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ALABAMA v. WHITE Case Brief
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Case Brief Summary & Legal Analysis
tl;dr: An anonymous tip predicted a woman’s future movements and alleged she possessed cocaine. After police corroborated innocent details of her itinerary, the Supreme Court held the tip, as verified, was reliable enough to create reasonable suspicion for an investigatory stop under the Fourth Amendment.
Legal Significance: This case clarifies the “totality of the circumstances” test for reasonable suspicion. It establishes that an anonymous tip, when corroborated by police observation of predicted future conduct, can exhibit sufficient indicia of reliability to justify an investigatory stop, even if the corroborated facts are non-criminal.
ALABAMA v. WHITE Law School Study Guide
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Case Facts & Court Holding
Key Facts & Case Background
An anonymous caller informed Montgomery police that Vanessa White would leave a specific apartment building at a particular time, get into a brown Plymouth station wagon with a broken right taillight, and drive to Dobey’s Motel. The caller alleged White would be in possession of cocaine inside a brown attaché case. Police proceeded to the location and observed a station wagon matching the description. They then saw White exit the building, enter the vehicle empty-handed, and drive the most direct route toward Dobey’s Motel. Before she reached the motel, officers initiated an investigatory stop. White consented to a search of her vehicle, which revealed a locked brown attaché case. At the officers’ request, White provided the combination to the lock. The officers discovered marijuana in the case and arrested her. A subsequent search at the police station revealed cocaine in her purse. The trial court denied White’s motion to suppress the evidence, but the Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals reversed, finding the officers lacked reasonable suspicion for the initial stop.
Court Holding & Legal Precedent
Issue: Does an anonymous telephone tip that is significantly corroborated by independent police work—specifically by confirming the informant’s predictions of a suspect’s future behavior—exhibit sufficient indicia of reliability to provide the reasonable suspicion required for an investigatory stop under the Fourth Amendment?
Yes. The anonymous tip, as corroborated by police, provided sufficient indicia of Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip e
IRAC Legal Analysis
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IRAC (Issue, Rule, Analysis, Conclusion) is the exact format professors want to see in your exam answers. Our exclusive Flash-to-Full briefs combine holding, analysis, and rule statements formatted to match what A+ students produce in exams. These structured briefs help reinforce the essential legal reasoning patterns expected in law school.
Legal Issue
Does an anonymous telephone tip that is significantly corroborated by independent police work—specifically by confirming the informant’s predictions of a suspect’s future behavior—exhibit sufficient indicia of reliability to provide the reasonable suspicion required for an investigatory stop under the Fourth Amendment?
Conclusion
Alabama v. White established that an anonymous tip's reliability for Fourth Amendment Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate ve
Legal Rule
Under the totality of the circumstances, an anonymous tip can furnish reasonable Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia des
Legal Analysis
The Court extended the "totality of the circumstances" analysis from *Illinois v. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laboru
Flash-to-Full Case Opinions
Flash Summary
- An anonymous tip can provide reasonable suspicion for a Terry stop