A detective was conducting surveillance outside a jewelry store that had been robbed several times in the past month. It was 85°F outside, and he witnessed three men pacing in front of the store who appeared to be acting nervous. One of the men was wearing a heavy sweatshirt (later identified as Wilson), while the others were wearing t‐shirts. The detective exited his cruiser and approached the three men. The detective conducted a pat frisk of Wilson and found a hard object in the front pocket of the sweatshirt. He reached his hand into the pocket and located a handgun. He placed all three under arrest and later tied all of them to the repeat burglaries. In court, Wilson’s attorney argued that the detective conducted an illegal search when he located the handgun. Imagine yourself now as the judge.
A. In order to avoid defense attorneys making this kind of claim in court, new technology could be utilized to aid in the development of cases and in prosecutions. What types of new technology could the detective have employed in his surveillance and arrest that might have helped avoid the defense attorney’s claim of illegal search? Evaluate the impact these types of technology have had on ethical investigations.
B. Based on the U.S. Supreme Court case Terry v. Ohio, 392 U.S. 1 (1968), how would you rule in this case? Be sure to defend your ruling with evidentiary support.
C. Did the ruling justices’ decision in Terry v. Ohio influence the effective performance of law‐enforcement agencies? Defend your position using evidence from the current case as well as the Supreme Court case.