Stop and Frisk originates from which case?

• A. Terry v. Ohio
• B. Miranda v. Arizona
• C. Brown v. Board of Education
• D. Mapp v. Ohio

Answer: (A)

The rule behind stop-and-frisk comes from Terry v. Ohio, which established the idea of a Terry stop. When an officer has reasonable suspicion that a person is involved in criminal activity, they may briefly detain the person and conduct a quick pat-down to check for weapons. This lower threshold—reasonable suspicion rather than probable cause—allows a limited intrusion to protect the officer’s safety, provided the search stays tightly scoped to a weapon check.

Miranda v. Arizona is about informing suspects of their rights during custodial interrogation, not about stops or frisks. Brown v. Board of Education addressed desegregation of public schools, not investigative stops. Mapp v. Ohio concerns the exclusionary rule and whether illegally obtained evidence can be used in court, again not the origin of stop-and-frisk.