alabama white argued april decided june police received anonymous telephone tip respondent white leaving particular apartment particular time particular vehicle going particular motel possession cocaine immediately proceeded apartment building saw vehicle matching caller description observed white left building entered vehicle followed along direct route motel stopping vehicle short motel consensual search vehicle revealed marijuana white arrested cocaine found purse criminal appeals alabama reversed conviction possession charges holding trial suppressed marijuana cocaine officers reasonable suspicion necessary terry ohio justify investigatory stop vehicle held anonymous tip corroborated independent police work exhibited sufficient indicia reliability provide reasonable suspicion make investigatory stop pp adams williams informant tip may carry sufficient indicia reliability justify terry stop even though may insufficient support arrest search warrant moreover illinois gates adopted totality circumstances approach determining whether informant tip establishes probable cause whereby informant veracity reliability basis knowledge highly relevant factors also relevant context although allowance must made applying lesser showing required meet standard pp standing alone tip completely lacking necessary indicia reliability since provides virtually nothing one might conclude caller honest information reliable gives indication basis predictions regarding white criminal activities see gates supra however although close question totality circumstances demonstrates significant aspects informant story sufficiently corroborated police furnish reasonable suspicion although every detail mentioned tipster verified name woman leaving apartment building precise apartment left officers corroborate woman left building got described vehicle given fact proceeded building immediately call white emerged long thereafter also appears departure within timeframe predicted caller moreover since route direct way motel nevertheless involved several turns caller prediction destination significantly corroborated even though stopped reached motel furthermore fact caller able predict future behavior demonstrates special familiarity affairs thus reason believe caller honest well informed impart degree reliability allegation white engaged criminal activity see pp white delivered opinion rehnquist blackmun scalia kennedy joined stevens filed dissenting opinion brennan marshall joined post joseph marston iii assistant attorney general alabama argued cause petitioner briefs siegelman attorney general stacy houston rosa hamlett davis andrew segal assistant attorneys general david byrne appointment argued cause filed brief respondent briefs amici curiae filed american civil liberties union et al steven shapiro david schoen americans effective law enforcement et al gregory evans daniel hales joseph morris george webster fred inbau wayne schmidt bernard farber william lambie james manak justice white delivered opinion based anonymous telephone tip police stopped respondent vehicle consensual search car revealed drugs issue whether tip corroborated independent police work exhibited sufficient indicia reliability provide reasonable suspicion make investigatory stop hold april approximately corporal davis montgomery police department received telephone call anonymous person stating vanessa white leaving lynwood terrace apartments particular time brown plymouth station wagon right taillight lens broken going dobey motel possession ounce cocaine inside brown attache case corporal davis partner corporal reynolds proceeded lynwood terrace apartments officers saw brown plymouth station wagon broken right taillight parking lot front building officers observed respondent leave building carrying nothing hands enter station wagon followed vehicle drove direct route dobey motel vehicle reached mobile highway dobey motel located corporal reynolds requested patrol unit stop vehicle vehicle stopped approximately short dobey motel corporal davis asked respondent step rear car informed stopped suspected carrying cocaine vehicle asked look cocaine respondent said look officers found locked brown attache case car upon request respondent provided combination lock officers found marijuana attache case placed respondent arrest processing station officers found three milligrams cocaine respondent purse respondent charged montgomery county possession marijuana possession cocaine trial denied respondent motion suppress pleaded guilty charges reserving right appeal denial suppression motion criminal appeals alabama held officers reasonable suspicion necessary terry ohio justify investigatory stop respondent car marijuana cocaine fruits respondent unconstitutional detention concluded respondent motion dismiss granted reversed conviction alabama denied state petition writ certiorari two justices dissenting differing views state federal courts whether anonymous tip may furnish reasonable suspicion stop granted state petition certiorari reverse adams williams sustained terry stop frisk undertaken basis tip given person known informant provided information past concluded unverified tip may insufficient support arrest search warrant information carried sufficient indicia reliability justify forcible stop address issue anonymous tips adams except say stronger case obtains case anonymous telephone tip illinois gates dealt anonymous tip context abandoned test aguilar texas spinelli favor totality circumstances approach determining whether informant tip establishes probable cause gates made clear however factors considered critical aguilar spinelli informant veracity reliability basis knowledge remain highly relevant determining value report factors also relevant context although allowance must made applying lesser showing required meet standard opinion gates recognized anonymous tip alone seldom demonstrates informant basis knowledge veracity inasmuch ordinary citizens generally provide extensive recitations basis everyday observations given veracity persons supplying anonymous tips hypothesis largely unknown unknowable say anonymous caller never provide reasonable suspicion necessary terry stop tip gates exception general rule anonymous tip case like one gates provides virtually nothing one might conclude caller either honest information reliable likewise tip gives absolutely indication basis caller predictions regarding vanessa white criminal activities requiring omething gates merely apply said adams tips completely lacking indicia reliability either warrant police response require investigation forcible stop suspect authorized simply put tip one standing alone warrant man reasonable caution belief stop appropriate terry supra quoting carroll gates however case tip tip detailed corroboration complete gates required degree suspicion likewise high discussed difference two standards last term sokolow officer making terry stop must able articulate something inchoate unparticularized suspicion hunch terry fourth amendment requires minimal level objective justification making stop ins delgado level suspicion considerably less proof wrongdoing preponderance evidence held probable cause means fair probability contraband evidence crime found gates level suspicion required terry stop obviously less demanding probable cause true every detail mentioned tipster verified name woman leaving building precise apartment left officers corroborate woman left building got particular vehicle described caller respect time departure predicted informant corporal davis testified caller gave particular time woman leaving app state time testify call partner proceeded lynwood terrace apartments put building surveillance given fact officers proceeded indicated address immediately call respondent emerged long thereafter appears record us respondent departure building within time frame predicted caller caller prediction respondent destination true officers stopped short dobey motel know whether pulled continued past given route driven respondent direct route possible dobey motel tr oral arg nevertheless involved several turns app tr oral arg think respondent destination significantly corroborated opinion gates gave credit proposition informant shown right things probably right facts alleged including claim object tip engaged criminal activity thus unreasonable conclude case independent corroboration police significant aspects informer predictions imparted degree reliability allegations made caller think also important gates anonymous tip contained range details relating easily obtained facts conditions existing time tip future actions third parties ordinarily easily predicted fact officers found car precisely matching caller description front building example former anyone predicted fact condition presumably existing time call important caller ability predict respondent future behavior demonstrated inside information special familiarity respondent affairs general public way knowing respondent shortly leave building get described car drive direct route dobey motel small number people generally privy individual itinerary reasonable police believe person access information likely also access reliable information individual illegal activities see ibid significant aspects caller predictions verified reason believe caller honest also well informed least well enough justify stop although close case conclude totality circumstances anonymous tip corroborated exhibited sufficient indicia reliability justify investigatory stop respondent car therefore reverse judgment criminal appeals alabama remand case proceedings inconsistent opinion ordered millions people leave apartments time every day carrying attache case heading destination known neighbors usually however neighbors know briefcase contains anonymous neighbor prediction somebody time departure probable destination anything reliable basis assuming commuter possession illegal substance particularly person even carrying attache case described tipster record case tell us often respondent drove lynwood terrace apartments dobey motel know may room clerk telephone operator working evening shift tell us whether officer davis made effort ascertain informer identity reason calling basis prediction respondent destination indeed record tells us tipster may well another police officer hunch respondent might cocaine attache case anybody enough knowledge given person make target prank harbor grudge certainly able formulate tip like one predicting vanessa white excursion addition holding every citizen subject seized questioned officer prepared testify warrantless stop based anonymous tip predicting whatever conduct officer observed fortunately vast majority law enforcement community adopt practice fourth amendment intended protect citizen overzealous unscrupulous officer well conscientious truthful decision makes mockery protection respectfully dissent