Opinion ID: 496265
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Marines

Text: 23 Agent Colson detained Olga Marines for about 20 minutes while Martinez retrieved her papers. Marines does not contend that agents lacked a reasonable basis for detaining her, but argues that the detention was far more intrusive, frightening and embarrassing than the circumstances required. 24 The scope of a Terry stop must be reasonably tailored to its purpose. Berkemer v. McCarty, 468 U.S. 420, 439, 104 S.Ct. 3138, 3149, 82 L.Ed.2d 317 (1984); Florida v. Royer, 460 U.S. 491, 500, 103 S.Ct. 1319, 1325, 7 L.Ed.2d 229 (1983) (plurality opinion). The stop may last only so long as is necessary to carry out its purpose and the investigative methods used should be the least intrusive means reasonably available to confirm or dispel the officer's suspicion. Royer, 460 U.S. at 499-500, 103 S.Ct. at 1325. The government has the burden of showing that the seizure was so limited. Id. However, a reviewing court should keep in mind the pace of events occurring at the time of the stop and should not substitute its judgment about the best means of investigation for that of the officers. United States v. Sharpe, 470 U.S. 675, 686-87, 105 S.Ct. 1568, 1575-76, 84 L.Ed.2d 605 (1985). A Terry stop becomes an arrest, and must be supported by probable cause, when a reasonable person would believe that he or she was under arrest. United States v. Patterson, 648 F.2d 625, 632 (9th Cir.1981). 25 We hold that under all the circumstances, detaining Marines for 20 minutes was reasonable. Admittedly, there were other options, for instance, an agent could have accompanied her to her car, or alerted the agent in the parking lot to watch for her. However, as the factory was a scene of anxiety and confusion, the agents were busy. They had to decide whether anyone could be spared to accompany Marines to her car. In hindsight, it might have been better to let her go to the parking lot by herself. On balance, considering the confusion and the pace of events, we cannot say that the agents acted unreasonably in choosing to keep Marines in the plant. See Sharpe, 470 U.S. at 686-87, 105 S.Ct. at 1575-76. 26 Once the agents decided to detain Marines, they acted reasonably. Although Agent Colson threatened to tie her hands if she tried to leave, he did not thereby transform her detention into an arrest. While his language and tone were intemperate, under the circumstances they would not have led a reasonable person in Marines' position to believe that she was under arrest. 27 The agents placed those they arrested in a van bound for Boise. Marines was treated differently. The agents detained her inside, and let her know that she would be released as soon as Martinez returned with her papers. Had she been in compliance with the green card statute, 4 she would have avoided the inconvenience.