress, an officer performed a pat-down search of defendant to check for weapons. At the time of this
incident, defendant was on mandatory supervised release (MSR) from
the Illinois Department of Corrections.
	The circuit court granted defendant's motion to suppress cocaine
that was seized during the pat-down search. The circuit court ruled
that the search was illegal because there was no articulable suspicion
to justify it. The appellate court affirmed. 353 Ill. App. 3d 663. We
granted the State's petition for leave to appeal (177 Ill. 2d R. 315) to
determine whether defendant's fourth amendment rights were violated
when an officer lacking individualized suspicion of illegal activity
performed a pat-down search of defendant, a parolee subject to a
search condition. We now reverse the judgments of the appellate court
and the circuit court.

BACKGROUND
	According to testimony given at a suppression hearing, Illinois
Secretary of State Police Officer Richard Lowe executed a traffic stop
on Route 13 in Saline County between 3 p.m. and 4 p.m. on
November 8, 2002. The vehicle he stopped, an orange truck, had been
speeding. Before Officer Lowe exited his squad car, he notified a
dispatcher of his location and the license plate number of the truck. He
then approached the truck to ask for identification from the driver,
John Sanders, and his two passengers, Shawn McGee and defendant.
Defendant called Officer Lowe by his first name. This seemed odd to
Lowe, who did not think he had previously met defendant. All three
men complied with the officer's request for identification information,
although Sanders produced a driver's license that was broken in half
and defendant orally gave the officer his information instead of
producing a license.
	Officer Lowe returned to his car and relayed the identifications
to his dispatcher. The dispatcher informed Officer Lowe that
defendant, the registered owner of the truck, was a parolee.(1) The
dispatcher also informed Lowe that Sanders had two prior drug-related arrests. This radio exchange was overheard by Illinois State
Police Trooper Hobert Boyles, who recognized the names of the three
men in the truck. Boyles knew through contact with other officers that
all three "had prior arrests for and were known to possess firearms."
He had also been personally involved in a recent arrest of McGee for
a gun violation. Boyles contacted Lowe via radio to ask if Lowe
would like his assistance, and Lowe accepted. Boyles drove to join
Lowe at the site of the traffic stop.
	Meanwhile, Lowe spoke with Sanders about his broken driver's
license, and then returned to his squad car to fill out a speeding
citation. Once the citation was complete, he asked Sanders for his
permission to search the truck. Although Lowe had no specific
information about any illegal activity, he "felt that there might possibly
have been some drugs in the vehicle." He based this belief on the
histories of the men in the truck and the direction they were traveling,
theorizing that they may have picked up or dropped off drugs in
Marion. Sanders referred Officer Lowe's request to defendant, who
agreed to a search of his truck. At about that time, Boyles pulled up
behind Lowe's squad car.
	Defendant, Sanders, and McGee had exited the truck in response
to a request by Lowe. Lowe, speaking with Sanders and McGee,
asked if either of the men "had anything." In response, Sanders stated
that he had a knife, which Lowe took from him. Lowe then performed
a pat-down search of both men. He did not ask their permission to
execute this search. As Officer Lowe began to search the truck,
Trooper Boyles performed a pat-down search of defendant. Boyles
similarly did not ask defendant's permission. Boyles testified that it is
his practice to perform pat-down searches for officer safety whenever
subjects are outside a vehicle at a traffic stop, regardless of whether
their behavior arouses any suspicion. He also testified that at no time
did the actions of defendant, Sanders, or McGee put him in fear.
Nothing he saw during the course of the traffic stop made him feel as
if he were in danger, nor did he have any information that defendant
and his associates were committing any offense other than speeding.
	Boyles instructed defendant to face the front of Officer Lowe's
car and clasp his hands behind his back. He patted down defendant's
torso, back, legs, ankles, and groin. In doing so, Boyles felt two hard
objects in the front of defendant's pants. He testified that these objects
were approximately the size of a nine-volt battery, and that he is
aware of weapons that are this size. Boyles also felt a few smaller hard
pieces and a powdery substance. All of the items seemed to be
contained in a bag. Boyles testified that he maintained contact with the
hard object, trying to determine what it was. He asked defendant three
times what was in his pants. When defendant did not answer his
questions, Boyles ordered him to turn around and open the front of his
pants. Instead, defendant removed the object from his pants. The
object was a bag of a white, solid substance that field-tested positive
for cocaine.
	Defendant was arrested and charged with unlawful possession of
a controlled substance. 720 ILCS 570/402(a)(2)(A) (West 2002). The
circuit court granted a pretrial motion by defendant to suppress the
evidence found in the pat-down search.
	The court first concluded that individuals on MSR retain
constitutional protection against intrusions, despite a condition of
MSR which states that they "shall consent" to certain searches. The
court determined that by signing the indication he had received notice
of the conditions of his MSR, defendant did not prospectively consent
to any search by a parole officer or police officer. Observing that
failure to comply with the conditions of MSR could result in its
revocation, the court concluded that Moss had the option of
consenting to the search or losing his MSR.
	The court next addressed whether the search was permissible
without consent. It found that Officer Lowe's suspicion that drugs
might be in the pickup was "a mere hunch." There was no evidence
that the men were engaged in a crime. Trooper Boyles had no reason
to believe the men were armed or that they were committing a crime
other than the speeding violation. The court concluded there were no
articulable facts to justify the search. It later denied the State's motion
to reconsider. The State brought an interlocutory appeal under
Supreme Court Rule 604(a)(1) (188 Ill. 2d R. 604(a)(1)).
	A divided appellate court affirmed the ruling of the circuit court.
The majority concluded that the evidence did not support a reasonable
belief that defendant was armed and dangerous or engaged in criminal
activity. 353 Ill. App. 3d at 667-68. It agreed with the trial court's
conclusion that defendant's MSR status may have reduced his
expectation of privacy, but did not eliminate it entirely. 353 Ill. App.
3d at 668. A special concurrence opined that the traffic stop became
illegal long before the pat-down search of defendant. 353 Ill. App. 3d
at 669 (Kuehn, J., specially concurring). The concurring justice wrote
that performing a records check on Sanders' passengers and asking
permission to search the vehicle both impermissibly exceeded the
scope of the traffic stop. 353 Ill. App. 3d at 669 (Kuehn, J., specially
concurring).
	The dissent concluded that circumstances objectively warranted
a pat-down of all three men. 353 Ill. App. 3d at 671 (Welch, J.,
dissenting). The officers knew the men to have criminal histories, it
was late on a November afternoon, and one officer would be in a
compromising position while searching the truck. 353 Ill. App. 3d at
671-72 (Welch, J., dissenting). The dissent noted that pat-down
searches should be permissible as a matter of routine to guarantee the
safety of police officers. 353 Ill. App. 3d at 672 (Welch, J.,
dissenting). The special concurrence responded to this argument,
emphasizing that "the constitution does not allow pat-down searches
of traffic offenders as an unvarying or habitual method of police
procedure." 353 Ill. App. 3d at 670-71 (Kuehn, J., specially
concurring).
	We granted the State's petition for leave to appeal. 177 Ill. 2d R.
315. In reviewing this decision, we examine first whether the terms of
the defendant's MSR established consent to a pat-down search.
Second, we determine whether the search was constitutional in the
absence of consent.

APPLICABLE LAW
	Review of a motion to suppress involves both questions of fact
and law. People v. Pitman, 211 Ill. 2d 502, 512 (2004). A reviewing
court will uphold findings of historical fact made by the circuit court
unless such findings are against the manifest weight of the evidence.
Pitman, 211 Ill. 2d  at 512. However, we review de novo the ultimate
question of whether the evidence must be suppressed, undertaking our
own assessment of the facts in relation to the issues presented.
Pitman, 211 Ill. 2d  at 512.
	The fourth amendment to the United States Constitution
guarantees the "right of the people to be secure in their persons,
houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and
seizures" U.S. Const., amend. IV. Reasonableness is measured in
objective terms by examining the totality of the circumstances. Ohio
v. Robinette, 519 U.S. 33, 39, 136 L. Ed. 2d 347, 354, 117 S. Ct. 417, 421 (1996). Article I, section 6, of the Illinois Constitution
provides the same level of protection against unreasonable searches
and seizures as the fourth amendment to the United States
Constitution. People v. Tisler, 103 Ill. 2d 226, 243 (1984). For the
court to diverge from this "lockstep doctrine," there must be evidence
in the language of the state constitution or in the debates and
committee reports from its drafting that shows the drafters intended
the state constitution to be construed differently. Tisler, 103 Ill. 2d  at
245; but see People v. Krueger, 175 Ill. 2d 60, 74-76 (1996). The
defendant has not pointed to any such evidence. Thus, we look only
to the fourth amendment in this case. Although the fourth amendment
generally requires a warrant supported by probable cause (People v.
Flowers, 179 Ill. 2d 257, 262 (1997)), there are "a few specifically
established and well-delineated exceptions" to the warrant
requirement (Katz v. United States, 389 U.S. 347, 357, 19 L. Ed. 2d 576, 585, 88 S. Ct. 507, 514 (1967)). Two of these exceptions are
relevant to our analysis.
	The first is the pat-down search recognized by the Supreme
Court in Terry v. Ohio, 392 U.S. 1, 20 L. Ed. 2d 889, 88 S. Ct. 1868
(1968). Terry held that " 'where a police officer observes unusual
conduct which leads him reasonably to conclude in light of his
experience that criminal activity may be afoot ...,' the officer may
briefly stop the suspicious person and make 'reasonable inquiries'
aimed at confirming or dispelling his suspicions." Minnesota v.
Dickerson, 508 U.S. 366, 372-73, 124 L. Ed. 2d 334, 344, 113 S. Ct. 2130, 2135 (1993), quoting Terry, 392 U.S.  at 30, 20 L. Ed. 2d  at
911, 88 S. Ct.  at 1884. Further, when the officer reasonably believes
the suspicious person is armed and dangerous, the officer may conduct
a pat-down search for weapons. Dickerson, 508 U.S.  at 373, 124 L. Ed. 2d  at 344, 113 S. Ct.  at 2136; Terry, 392 U.S.  at 24, 20 L. Ed. 2d 
at 908, 88 S. Ct.  at 1881; People v. Sorenson, 196 Ill. 2d 425, 433
(2001). The reasonableness of the officer's conduct is determined by
whether a reasonably prudent person in the same circumstances would
be warranted in the belief that the officer or another person is in
danger. Terry, 392 U.S.  at 27, 20 L. Ed. 2d  at 909, 88 S. Ct.  at 1883.
	The second relevant exception involves probationers. In Griffin
v. Wisconsin, 483 U.S. 868, 97 L. Ed. 2d 709, 107 S. Ct. 3164
(1987), probation officers searched the home of the defendant, Griffin,
and found a handgun. Griffin was on probation and thus was
forbidden from possessing firearms. Griffin, 483 U.S.  at 870-71, 97 L. Ed. 2d  at 715-16, 107 S. Ct.  at 3167. Though warrantless, the
search was conducted under the authority of Wisconsin's probation
regulations. The regulations permitted probation officers to search the
homes of probationers without a warrant if the officers had reasonable
grounds to suspect the presence of contraband. A defendant who
refused to consent to such a search violated the terms of his probation.
Griffin, 483 U.S.  at 871, 97 L. Ed. 2d  at 716, 107 S. Ct.  at 3167. The
Court held that the administration of the state's probation system
presented "special needs" beyond normal law enforcement that made
the requirements of a warrant and probable cause impracticable.
Griffin, 483 U.S.  at 873-74, 97 L. Ed. 2d  at 717, 107 S. Ct.  at 3168.
These special needs justified replacing the warrant and probable cause
requirements with the lesser standard of "reasonable grounds," as
established by the Wisconsin regulation permitting probation searches.
Griffin, 483 U.S.  at 875-76, 97 L. Ed. 2d  at 719, 107 S. Ct.  at 3169-70. Thus, the search of Griffin's home was reasonable because it was
conducted pursuant to a valid regulation governing probationers. The
Court left open the question of whether warrantless searches of
probationers were otherwise reasonable under the fourth amendment.
Griffin, 483 U.S.  at 880, 97 L. Ed. 2d  at 722, 107 S. Ct.  at 3172.
	The Court later addressed the validity of a warrantless
probationer search by a law enforcement officer in United States v.
Knights, 534 U.S. 112, 151 L. Ed. 2d 497, 122 S. Ct. 587 (2001).
Knights, the defendant, was subject to a probation condition requiring
that he submit to a search by a probation or law enforcement officer
at any time. Knights, 534 U.S.  at 114, 151 L. Ed. 2d  at 502, 122 S. Ct.  at 589. A detective suspected Knights' involvement in a string of
vandalism incidents and noticed suspicious activity outside his
apartment. Knights, 534 U.S.  at 114-15, 151 L. Ed. 2d  at 502-03, 122 S. Ct.  at 589. Based on Knights' probation condition, the detective
searched Knights' apartment. He found evidence that led to Knights'
indictment on arson charges. Knights, 534 U.S.  at 115-16, 151 L. Ed. 2d  at 503, 122 S. Ct.  at 589-90. The Supreme Court held that the
search uncovering this evidence was valid, even though it was
conducted for a law enforcement purpose rather than a probationary
purpose.
	The Court noted that Griffin's "special needs" holding made it
unnecessary for that case to examine whether warrantless searches of
probationers were reasonable for nonprobationary purposes. Knights,
534 U.S.  at 117-18, 151 L. Ed. 2d  at 504, 122 S. Ct.  at 590-91. In the
absence of the special need served by administering a probation
system, the Knights Court instead applied a general fourth amendment
analysis to examine whether the search was reasonable under the
totality of the circumstances. Knights, 534 U.S.  at 118, 151 L. Ed. 2d 
at 505, 122 S. Ct.  at 591. The Court determined that Knights' status
as a probationer informed both sides of the balance between his
privacy and the legitimate government interests in the search. Knights,
534 U.S.  at 118-19, 151 L. Ed. 2d  at 505, 122 S. Ct.  at 591. The
probation search condition significantly diminished Knights'
reasonable expectation of privacy. Knights, 534 U.S.  at 119-20, 151 L. Ed. 2d  at 505, 122 S. Ct.  at 592. Knights' status as a probationer
also increased the government's interest in searching him, as
probationers are more likely to engage in criminal conduct than an
ordinary member of the community. Knights, 534 U.S.  at 120-21, 151 L. Ed. 2d  at 506, 122 S. Ct.  at 592. Thus, the Court held that when
an officer has reasonable suspicion that a probationer subject to a
search condition is engaged in criminal activity, there is enough
likelihood that criminal conduct is occurring that an intrusion on the
probationer's significantly diminished privacy interests is reasonable.
Knights, 534 U.S.  at 121, 151 L. Ed. 2d  at 506-07, 122 S. Ct.  at 593.
Although the Knights Court held that reasonable suspicion is sufficient
to support a probation search, it did not address whether reasonable
suspicion is required for such a search. Knights, 534 U.S.  at 120 n.6,
151 L. Ed. 2d  at 505 n.6, 122 S. Ct.  at 592 n.6.
	The defendants in Knights and Griffin were on probation, while
defendant in this case is on MSR, the equivalent of parole. This court
has stated generally that probationers and parolees share the same
status for fourth amendment purposes. People v. Lampitok, 207 Ill. 2d 231, 256 n.1 (2003), citing United States v. Crawford, 323 F.3d 700,
708 n.15 (9th Cir. 2003); Gagnon v. Scarpelli, 411 U.S. 778, 782 &
n.3, 36 L. Ed. 2d 656, 661 & n.3, 93 S. Ct. 1756, 1759 & n.3 (1973)
(same guarantee of due process applies to revocation of parole and
revocation of probation). Probationers and persons on MSR are
similarly situated in the broad sense that both enjoy conditional liberty.
Crawford, 323 F.3d  at 708 n.15, citing United States v. Harper, 928 F.2d 894, 896 n.1 (9th Cir. 1991). However, the reasons for the
imposition of each status are markedly different. Morrissey v. Brewer,
408 U.S. 471, 496 n.6, 33 L. Ed. 2d 484, 503 n.6, 92 S. Ct. 2593,
2608 n.6 (1972) (Douglas, J., dissenting) (probation is imposed in lieu
of a prison sentence, while parole is imposed following a prison
sentence).
	Probation is a "mild and ambulatory" punishment, appropriate
where an offender does not present a threat to the safety and security
of a community. People v. Dowiels, 3 Ill. App. 3d 813, 814 (1972). A
court may impose a sentence of probation unless imprisonment is
necessary to protect the public or probation would deprecate the
seriousness of the offender's conduct. 730 ILCS 5/5-6-1(a) (West
2004). Thus, probation is incompatible with a prison term. People v.
Williams, 179 Ill. 2d 331, 336 (1997); People v. Spera, 303 Ill. App.
3d 834, 838 (1999). In contrast, a term of MSR always accompanies
a prison term. Every felony defendant who is sentenced to prison is
also sentenced to a term of MSR. 730 ILCS 5/5-8-1(d) (West 2004).
During MSR, the Department of Corrections retains custody of the
defendant. 730 ILCS 5/3-14-2(a) (West 2004). Our sentencing
scheme thus contemplates that an offender on MSR presents a greater
threat to the public than a probationer. This distinction is relevant to
the balancing test of Knights.

ANALYSIS
I. Consent
	The Knights Court declined to decide whether the defendant's
acceptance of a search condition constituted a complete waiver of his
fourth amendment rights. Knights, 534 U.S.  at 118, 151 L. Ed. 2d  at
504-05, 122 S. Ct.  at 591. We are asked in this case to determine
whether defendant's acceptance of a similar condition establishes such
a waiver.
	During the events of November 8, 2002, defendant was on MSR
from the Illinois Department of Corrections. The state legislature has
established a set of conditions applicable to every term of parole and
MSR. 730 ILCS 5/3-3-7 (West 2004). These were reflected in the
"Notice of Conditions of Parole/Mandatory Supervised Release" that
the defendant received. On December 12, 2001, the defendant signed
an acknowledgment that he was required to comply with the listed
conditions. The document read, in part:
		"Effective January 1, 2002, you are hereby obligated to
comply with the following conditions:
			You shall not violate any criminal statute of any
jurisdiction during the parole or release term;
			You shall refrain from possessing a firearm or other
dangerous weapon;
			You shall report to an agent of the Department of
Corrections;
* * *
			You shall obtain the permission of an agent of the
Department of Corrections before changing your residence or
employment;
			You shall consent to a search of your person, property, or
residence under your control;
			You shall refrain from the use or possession of narcotics
or other controlled substances in any form, or both, or any
paraphernalia related to those substances and submit to a
urinalysis test as instructed by a parole agent or the
Department of Corrections."
	The notification that Moss signed warned him that "Failure to
comply with these terms and conditions, in addition to any additional
terms or conditions set by the Prisoner Review Board, may subject
you to revocation of parole or mandatory supervised release." The
authorization for this is found in section 3-3-9 of the Unified Code of
Corrections (730 ILCS 5/3-3-9 (West 2004)), which establishes
sanctions up to and including revocation of MSR when a defendant
violates an MSR condition. Although the Prisoner Review Board is
the disciplinary authority, law enforcement officers need not sit idly by
when they witness a parole violation:
		"A sheriff or other peace officer may detain an alleged parole
or release violator until a warrant for his return to the
Department [of Corrections] can be issued." 730 ILCS
5/3-14-2(c) (West 2004).
	The State argues that by signing the agreement acknowledging
his parole conditions, the defendant expressly consented to being
searched. We considered a similar argument in People v. Lampitok,
207 Ill. 2d 231 (2003). The probation condition at issue in Lampitok
contained the following language:
			" '11. That the Defendant shall submit to a search of her
person, residence, or automobile at any time as directed by
her Probation Officer to verify compliance with the
conditions of this Probation Order.' " Lampitok, 207 Ill. 2d 
at 236.
	We determined that this provision did not constitute a waiver of
fourth amendment protection or a prospective consent to all probation
searches. Instead, we found that "the plain language of this probation
search condition affirmatively required [the probationer's] probation
officer to ask her to consent-or submit-to a particular search prior to
conducting it." When asked, she could then decide whether to submit
to the search or face the revocation of her probation. Lampitok, 207 Ill. 2d  at 261-62.
	The State attempts to distinguish defendant's MSR condition
from the condition at issue in Lampitok. First, the State argues that
defendant's agreement provides for searches by any agent, while the
probation condition in Lampitok provided for searches only by the
probationer's probation officer. Further, the State draws a distinction
between the use of the phrase "shall submit" in the condition at issue
in Lampitok and the use of the phrase "shall consent" in the search
condition of defendant's MSR. Whereas this court found that the
phrase "shall submit" requires further action by the probationer, the
State argues that the phrase "shall consent" amounts to a prospective
waiver of rights. Defendant responds that, in either case, the operative
word is "shall."
	We agree with defendant. In Lampitok, the word "shall" indicated
that by accepting the probation term, the probationer accepted an
obligation to submit to a search when directed to do so. Similarly,
defendant accepted an obligation to consent to a search when directed
to do so. This conclusion is further supported by Lampitok's use of
"submit" and "consent" in tandem. Lampitok, 207 Ill. 2d  at 262
(search condition required probation officer "to ask her to consent-or
submit-to a particular search prior to conducting it"). The greater
breadth of the parole condition in the case at bar is irrelevant.
Although defendant's condition allows for a greater variety of
searchers and searches, it still requires that he give his consent to each
search before it is conducted.
	Other conditions of defendant's MSR similarly use the word
"shall." For example, defendant "shall refrain" from possessing a
firearm and "shall report" to the Department of Corrections. These
conditions do not foreclose the opposite result. Defendant could
choose to obtain a gun, or he could choose not to report to the
Department of Corrections. Similarly, he can choose not to consent
to a search. But if he makes any of these choices, he risks the
revocation of his MSR. We hold that the search condition of
defendant's MSR does not establish prospective consent to all
searches.
	We note that if Boyles had asked for defendant's consent to a
pat-down search, defendant very well may have refused. This refusal
would have violated the conditions of defendant's MSR. Faced with
such a violation, Boyles would have been authorized to detain
defendant. 730 ILCS 5/3-14-2(c) (West 2004). This authority gives
weight to the search condition. It also gives officers a tool with which
to address their safety concerns.

II. Totality of the Circumstances
	In the absence of consent, we next address whether the pat-down
search of defendant was otherwise appropriate. First, we clarify that
the "special needs" test of Griffin, 483 U.S.  at 873-74, 97 L. Ed. 2d 
at 717, 107 S. Ct.  at 3168, does not apply here. The special needs of
the state's MSR program are not at issue because the search of
defendant was not performed for any supervisory purpose. See
Knights, 534 U.S.  at 118, 151 L. Ed. 2d  at 505, 122 S. Ct.  at 591.
Instead, Trooper Boyles and Officer Lowe acted pursuant to their
ordinary law enforcement responsibilities when they carried out a
traffic stop of a speeding vehicle. Lacking a special need similar to the
one found in Griffin, our analysis utilizes the totality of the
circumstances test applied in Knights. Knights, 534 U.S.  at 118, 151 L. Ed. 2d  at 505, 122 S. Ct.  at 591; see also Lampitok, 207 Ill. 2d  at
248.
	In contrast to Knights, the case before us involves a vehicle stop.
Traffic stops are more analogous to a Terry investigative stop than to
a formal arrest. Knowles v. Iowa, 525 U.S. 113, 117, 142 L. Ed. 2d 492, 498, 119 S. Ct. 484, 488 (1998), citing Berkemer v. McCarty,
468 U.S. 420, 439, 82 L. Ed. 2d 317, 334, 104 S. Ct. 3138, 3150
(1984). Therefore, we analyze such stops under the principles of
Terry. People v. Jones, 215 Ill. 2d 261, 270 (2005); People v.
Brownlee, 186 Ill. 2d 501, 518-21 (1999). A Terry analysis involves
two steps. We consider, first, whether the officer's action was justified
at its inception and, second, whether it was reasonably related in
scope to the circumstances that justified the interference in the first
place. Terry, 392 U.S.  at 19-20, 20 L. Ed. 2d  at 905, 88 S. Ct at
1879. A vehicle stop based on an officer's observation of a traffic
violation is valid at its inception. People v. Gonzalez, 204 Ill. 2d 220,
228-29 (2003); Sorenson, 196 Ill. 2d  at 433. We thus focus on
whether the subsequent actions of Officer Lowe and Trooper Boyles
were reasonably related in scope to the circumstances that justified the
initial interference. The totality of the circumstances analysis applied
in Knights guides our decision.
	The officers engaged in two separate actions that have fourth
amendment significance. First, Officer Lowe requested and received
consent to search defendant's vehicle. Second, Trooper Boyles
performed a pat-down search of defendant's person. If the search of
the vehicle was improper, it may taint the pat-down search that
followed. See Wong Sun v. United States, 317 U.S. 471, 9 L. Ed. 2d 441, 83 S. Ct. 407 (1963). Thus, we consider each step separately to
determine whether each action satisfied Terry's scope requirement.
	In Gonzalez, a majority of this court established the framework
by which we apply the scope requirement to a police question during
a traffic stop:
			"[W]e must consider, as an initial matter, whether the
question is related to the initial justification for the stop. If
the question is reasonably related to the purpose of the stop,
no fourth amendment violation occurs. If the question is not
reasonably related to the purpose of the stop, we must
consider whether the law enforcement officer had a
reasonable, articulable suspicion that would justify the
question. If the question is so justified, no fourth amendment
violation occurs. In the absence of a reasonable connection to
the purpose of the stop or a reasonable, articulable suspicion,
we must consider whether, in light of all the circumstances
and common sense, the question impermissibly prolonged the
detention or changed the fundamental nature of the stop."
Gonzalez, 204 Ill. 2d  at 235.
Defendant argues that Officer Lowe impermissibly changed the
purpose of the stop when, instead of delivering the completed
speeding citation to Sanders, he asked permission to search
defendant's truck. The State responds that the search was justified on
grounds of officer safety. This response conflates the search of the
truck with the search of defendant's person. Officer Lowe testified
that he requested permission to search the truck because he felt there
might be drugs in the vehicle, not because he felt his safety was at risk.
	In light of this testimony, we agree with the defendant that
Officer Lowe's request for consent to search defendant's vehicle was
clearly unrelated to the purpose of the traffic stop. However,
defendant's MSR status makes this situation distinct. The conditions
of defendant's MSR put him on notice that law enforcement officials
may ask his consent to search his "person, property, or residence
under [his] control," including his pickup truck, with or without
reasonable suspicion. While not reasonably related to the purpose of
the traffic stop, the request to search was reasonable because of the
defendant's MSR. Under the conditions of that MSR, Officer Lowe
properly asked for defendant's consent to search his pickup.
Defendant gave his consent. Therefore, the search of the truck was
proper.
	We turn next to the pat-down search of defendant. Our case law
has established the impropriety of "hard and fast" presumptions that
authorize police officers to automatically pat down certain types of
suspects. People v. Galvin, 127 Ill. 2d 153, 173 (1989). In Flowers,
this court found an officer's routine practice to be the "[m]ost
problematic" factor when it invalidated a suspicionless pat-down
search. Flowers, 179 Ill. 2d  at 266. The officer in Flowers testified
that he did not have any particular reason to think that the defendant
had a weapon, but that he performed a pat-down search anyway,
because "I do that as a common thing in my job, to pat people down
for my safety as well as theirs." Flowers, 179 Ill. 2d  at 261. The court
noted that this practice misapprehends the scope of the Terry
exception. Flowers, 179 Ill. 2d  at 266. It held that "[t]he limited
exception recognized in Terry *** clearly does not permit police
officers to engage in a practice of routinely frisking individuals,
without concern for whether a particular person poses a danger."
Flowers, 179 Ill. 2d  at 267. Instead, we have said that an officer may
frisk a defendant for weapons only if the officer reasonably believes
that the person is armed and dangerous. Sorenson, 196 Ill. 2d  at 433,
citing Flowers, 179 Ill. 2d  at 262.
	Thus, Trooper Boyles' routine practice of patting down every
person who is outside a vehicle at a traffic stop would be unlikely to
withstand the scrutiny of Terry in the abstract. However, we judge the
reasonableness of the search before us only by its particular facts and
circumstances. See Galvin, 127 Ill. 2d  at 173. An officer's subjective
feelings may not dictate whether a pat-down search is valid or invalid.
Galvin, 127 Ill. 2d  at 168. Rather, the test is objective: Would the
facts available to the officer at the moment of the search " 'warrant a
man of reasonable caution in the belief' that the action taken was
appropriate?" Terry, 392 U.S.  at 21-22, 20 L. Ed. 2d  at 906, 88 S. Ct. 
at 1880, quoting Carroll v. United States, 267 U.S. 132, 162, 69 L. Ed. 543, 555, 45 S. Ct. 280, 288 (1925); Galvin, 127 Ill. 2d  at 167
(test must be objective rather than subjective, or else "an officer who
subjectively feels no fear in a situation where a reasonably prudent
person in the same circumstances would fear for his or her own safety
would never be justified in conducting a pat-down search of a suspect
temporarily stopped pursuant to a valid Terry stop"). Again, this
question must be answered with reference to the totality of the
circumstances analysis employed in Knights.
	First, Trooper Boyles had a strong interest in ensuring defendant
was not armed. He and his fellow officer were beside a rural road. The
two officers were outnumbered by three men well known to law
enforcement. Their identities alone suggested enough of a safety
concern that Boyles offered his assistance to Officer Lowe as soon as
he heard their names over the radio. He was aware through law
enforcement circles that all three men were associated with weapons,
and he had recently been involved in a weapons-related arrest of
McGee. He was also aware that defendant was a parolee.(2)
	Notably, the circumstances surrounding the pat-down search
involved not just a traffic stop, but a consensual automobile search.
This circumstance, which requires passengers to leave the vehicle and
an officer to place himself in a compromising position, increases the
government's interest in ensuring those passengers are not armed.
This court has recognized that the public has a strong interest in
officer safety. People v. Gonzalez, 184 Ill. 2d 402, 418 (1998); People
v. Harris, 207 Ill. 2d 515, 531 n.4 (2003) (concerns about officer
safety are "legitimate and weighty"), citing Pennsylvania v. Mimms,
434 U.S. 106, 110, 54 L. Ed. 2d 331, 336, 98 S. Ct. 330, 333 (1977).
The risk to an officer is increased by the presence of passengers
(Sorenson, 196 Ill. 2d at 437), particularly when those passengers are
outside the vehicle. Although Trooper Boyles was not the sole officer
at the scene, he and Officer Lowe were outnumbered, and Lowe was
occupied with the vehicle search. Boyles was not just outnumbered-he
was outnumbered by three men he believed to have histories involving
weapons and drugs, three men with whom he and his fellow law
enforcement officers were quite familiar.
	These officer safety circumstances contributed to the
government's interest in performing a pat-down search of defendant.
The defendant's MSR status also contributed to that interest. The
state is justified in focusing greater attention on probationers because
of their higher likelihood of recidivism. Knights, 534 U.S.  at 120, 151 L. Ed. 2d  at 506, 122 S. Ct.  at 592; Lampitok, 207 Ill. 2d  at 248.
Persons on MSR, even more than probationers, present a risk to the
public. See 730 ILCS 5/5-6-1(a) (West 2004); People v. Williams,
179 Ill. 2d 331, 336 (1997); People v. Spera, 303 Ill. App. 3d 834,
838 (1999). The objective officer safety concerns, combined with the
defendant's MSR status, established a significant governmental
interest in performing a pat-down search to ensure that defendant was
not armed.
	The defendant's MSR status also impacts the other side of the
balance. A parolee has a reduced expectation of privacy compared to
ordinary citizens because he or she is a criminal offender. See
Lampitok, 207 Ill. 2d  at 250-51, citing People v. Adams, 149 Ill. 2d 331, 348 (1992). The search condition of defendant's MSR further
diminishes that already reduced expectation. We noted in Lampitok
that the breadth of a search condition affects a probationer's
expectation of privacy. Lampitok, 207 Ill. 2d  at 251. The probationer
in that case was subject to a search condition that required her to
submit to searches as directed by her probation officer for the purpose
of determining her compliance with probation. Lampitok, 207 Ill. 2d 236. In contrast, the search condition in Knights required the
probationer to submit to searches by any probation officer or law
enforcement officer. Knights, 534 U.S.  at 114, 151 L. Ed. 2d  at 502,
122 S. Ct.  at 589. The condition of defendant's MSR is similarly
broad. It requires that he consent to a search of his person, residence,
or property under his control, with no limitation on what government
agent may perform that search or what purpose they may have.
Accordingly, defendant's expectation of privacy is much more limited
than that of the probationer in Lampitok. We note also that, in keeping
with the differing purposes of MSR and probation, the statutory
conditions attached to each status differ in type. The conditions of
probation are fewer in number and include rehabilitative provisions
such as community service and substance abuse treatment. 730 ILCS
5/5-6-3 (West 2004). In contrast, the conditions of MSR more
extensively curtail the liberty of parolees, limiting where they may live,
with whom they may associate, and what places they may frequent.
730 ILCS 5/3-3-7 (West 2004). These differences support the
conclusion that a person subject to MSR has a lesser expectation of
freedom from government intrusion than a probationer does.
	Balancing the defendant's limited privacy interest with the
government's interest in performing a pat-down search to ensure
officer safety, we hold that the pat-down search of defendant did not
violate his fourth amendment right to be free from unreasonable
searches. The vulnerable position of the officers, the trooper's
concerns about the histories of the men who were pulled over, the
defendant's MSR status, and his significantly reduced expectation of
privacy make the pat-down search reasonable in light of the totality of
the circumstances. The limited scope of a pat-down search for
weapons, as opposed to a full-fledged search for evidence, was
appropriate where no individualized suspicion of illegal activity
existed.
	In this particular case, objective concerns about officer safety,
combined with the defendant's status as a parolee subject to a search
condition, shift the balance in favor of the reasonableness of a pat-down search. We emphasize that our holding is limited to
circumstances in which MSR is a factor and does not address the
appropriateness of pat-down searches in other situations.

III. Scope
	Defendant argues that even if a pat-down search was reasonable
at its inception, the extent of the pat-down exceeded the permissible
scope of a search. He argues, first, that Trooper Boyles' purpose was
to search for contraband instead of weapons and, second, that the
trooper impermissibly extended his search after determining the object
in defendant's pants was not a weapon. In support, defendant cites
Minnesota v. Dickerson, 508 U.S. 366, 124 L. Ed. 2d 334, 113 S. Ct. 2130 (1993), in which the Supreme Court invalidated a pat-down
search when the officer discovered a lump of cocaine by " 'squeezing,
sliding and otherwise manipulating the contents of the defendant's
pocket.' " Dickerson, 508 U.S.  at 378, 124 L. Ed. 2d  at 347, 113 S. Ct.  at 2138, quoting State v. Dickerson, 481 N.W.2d 840, 844 (Minn.
1992). The State responds that Trooper Boyles was properly within
the scope of a pat-down search because he was attempting to
determine whether the hard object in defendant's pants was a weapon.
	The purpose of a pat-down search is to protect the officer and
others in the vicinity, not to gather evidence. Flowers, 179 Ill. 2d  at
263, citing Dickerson, 508 U.S.  at 373, 124 L. Ed. 2d  at 344, 113 S. Ct.  at 2136. The scope of the search must be limited to actions which
are reasonably likely to discover weapons that could be used to harm
the officer. Terry, 392 U.S.  at 29, 20 L. Ed. 2d  at 911, 88 S. Ct.  at
1884. A search that exceeds this scope is constitutionally invalid.
Dickerson, 508 U.S.  at 379, 124 L. Ed. 2d  at 348, 113 S. Ct.  at 2139.
	As we have held above, Trooper Boyles was entitled to perform
a pat-down search to learn whether defendant was armed. The record
contains no evidence that his purpose was to search for drugs, rather
than weapons. Boyles testified that his purpose was officer safety. The
record similarly contains no indication that Boyles continued the
search after he had assured himself that defendant was unarmed.
Unlike the officer in Dickerson, who continued to manipulate the
defendant's pocket even after he determined it did not contain a
weapon (Dickerson, 508 U.S.  at 378, 124 L. Ed. 2d  at 347, 113 S. Ct.
at 2138), Boyles testified that he could not identify the hard object he
felt in defendant's pants, but was aware of weapons that are a similar
size. In light of this testimony, we hold that the search of defendant
did not exceed the proper scope under Terry when Trooper Boyles
continued his contact with defendant's pants as he attempted to
determine whether the object he felt was a weapon.

CONCLUSION
	The circuit court erroneously suppressed the evidence found in
the pat-down search of defendant because the search was
constitutionally reasonable in light of objective officer safety concerns
and the defendant's status as a parolee subject to a search condition.
	The judgments of the appellate and circuit courts are reversed
and this cause remanded to the circuit court for proceedings in
accordance with this disposition.
Judgments reversed;
 cause remanded.
1. What was known in Illinois law as "parole" prior to 
February 1, 1978,
is now termed "mandatory supervised release" (MSR). 730 ILCS 5/581(d)
(West 2004). For purposes of fourth amendment analysis, there is no
difference between a parolee and a defendant on MSR.
2.  ï»¿ 
One fact that was not available to Trooper Boyles was defendant's
unexpected familiarity with Officer Lowe's first name. The State points to
this as an illustration of the officer safety risk defendant presented. However,
nothing in the record indicates that Boyles was aware of this earlier exchange
between defendant and Lowe. Thus, it cannot serve as justification for
Boyles' search of defendant.