The State of Washington, Respondent v. Michael Kennedy, Petitioner

Summary

The court affirmed Kennedy's conviction, holding that the officer had sufficient articulable suspicion to stop his vehicle based on reliable informant information, corroborating circumstances, police experience, and firsthand observations. It further held that the officer could conduct a limited search beneath the front seat for weapons because Kennedy made a furtive gesture and a passenger had access to that area; the marijuana discovered during that search was therefore admissible under plain view. Dolliver, C.J., dissenting, would have found both the stop and search unlawful, while Callow, J., would have held that the search exceeded the permissible scope of a Terry stop.