SmartBrief
Confirm favorite deletion?
Criminal Procedure Keyed to Allen
Wyoming v. Houghton
Citation:
526 U.S. 295 (1999)Facts
A highway patrol officer stopped a car for speeding and driving with a faulty brake light. Three passengers were in the front seat of the car: the driver, the driver’s girlfriend, and the Respondent. While questioning the driver, the officer noticed a hypodermic syringe in his shirt pocket. He then went to get gloves from his car, leaving the occupants with two backup officers. When the officer returned, he told the driver to step out of the car and place the syringe on the hood. When asked why he had the syringe, the driver responded that he used it to take drugs. The two backup officers then told the other female passenger and the Respondent to get out of the car and asked them for their identifications. Respondent falsely identified herself under a fake name and stated that she did not have any identification. Because of the driver’s confession, the officer searched the passenger compartment of the car for contraband. In the back seat he found a purse, which the Respondent said was hers. The officer took a wallet out of the purse which contained the Respondent’s driver’s license, identifying her as Sandra Houghton. When the officer inquired as to why she lied, the Respondent said it was in case things went poorly. The officer then continued to search the purse, finding a black wallet and a brown pouch. The Respondent denied that the brown pouch was hers and stated that she did not know how it got in the purse. Inside the pouch was drug paraphernalia and a syringe of meth. The Respondent did claim the black wallet which also contained meth, although it was an amount insufficient to support a felony conviction. The officer also observed fresh needle tracks on the Respondent’s arms. He then placed the Respondent under arrest. The Respondent was charged with felony possession of meth in a liquid amount greater than three-tenths of a gram.
Only StudyBuddy Pro offers the complete Case Brief Anatomy*
Access the most important case brief elements for optimal case understanding.
*Case Brief Anatomy includes: Brief Prologue, Complete Case Brief, Brief Epilogue
- The Brief Prologue provides necessary case brief introductory information and includes:
Topic:
Identifies the topic of law and where this case fits within your course outline.Parties:
Identifies the cast of characters involved in the case.Procedural Posture & History:
Shares the case history with how lower courts have ruled on the matter.Case Key Terms, Acts, Doctrines, etc.:
A case specific Legal Term Dictionary.Case Doctrines, Acts, Statutes, Amendments and Treatises:
Identifies and Defines Legal Authority used in this case.
- The Case Brief is the complete case summarized and authored in the traditional Law School I.R.A.C. format. The Pro case brief includes:
Brief Facts:
A Synopsis of the Facts of the case.Rule of Law:
Identifies the Legal Principle the Court used in deciding the case.Facts:
What are the factual circumstances that gave rise to the civil or criminal case? What is the relationship of the Parties that are involved in the case.Issue(s):
Lists the Questions of Law that are raised by the Facts of the case.Holding:
Shares the Court's answer to the legal questions raised in the issue.Concurring / Dissenting Opinions:
Includes valuable concurring or dissenting opinions and their key points.Reasoning and Analysis:
Identifies the chain of argument(s) which led the judges to rule as they did.
- The Brief Prologue closes the case brief with important forward-looking discussion and includes:
Policy:
Identifies the Policy if any that has been established by the case.Court Direction:
Shares where the Court went from here for this case.
Topic Resources
Topic Videos
Topic Outline
Topic Refresher Courses
Topic Charts & Notes