Cook v. Mississippi
Annotate this CaseCarl Cook was convicted of misdemeanor driving under the influence (“DUI”), first offense. Cook appealed to the County Court of Rankin County. At a trial de novo before the county court, Cook’s counsel moved to dismiss the case, claiming that the investigatory stop which led to Cook’s arrest was an illegal search and seizure because it was based on an anonymous tip that lacked sufficient indicia of reliability. The county court denied the motion and entered a judgment of conviction. Cook then appealed to the Rankin County Circuit Court, and the circuit court affirmed the county court’s conviction. Cook appealed his conviction to the Supreme Court, and the case was assigned to the Court of Appeals. Finding that the investigatory stop was legally justified, the Court of Appeals affirmed the judgment of the Circuit Court of Rankin County. Having granted Cook’s Petition for Writ of Certiorari, the Supreme Court took up the issue of whether the stop violated Cook’s Fourth Amendment right to be free from unreasonable searches and seizures. The Supreme Court concluded the Court of Appeals erred in finding that reasonable suspicion to stop Cook existed in this case. The judgments of the Court of Appeals and the Rankin County Circuit Court affirming Cook’s conviction were both reversed. Without the evidence gathered as a result of the stop, the evidence against Cook was insufficient to sustain a DUI conviction. As such, the Supreme Court reversed and rendered a judgment of acquittal.
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