Florida v. Bostick
United States Supreme Court
501 U.S. 429, 111 S.Ct. 2382, 115 L.Ed.2d 389 (1991)
- Written by Ariella Zarfati, JD
Facts
Bostick (defendant) was riding a bus when two uniformed sheriff’s officers boarded. The officers singled out Bostick and asked him for identification. The officers told Bostick that they were narcotics agents searching for drugs and asked to search his luggage. The officers informed Bostick that he had a right to refuse to consent to the search. Bostick consented to the search and the officers discovered drugs in his luggage. Bostick appealed a trial court judgment and the state supreme court concluded that the officers had engaged in an unreasonable seizure that violated Bostick’s constitutional rights. The state court further held that the unconstitutional seizure negated Bostick’s consent to the search of his luggage. The state of Florida (plaintiff) petitioned the United States Supreme Court for review.
Rule of Law
Issue
Holding and Reasoning (O’Connor, J.)
Dissent (Marshall, J.)
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