Alabama v. White

Background

Police received an anonymous call predicting that a woman would leave a specific apartment, get into a brown Plymouth with a broken right taillight, drive directly to a nearby motel, and carry about an ounce of cocaine in a brown attache case. Officers went to the address, watched a woman leave the building, get into a matching car, and follow the most direct route to the named motel. They stopped the car, asked to look, and the woman consented. A locked attache case in the car contained marijuana; later, a small amount of cocaine was found in her purse. Lower courts split on whether the stop was lawful.

Reasoning

The Court considered whether the anonymous tip, when checked by police observations, gave enough basis to stop the car. It explained that an anonymous tip alone is often unreliable, but when officers independently confirm predictions about a person’s future actions, that verification adds credibility. The Court concluded that the verified details here—matching car, taillight, timely departure, and direct route—gave sufficient indicia of reliability to provide reasonable suspicion. “Reasonable suspicion” was described as a low threshold—a minimal factual basis that lets officers briefly stop and question someone.

Real world impact

The decision allows police to rely on anonymous tips when officers corroborate key details through ordinary observation and timely checking. People reported anonymously may be stopped if officers verify predictive facts. The ruling narrows the protection against stops based on unverified anonymous calls and clarifies how much checking officers must do.

Dissents or concurrances

A dissent warned that this ruling risks abuse: neighbors’ predictions are common and may not reveal illegal conduct, and anonymous tips can be used to harass or seize innocent people.