Florida v. Royer
- Decided
- March 23, 1983
- Docket
- 80-2146
- Status
- Published
- Jurisdiction
- Federal
Cited 6,728 timesNo negative treatment found in this library
What later courts said
- holding that a search conducted pursuant to consent given during an illegal seizure was unconstitutional — (untitled) (2000)
- holding that police officers had reasonable suspicion to detain an airline passenger whose characteristics fit "drug courier profile" — United States v. Mario De Leon-Reyna (1991)
- holding that the state must prove that the seizure was "sufficiently limited in scope and duration to satisfy the conditions of an investigative seizure" — State v. Worwood (2007)
Each line is a later court’s own words about this case, not a summary. Read the opinion before relying on it.
How the opinion begins
[*493] Justice White announced the judgment of the Court and delivered an opinion, in which Justice Marshall, Justice Powell, and Justice Stevens joined.
We are required in this case to determine whether the Court of Appeal of Florida, Third District, properly applied the precepts of the Fourth Amendment in holding that respondent Royer was being illegally detained at the time of his purported consent to a search of his luggage.
On January 3, 1978, Royer was observed at Miami International Airport by two plainclothes detectives of the Dade County, Fla., Public Safety Department assigned to the county’s Organized Crime Bureau, Narcotics Investigation Section.[1] Detectives Johnson and Magdalena believed that Royer’s appearance, mannerisms, luggage, and actions fit the so-called “drug courier profile.”[2] Royer, apparently unaware of the attention he had attracted, purchased a one-way ticket to New York City and checked his two suitcases, placing on each suitcase an identification tag bearing the name “Holt” and the destination “La Guardia.” As Royer made [*494] his way to the concourse which led to the airline boarding area, the two detectives approached him, identified themselves as policemen working out of the sheriff’s office, and asked if Royer had a “moment” to speak with them; Royer said “Yes.”
Cite this
Florida v. Royer, 460 U.S. 491 (1983)Read the full opinion
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