United States v. Sharpe
- Decided
- March 20, 1985
- Docket
- 83-529
- Status
- Published
- Jurisdiction
- Federal
Cited 2,970 timesNo negative treatment found in this library
What later courts said
- holding that a detention was not unreasonable where officers, though slowed down, were diligent in their investigation — United States v. Turvin (2008)
- holding that a DEA agent had a reasonable suspicion that a driver of a car was involved in marihuana trafficking when the agent testified: 1 — United States v. Hare (1998)
- holding that a 20-minute detention was not a defacto arrest when the detainee’s own actions contributed to the delay — State v. Ugalino (2005)
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
Chief Justice Burger delivered the opinion of the Court.
We granted certiorari to decide whether an individual reasonably suspected of engaging in criminal activity may be [*677] detained for a period of 20 minutes, when the detention is necessary for law enforcement officers to conduct a limited investigation of the suspected criminal activity.
I — I <1 On the morning of June 9, 1978, Agent Cooke of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) was on patrol in an unmarked vehicle on a coastal road near Sunset Beach, North Carolina, an area under surveillance for suspected drug trafficking. At approximately 6:30 a. m., Cooke noticed a blue pickup truck with an attached camper shell traveling on the highway in tandem with a blue Pontiac Bonneville. Respondent Savage was driving the pickup, and respondent Sharpe was driving the Pontiac. The Pontiac also carried a passenger, Davis, the charges against whom were later dropped. Observing that the truck was riding low in the rear and that the camper did not bounce or sway appreciably when the truck drove over bumps or around curves, Agent Cooke concluded that it was heavily loaded. A quilted material covered the rear and side windows of the camper.
Statutes cited
Cite this
United States v. Sharpe, 470 U.S. 675 (1985)Read the full opinion
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