Criminal Procedure Flashcards
When does a seizure occur?
when an officer restrains a person’s freedom of movement by means of physical contact or show of authority
What is the test for whether a seizure has occured?
whether a reasonable person would feel free to disregard the officer
What is a Terry stop?
A Terry stop occurs when an officer stops an individual when the officer has a reasonable suspicion, based on articulable facts, to believe the suspect is involved in criminal activity
What is the requirement for an arrest?
the officer must have probable cause to believe that the arrested individual has committed a crime
- an objective test
- pretextual arrests are ok, so long as someone violated the law
When is a search warrant needed?
a search warrant is needed when the government conducts a search in a place where one has a reasonable expectation of privacy
What are the requirements of a warrant?
PNP
- must be based on Probable cause to believe that the items sought are fruits, instrumentalities, or evidence of crime
- must be issued by a Neutral and detached magistrate
- must describe the property and place to be searched with Particularity
What are the seven major exceptions to the warrant requirement?
ESCAPES
- exigent circumstances
- search incident to lawful arrest
- consent
- automobiles
- plain view
- evidence obtained from administrative searches
- stop and frisk
What is the automobile exception to the warrant requirement?
If police have probable cause to believe an automobile contains contraband or evidence of a crime they can search those parts of the vehicle that might contain contraband, even without an arrest
+This includes a container in a car that might contain the illegal evidence
What is a warrantless administrative search (that does not need a warrant)? What are some examples?
These are searches used to ensure compliance with administrative regulations
- airplane boarding area
- international borders
- highly regulated industries (liquor stores, gun shops)
- students in public schools
- special needs searches (e.g., drug testing of railroad employees after an accident)
- roadblocks for drunk driving or seeking information
What is the general rule of Miranda?
statements made as a result of custodial interrogation are inadmissible unless they are accompanied by procedural safeguards (i.e., the Miranda warnings)
What does custodial mean?
the person being questioned has been arrested or the person’s freedom of movement is restrained to such a degree that a reasonable person would not feel free to terminate the encounter
+A suspect who voluntarily went to the police station and could have ended the encounter because he was unrestrained is NOT in custody
What does interrogation mean?
words or conduct by the police that they should know are reasonably likely to elicit an incriminating response
The suspect must be aware of the interrogation.
What are the exception to giving Miranda warnings before questioning?
[PUR]
Public safety exception
Undercover police
Routine booking questions
When public safety is at risk, the police do not have to give Moranda warnings before questioning
What are the rules on using involuntarily obtained statements?
- involuntarily obtained statements are NEVER admissible against a D
- the conviction must be thrown out unless the court believes beyond a reasonable doubt that the introduction of the statement was harmless
- evidence obtained as a result are fruit of the poisonous tree and are presumptively inadmissible
What are the rules on using statements obtained in violation of Miranda?
- Inadmissible in the prosecution’s case in chief, but can be admitted in order to impeach the defendant to challenge his credibility
- evidence obtained as a result of a voluntary statement taken in violation of Miranda is admissible
What is the exclusionary rule?
evidence obtained in violation of the 4th, 5th, or 6th Amendments cannot be introduced at trial to prove a D’s guilt
However, it does NOT apply in the grand jury
What are the exceptions to the exclusionary rule?
Isolating Independent Kingdoms Inevitably Gains Animosity
- isolated negligence by law enforcement
- independent source
- knock and announce
- inevitable discovery
- good faith
- attenuation in the causal chain
When does a D have a 6th Amendment right to a jury trial?
A D has a right to jury trial for all serious offense, for which the authorized punishment is more than 6 months
What are the four factors a court considers when dealing with a Speedy Trial Clause claim?
[LARP]
1) Length of the delay
2) whether the D Asserted his right to a speedy trial
3) Reason for delay
4) risk of Prejudice to the D
What is the Brady doctrine?
prosecutors must turn over all material exculpatory evidence to the defense
When does jeopardy attach?
Jeopardy attaches when the jury is sworn in or, in a bench trial, when the first witness is sworn in
What does the 4th Amendment do?
The 4th Amendment protects individuals against unreasonable searches and seizures of property and against unlawful arrests
What is probable cause?
A reasonable basis, amounting to more than mere suspicion, to believe that a person is engaged in criminal activity or that evidence relevant of a crime exists in a particular location.
When may the police stop a car?
an officer may stop a car if there is an articulable, reasonable suspicion of a violation of the law
How do courts assess whether a person has a reasonable expectation of privacy in this situation?
the test is based on a totality of the circumstances
When may the police conduct a protective sweep?
the police may conduct a protective sweep of all or part of the premises where an arrest takes place if they have a reasonable belief based on specific and articulable facts that other dangerous individuals may be present
The protective sweep must be limited to a cursory inspection of places where a person may hide, and last no longer than is necessary to dispel the reasonable suspicion of danger.
When does the exigent circumstances exception apply?
The police may conduct a search or seizure without warrant if they have probable cause and it is necessary to
- prevent imminent destruction of evidence
- prevent imminent injury to persons (including the suspect’s self-harm), or
- search for a felony suspect of whom the police are in hot pursuit and reasonably believe has entered particular premises
+It also applies when
When may the police stop and frisk someone?
the police may stop and frisk a person if the police have a reasonable suspicion (based on a totality of the circumstances) of criminal activity that is supported by articulable facts AND the frisk is necessary for safety
What is the “plain feel” exception?
during a stop and frisk, the officer may seize contraband during the pat-down if the identity of the object is immediately apparent
Once a suspect unambiguously invokes their Miranda rights, the police cannot re-Mirandize the suspect until?
There must be a sufficient break in custody (14 days are deemed sufficient)
What are the requirements for a Miranda waiver to be valid?
A waiver of Miranda is only valid if it is made voluntarily, knowingly, and intelligently
Physical evidence is not protected by the 5th Amendment. What are some examples?
- fingerprinting
- line-ups
- blood samples
- photographs
- other identification procedures
When does a defendant have standing to challenge a 4th A search?
A D has standing to challenge a 4th A search if he/she had a legitimate expectation of privacy in the searched area OR an ownership/possessory interest in the place
Ex: When the police illegally search a home belonging to a 3rd party when the D is an overnight guest. The D has no standing to challenge the search.
When are the 3 situations in which the police can search for an arrestee in a 3rd party’s home?
Police may search for an arrestee in a 3rd party’s home only when they have:
- a warrant authorizing the search
- exigent circumstances OR
- the third party’s consent to enter the home
The Fifth Amendment privilege against self-incrimination does not apply to evidence that might subject a person to civil liability or to corporations.
o
When does the 5th A right to counsel apply?
the 5th A right to counsel applies when a suspect is subjected to a custodial interrogation PRIOR to the commencement of judicial proceedings.
The suspect must invoke this right by making a specific, unambiguous statement requesting counsel
When does the 6th A right to counsel automatically attach?
the 6th A right to counsel automatically attaches once formal judicial proceedings have commenced (e.g., AT an arraignment)
When are a defendant’s due process rights violated in an identification?
A defendant’s due process rights are violated if an identification of the defendant, based on the totality of the circumstances, is unnecessarily suggestive and so conducive to mistaken identification that it is unfair to the defendant
What are the requirements of a plea bargain?
voluntarily and intelligently. They must also be in open court and on record.
The 8th Amendment requires that bail shall not be excessive or unduly high. What are the factors considered in determining if this has been violated?
- the Seriousness of the offense
- the Weight of the evidence against the defendant
- the defendant’s Wealth
If the interrogation of a suspect who has waived his/her Miranda rights is stopped for a long duration (like 3 hours), police should re-Mirandize the suspect prior to resuming the interrogation.
o
What is the rule for physical evidence obtained as a result of a non-Mirandized statement
physical evidence obtained as a result of a non-Mirandized statement is admissible so long as that statement was voluntary (i.e., not coerced). A statement was coerced if it was the product of physical force, threats, or psychological pressure by police.
What was the holding in Apprendi?
any fact that exposes a criminal defendant to a greater punishment than authorized by the jury’s guilty verdict is an element that must be submitted to and found by the jury.
A felony-murder prosecution predicated upon an underlying felony for which the defendant was acquitted in a previous trial is improper because it would require retrying the underlying felony in violation of the double jeopardy clause.
o
A defendant indicted by a grand jury that excluded members of a racial group may raise an equal protection challenge—even if the defendant is not a member of the excluded group. What happens if deliberate discrimination of the grand jury is found?
the conviction must be automatically reversed on appeal
What are some critical stages where the absence of counsel may prejudice the defendant’s right to a fair trial?
- Post-indictment: lineups, in-person identifications, interrogations
- arraignments, preliminary hearings, bail hearings, pretrial motions
- jury selection
- plea negotiations & hearing
- trial & sentencing
What are some noncritical stages?
- pre-charge lineups
- photo-array identification
- fingerprinting, handwriting & voice exemplars, blood samples
- initial appearances, hearings to determine probable cause to detain
- discretionary appeals
- post-conviction proceedings
Once a suspect invokes their right to counsel, when can interrogation resume?
There are 3 situations.
- the suspect’s attorney is present
- the suspect voluntarily reinitiates the interrogation
- 14 days have passed since the suspect was released from police custody or was no longer subject to coercive pressure
When can an accomplice to felony murder be sentenced to death?
An accomplice to felony murder can be sentenced to death only if 1) the defendant significantly participated in the commission of the underlying felony and 2) acted with reckless indifference to human life
What is the rule for police conduct on a person’s curtilage?
Police have an implied license to briefly enter a person’s curtilage in the same manner as a private individual. But if police intrude in an unusual manner for an uncommon purpose (e.g., to conduct a canine search), a warrant is generally required.
What must be shown to establish ineffective assistance of counsel?
1) the attorney’s performance fell below objective standards of reasonableness AND
2) there is a reasonable probability that, but for that deficiency, the outcome would have been different