The US Supreme Court passed a judgment, which reads that any person caught for a traffic violation can be subjected to frisk if the police officer wants to.
This judgment was made as a part of final hearing of the case of Johnson. He was on the backseat of a car, traveling, before it was pulled over by a police officer of Arizona. The police officer has enquired for the details of the passenger. Here she came to know that he was from a place, which is known to be a home for a Crips gang and he was an ex-burglar. This made her suspicious of the person. A pat-down search was conducted and was found that he possessed a pistol and a small bag of marijuana. Johnson was convicted under illegal possession of weapons and drugs.
It is here that a debate started over the power of a police officer on checking a person just in the name of suspicion. A lawsuit was filed against it. The Supreme Court ruled it out saying that police has legal powers to interrogate or search a person just for suspicion.
This judgment was made as a part of final hearing of the case of Johnson. He was on the backseat of a car, traveling, before it was pulled over by a police officer of Arizona. The police officer has enquired for the details of the passenger. Here she came to know that he was from a place, which is known to be a home for a Crips gang and he was an ex-burglar. This made her suspicious of the person. A pat-down search was conducted and was found that he possessed a pistol and a small bag of marijuana. Johnson was convicted under illegal possession of weapons and drugs.
It is here that a debate started over the power of a police officer on checking a person just in the name of suspicion. A lawsuit was filed against it. The Supreme Court ruled it out saying that police has legal powers to interrogate or search a person just for suspicion.
