Case Law Index
federal1991
Additional Highlights:Fourth AmendmentConsent SearchesBuses
Florida v. Bostick
United States Supreme Court
Key Holding
Police officers may board intercity buses and ask passengers for permission to search their luggage, and such encounters are not per se seizures under the Fourth Amendment.
Case Summary
Florida v. Bostick held that police officers approaching passengers on buses and asking to inspect luggage are not necessarily conducting a Fourth Amendment seizure, applying the test of whether a reasonable person would feel free to decline and terminate the encounter.
Primary Source: https://www.courtlistener.com/opinion/112656/florida-v-bostick/