A 'seizure' occurs under the Fourth Amendment when which condition is met?

• A. Consent to search.
• B. An officer physically restrains a suspect for a long time.
• C. A reasonable person would not feel free to leave.
• D. Officers only question someone.

Answer: (C)

A seizure under the Fourth Amendment happens when government authority restrains a person’s liberty such that a reasonable person would not feel free to leave. This objective standard covers both arrests and investigative detentions: if the officer’s actions or presence make a reasonable person think they must stay or submit to questioning, a seizure has occurred. It’s not about how long the person is detained, but about whether the person would feel free to end the encounter.

Consent to search isn’t itself the test for a seizure; a search can be consensual if voluntary and the person remains free to leave. Merely being questioned isn’t a seizure unless the officer’s conduct or authority makes the person feel they can’t leave.