MBE Rules · Criminal Procedure
Anonymous Tips
Florida v. J.L. / Navarette
The rule
An anonymous tip supports a stop only with indicia of reliability — predictive detail or eyewitness contemporaneity via 911 — and a bare-bones tip that someone is armed does not justify a frisk.
In plain English
An anonymous tip can lead to a stop if it shows reliability, which can be established through specific details that predict future behavior or if the tip is corroborated by a contemporaneous eyewitness account. However, simply stating that someone is armed without any supporting details is not enough to justify a frisk of that individual.
Worked example
Police receive an anonymous tip that a man is carrying a gun in a specific location. Upon arriving, they find the man in that location, but the tip only states he is armed without any additional details. The police stop him but cannot frisk him based solely on the tip, as it lacks the necessary indicia of reliability.
Memory hook
Anonymous tips need reliable details, not just a shout-out about being armed.
The trap
Exams often present tips that sound alarming but lack the necessary detail, tricking students into thinking they justify a stop or frisk. Students may overlook the requirement for reliability in the tip's content.
How examiners test it
Questions typically involve a scenario where police act on an anonymous tip, requiring candidates to analyze the sufficiency of the tip's details to justify a stop or frisk.
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