United States v. Lester Roberson

OPINION OF THE COURT

BECKER, Circuit Judge.

This appeal from a criminal conviction challenges the district court’s denial of the defendant’s motion to suppress physical evidence seized by the police. The question we must decide is whether an anonymous tip that contains only information readily observable at the time the tip is made may supply reasonable suspicion for a Terry stop in the absence of police observations of any suspicious conduct. We conclude that it may not. We will therefore reverse the judgment of the district court.

I

On the evening of September 29, 1994, a Philadelphia Police…