United States v. Hensley Case Brief
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Case Brief Summary & Legal Analysis
tl;dr: Police stopped a suspect based on a “wanted flyer” from another department for a past robbery. The Supreme Court held the stop was constitutional, extending the scope of investigatory stops under Terry v. Ohio to completed felonies based on collective police knowledge.
Legal Significance: This case expanded the Terry stop doctrine, permitting brief investigatory detentions based on reasonable suspicion that an individual has committed a completed felony, not just an ongoing or imminent crime. It also affirmed the collective knowledge doctrine for such stops.
United States v. Hensley Law School Study Guide
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Case Facts & Court Holding
Key Facts & Case Background
St. Bernard, Ohio police received an informant’s tip that Thomas Hensley was the getaway driver in a recent armed robbery. Based on this information, they issued a “wanted flyer” to neighboring police departments, indicating Hensley was wanted for investigation and should be considered armed. Days later, police officers in Covington, Kentucky, who were aware of the flyer, observed Hensley driving. Relying solely on the flyer, the Covington officers conducted an investigatory stop of Hensley’s vehicle. During the stop, an officer saw the butt of a handgun in plain view inside the car. This discovery led to the arrest of Hensley’s passenger, a full search of the passenger compartment, the discovery of two more firearms, and Hensley’s arrest for being a felon in possession of a firearm. Hensley moved to suppress the evidence, arguing the initial stop, based on a flyer for a completed crime, was an unreasonable seizure under the Fourth Amendment.
Court Holding & Legal Precedent
Issue: Does the Fourth Amendment permit police officers to conduct a brief investigatory stop of a person in reliance on a flyer issued by another police department indicating that the person is wanted for investigation of a completed felony?
Yes. The investigatory stop was reasonable under the Fourth Amendment because the 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
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 the Fourth Amendment permit police officers to conduct a brief investigatory stop of a person in reliance on a flyer issued by another police department indicating that the person is wanted for investigation of a completed felony?
Conclusion
This decision broadened the scope of permissible *Terry* stops by applying them 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 ullam
Legal Rule
If a police flyer or bulletin has been issued on the basis 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 m
Legal Analysis
The Supreme Court's analysis proceeded in two parts. First, it addressed whether 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 laborum. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adip
Flash-to-Full Case Opinions
Flash Summary
- Terry stops are permissible to investigate completed felonies, not just ongoing