Home -> Law Blog Directory -> Criminal Law Blogs -> Fourth Circuit Blog

Criminal Law

: Fourth Circuit Blog

Anonymous Tip Not Sufficiently Corroborated to Support Stop

By Jonathan Byrne

US v. Reaves: Reaves was stopped in his car on the basis of an anonymous tip that a drug deal had taken place. At the time of the stop, Reaves admitted that he had a gun and was subsequently charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm. He moved to suppress the gun, arguing that the tip wasn't sufficiently corroborated to provide a basis for the stop of his car. The tip was phoned in to 911 by a person who resolutely refused to provide her name. She claimed to have witnessed what she thought was a drug deal and that one of the folks involved had a gun. The gun belonged to a person driving a "plum-colored" Mercedes, which the tipster proceeded to follow and provide updates as to the its location to the 911 dispatcher (who relayed the info to the officer who eventually made the stop)...continue to full post

Full post as published by Fourth Circuit Blog on January 10, 2008 (boomark / email).