Opinion ID: 1925383
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Investigative Terry Detention

Text: The Fourth Amendment of the United States Constitution protects individuals from unreasonable searches and seizures. [9] The United States Supreme Court interpreted the Fourth Amendment in Terry v. Ohio, [10] as allowing a police officer [to] detain an individual for investigatory purposes for a limited scope and duration, but only if such detention is supported by a reasonable and articulable suspicion of criminal activity. [11] Thus, law enforcement officers may stop and temporarily detain someone on grounds less than probable cause for an arrest without violating the Fourth Amendment. [12] Such a stop is justified, however, only if specific and articulable facts ... together with rational inferences, suggest that a suspect is involved in criminal activity. [13] Title 11, section 1902 of the Delaware Code codifies the standards for  Terry  stops and temporary detentions under Delaware Law. [14] That section reads, in pertinent part: § 1902. Questioning and detaining suspects. (a) A peace officer may stop any person abroad, or in a public place, who the officer has reasonable ground to suspect is committing, has committed or is about to commit a crime, and may demand the person's name, address, business abroad and destination. This Court has held that the term reasonable ground in the Delaware statute has the same meaning as the words reasonable and articulable suspicion as used in Terry by the United States Supreme Court. [15] In order to satisfy the reasonable and articulable standard, the officer must point to specific facts, which viewed in their entirety and accompanied by rational inferences, support the suspicion that the person sought to be detained was in the process of violating the law. [16] The totality of circumstances, as viewed through the eyes of a reasonable, trained officer in the same or similar circumstances, must be examined by both the trial judge and appellate courts to determine if reasonable suspicion has been properly formulated. [17]