This section contains the nature of the case and procedural background.

Police received a telephone call stating that a Vanessa White (D) would be leaving certain apartments in a particular car with a right taillight broken and that she would be going to a motel with an ounce of cocaine inside a brown attaché case. Police proceeded on this information and saw the car just as predicted by the phone call. They observed D get in her car and followed it to the motel given in the phone call. They stopped the car just short of the motel and informed D that she was suspected of carrying cocaine. D gave the officers permission to search, and they found the attaché case and found marijuana inside the locked case. D was placed under arrest. During booking, the police found three milligrams of cocaine in D's purse. D's motion to suppress was denied. D pled guilty reserving the right to appeal the denial of the motion to suppress. The court of appeals reversed in that the officers did not have a reasonable suspicion under Terry to stop the car.

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