As you have learned through your journey in law enforcement courses, what you do in uniform is guided by some foundational documents. These documents include the Bill of Rights, federal and state statutes, local ordinances, as well as agency policies and procedures. It is impossible to have a written response and plan for every scenario, which is why the guidance of state statutes, and even the application of the Bill of Rights, changes.

One of the methods that federal and state law guide offers is the process of case law. Case law is used as a guide for officers to apply statutes. Therefore, it is imperative that officers have a firm understanding of how to apply case law to their actions.

Directions

You will research three of the following court cases that deal with police policies and procedures. After you complete your research, you will write a quick reference guide for each case.

Part A: Research

Use scholarly resources to research your choice of three of the following cases:

• Terry v. Ohio
• Mapp v. Ohio
• Tennessee v. Garner
• Graham v. Connor

Part B: Quick Reference Guide

Answer the following questions for each case:

1. What is the case name and year of the case?
2. What is the issue (relevant facts)?
3. What is the legal ruling decided by the court?
4. How did the court apply the legal ruling to the facts in this case?
5. What is the conclusion or the outcome? How does the outcome pertain to officers?

Be sure to provide your sources for each case

Following the format in Part B, write a quick reference guide for each case. Answers to the individual questions should contain approximately a quarter to a half-page of content. Each case should be no longer than two pages. Spelling, mechanics, and formatting are required elements.