Opinion

Edward J. Ellis v. United States

  • 264 F.2d 372
Court
Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit
Filed
May 18, 1959
Status
Published
Author
Edgerton
On the bench
Edgerton, Washington, Danaiier
Cited by
26 cases

The opinion

EDGERTON, Circuit Judge

(dissenting).

I think the general and conflicting descriptions of the culprit were not enough, without seriously suspicious circumstances, to justify an arrest of this man. There is nothing in the slightest degree suspicious about knocking on a front door, looking around while waiting for an answer, and going away. There is nothing seriously suspicious about nervousness in responding to a police challenge. And even if the defendant’s nervousness were enough to arouse reasonable suspicion, it would not furnish probable cause for his arrest, because the nervousness did not appear until after the arrest. The defendant was arrested as soon as the police accosted him, for he must have known at once that he was no longer free to walk away. I think the arrest was illegal and the evidence should have been suppressed.

This is a copy of a public record, reproduced as it was published. It is not legal advice, and it may not be the version a court would rely on. Check the official source before you cite it.

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