Code of Criminal Procedure · Florida v. J.L.

Florida v. J L

Florida v. J L is covered under Florida v. J.L. and tested on the TCOLE peace officer licensing exam. Cadets typically encounter this topic under "Search & Seizure" on practice exams.

To prove this offense, the State must establish each of the following elements: Anonymous tip alone insufficient; Indicia of reliability required; Corroboration of predictive details, or observed suspicious conduct; Then articulable reasonable suspicion supports stop and frisk.

Elements you must prove

  • Anonymous tip alone insufficient
  • Indicia of reliability required
  • Corroboration of predictive details, or observed suspicious conduct
  • Then articulable reasonable suspicion supports stop and frisk

Practice 1 question on this topic

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Worked examples

Worked example 1

SCENARIO. Officers receive an anonymous 911 tip that a man in a red shirt at a specific intersection has a gun in his waistband. They arrive and see a man matching the description. May they conduct a Terry frisk based on the tip alone?

  1. Yes — any tip is sufficient for a frisk
  2. No — an anonymous tip standing alone, without indicia of reliability or corroboration of facts predicting future behavior, generally does not supply reasonable suspicion (Florida v. J.L.) Correct
  3. Yes — once description is verified
  4. Yes — guns are presumed dangerous
Why: An anonymous tip about a person carrying a gun, without more, does not justify a Terry stop and frisk. Officers need additional indicia of reliability — corroboration of predictive details, observed conduct, etc.
Statute: Florida v. J.L., 529 U.S. 266 (2000)