Reasonable Suspicion
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Plain-English Meaning
A lower legal standard than probable cause. It allows police to briefly stop and question a person when they have specific, articulable facts — not just a gut feeling — that suggest the person may be involved in criminal activity. In New York, it also permits a frisk if the officer reasonably believes the person is armed and dangerous.
Legal Context
The reasonable suspicion standard in New York is governed by Terry v. Ohio (1968) for federal law and De Bour/Cantor for New York's four-level framework for police-citizen encounters. Reasonable suspicion requires more than a hunch — the officer must be able to point to specific, concrete facts that justify the stop. A stop based solely on race, appearance, or neighborhood does not meet this standard. In New York City, litigation over stop-and-frisk practices established that reasonable suspicion must be individualized.
Real-Life Example
An officer on patrol received a radio call that a man in a red jacket had just robbed a convenience store two blocks away. One minute later, the officer saw a man in a red jacket running in the same direction. The officer had reasonable suspicion to stop and question that person based on the specifics of the radio description and proximity in time and location.
Related Terms
Source
Based on Terry v. Ohio, 392 U.S. 1 (1968) and People v. De Bour, 40 N.Y.2d 210 (1976). Original B-Legal plain-language explanation.
Terry v. Ohio, 392 U.S. 1 (1968); People v. De Bour, 40 N.Y.2d 210 (1976)
Definitions are simplified for education. Legal meanings vary by jurisdiction, context, and case facts. This definition is original B-Legal content and is not affiliated with or derived from any proprietary legal dictionary.