When Police Contact Becomes a Constitutional Seizure: Understanding Consensual Encounters vs. Terry Stops in Ohio

When Police Contact Becomes a Constitutional Seizure: Understanding Consensual Encounters vs. Terry Stops in Ohio

Not every interaction between police and citizens implicates constitutional protections. Ohio law recognizes important distinctions between consensual encounters, which require no justification, and investigatory stops, which demand reasonable suspicion. Understanding when a police contact crosses the line from voluntary interaction to constitutional seizure can determine whether evidence obtained during the encounter is admissible. This distinction proves particularly crucial in OVI and traffic cases where initial police contact often begins informally.

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