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Alabama Supreme Court Affirms Police Authority to Require Identification
Alabama Supreme Court ruled police can demand physical ID if verbal responses are incomplete or unsatisfactory, affirming officers' authority during investigative stops.
- Last week, the Alabama Supreme Court ruled that police may demand physical identification during a stop if dissatisfied with a person's verbal answers, resolving Jennings v. Smith, et al. in a 6-3 decision.
- Body-Camera footage from May 22, 2022 shows Pastor Michael Jennings watering a neighbor's flowers in Childersburg, Alabama after a 911 call reported an unfamiliar car and a young Black male around the house.
- Officers arrested Jennings after he declined to show identification and placed him in a police cruiser; he was charged with obstructing a government operation, the charge was later dismissed, and he sued the city and officers.
- Justice Will Sellers wrote that state law under Ala. Code 1975, § 15-5-30 permits officers to request physical identification when they have reasonable suspicion of a felony or public offense, reversing the lower court's summary judgment.
- The Cato Institute and American Civil Liberties Union filed an amicus brief arguing the statute does not authorize physical ID demands; Cato director Matthew Cavedon called it a "significant expansion of government power" affecting Alabamians.
15 Articles
15 Articles
Associated Press News
In Black pastor's arrest, Alabama Supreme Court rules police can demand to see identification
The Alabama Supreme Court has ruled that police may require a person to provide identification during a valid stop if officers find their verbal answers insufficient.
Alabama Supreme Court rules police can ask for ID in case of pastor watering flowers
Police officers can require people to show physical identification during an investigative stop if they provide an incomplete or unsatisfactory response, the Alabama Supreme Court has ruled in the case of a former police officer and Pastor Michael Jennings. #MichaelJennings #Pastor #Flowers
Alabama Supreme Court rules that police can require people to provide identification
The Heflin-Torbert Judicial Building in downtown Montgomery, Alabama, seen on January 24, 2023. The building houses the Alabama Supreme Court and the state appellate courts. The Alabama Supreme Court ruled Friday that state law enforcement may require people to provide identification. (Brian Lyman/Alabama Reflector)The Alabama Supreme Court Friday ruled that state law enforcement may arrest people who do not provide identification if they are no…
Alabama Supreme Court Rules Police Can Require Identification During Stops
SPEAKIN’ OUT NEWS The Alabama Supreme Court has ruled that law enforcement officers in the state may require individuals to provide identification during certain encounters, a decision that clarifies how existing law applies during investigative [...]
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