Case Review Chapter 4.1 Adams v. Williams PDF

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CRM 322 “Law of Criminal Procedure” Legal Case Review Name: Athena Childers Case: Adams v. Williams

Date: 08 February 2017 Citation: 407 U.S. 143 (1972)

Facts: Police Sgt. John Connolly was on car patrol duty in Bridgeport, Connecticut early in the morning alone. Around 2:15 am, an informant told Connolly that there was a man in a car nearby whom was carrying narcotics and he had a handgun. After calling assistance, Sgt. Connolly went to go investigate the report. Connolly tapped on the car window and asked the occupant, Robert Williams, to open the door. However, Williams rolled down the window instead and Connolly reached in and removed the fully loaded revolver from Williams’s waistband. The gun had not been visible from the outside, but it was exactly where the informant said it was. Williams was then arrested by Connolly for unlawful possession of the pistol. Later, a search of the car was conducted and they found substantial amounts of heroin on the Williams’s person, a machete, and a second revolver in the car. History:      

Robert Williams was convicted in a Connecticut State Court of illegal possession of a handgun during a “stop and frisk”, as well as possession of heroin (GUILTY). Williams files for a petition for federal habeas corpus relief. District Court and a divided panel of the Second Circuit denied petition (GUILTY). On rehearing en banc, Court of Appeals granted relief (NOT GUILTY). Williams’s conviction was affirmed by the Supreme Court of Connecticut (GUILTY). The U.S. Supreme Court denied certiorari and reversed the decision of the Court of Appeals (GUILTY).

Court Decision/Opinion: The United States Supreme Court reversed the Court of Appeals’ decision under the standards set forth in Terry v. Ohio. It may be in the essence of good police work to adopt an intermediate response, therefore a brief stop of a suspicious individual may be the most reasonable in light of the facts known to the officer. Also, a policeman making a reasonable investigatory stop should not be denied the opportunity to protect himself. He may conduct a limited protective search for concealed weapons when an officers believes the individual investigated at close range is armed and potentially dangerous. What could change the case? This case could have been different if Williams did not have the revolver on him. If Sgt. Connelly would have searched the whole car without Williams having that weapon and arresting him for it, it would have gone against the 4th amendment’s prohibition of unlawful search and seizure....