Question

In those stops where the officer's true investigative motives are not reflected in the "objective" basis for the stop, what is the likely result?

1) The stop would be considered invalid
2) The stop would be considered valid
3) The officer's motives would not affect the validity of the stop
4) The officer's motives would determine the outcome of the stop

Answer 1

The validity of a police stop is based on an objective justification, and an officer's subjective motives do not typically invalidate a stop as long as there is a legitimate reason for the stop. so, option 3 is the correct answer.

Step-by-step explanation:

In cases where a police officer's underlying motives are not reflected in the stated 'objective' basis for a stop, the likely result is that the officer's subjective intentions will not affect the validity of the stop. According to the precedent set by the Supreme Court in Terry v. Ohio, as long as there is an objective justification for the stop, such as a traffic violation, even if the officer had a different motive for the stop, it will still typically be considered lawful. The Court has ruled that the subjective intent of the officer does not invalidate what otherwise is a legitimate stop.

This is based on the principle that what matters is the objective circumstances that justify the exercise of authority, not the internal motivations of the officer.