Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Washington Supreme Court hears arguments on whether 911 tip justified DUI stop
Summary
At a hearing Oct. 29, the Washington Supreme Court considered whether a 911 callers report that a driver was "staggering," together with observed irregular driving, supplied reasonable suspicion for a Terry stop in City of Wenatchee v. Frank Stearns. Attorneys debated the reliability of named-but-unknown 911 callers and the protection of Article I, Section 7.
The Washington Supreme Court heard argument Oct. 29 at the Temple of Justice in City of Wenatchee v. Frank Stearns over whether a 911 callers report that a driver was "staggering" provided officers with reasonable suspicion to stop the vehicle.
Danielle Marchant, counsel for the City of Wenatchee and the Wenatchee Police Department, told the court the 911 caller gave a name, location and a vehicle description and said the driver was staggering. "The staggering and the driving," Marchant said, arguing that the callers observations, combined with the officers subsequent observation of irregular driving (weaving, jerking motions and nearly hitting a curb), amounted to corroboration that supplied reasonable suspicion.
Marchant asked the justices to view the…
Already have an account? Log in
Subscribe to keep reading
Unlock the rest of this article — and every article on Citizen Portal.
- Unlimited articles
- AI-powered breakdowns of topics, speakers, decisions, and budgets
- Instant alerts when your location has a new meeting
- Follow topics and more locations
- 1,000 AI Insights / month, plus AI Chat
