Paralegal 101 Practice Test

Stop and frisk is the police power to briefly detain someone and pat down the outside of their clothing when the officer has reasonable suspicion that the person is involved in criminal activity and may be armed. This concept comes from Terry v. Ohio, which allows a short stop to investigate and, if the officer reasonably believes there could be a weapon, a limited frisk to check for weapons. The search is limited to outer garments and what is needed to ensure safety; it cannot become a full search of the person or their belongings without additional probable cause or a warrant. If something suspicious is felt, the officer may seize it or develop probable cause for further action. This is distinct from arrest (which requires probable cause and custody) and from warrant-based searches. Plain view is a separate doctrine about seizing items observed in plain sight during a lawful encounter, not about a frisk.