BACKGROUND: Determining the level of police contact is critical because of the legal consequences for officers. Actions can become unlawful if the contact level changes without proper legal justification. For example, you’ll find that in the scenario provided for this worksheet our officers are very interested in questioning an individual — you’ll see down the road with interrogations and determining when Miranda rights apply that distinguishing the type of contact will be VERY important if the suspect makes any kind of incriminating statements during the encounter. So think it very much matters if police want to search or question a suspect if those activities are taking place during a detention as opposed to an arrest.
INSTRUCTIONS: Descriptions are provided of some of the factors courts have used to distinguish between consensual encounters and detentions. You’ll apply these factors to the included scenario. After going through each factor to decide which contact it suggests to you, you will make and defend your final decision about whether you believe the officers in the scenario met reasonable suspicion standards as discussed in lecture .
I have attached the Which Contact? SCENARIO
I have attached the Which Contact? WORKSHEET (Which is my assignment that needs to be filled out)