Which case holds that law enforcement officers do not violate the 4th Amendment merely by approaching and talking to citizens?

• A. Popple v. State
• B. Florida v. Royer (1983)
• C. Reynolds v. State
• D. Tennessee v. Garner (1985)

Answer: (B)

Not every police-citizen interaction triggers Fourth Amendment protections the same way. The key idea is that a seizure requires an objective show of authority that makes a person feel not free to leave; simply approaching someone and talking does not automatically amount to a seizure.

Florida v. Royer clarifies this by holding that when officers approach a person in a public place and question them, that initial encounter is not a Fourth Amendment seizure if the person remains free to leave. The problem arises only if the officers detain the person in a restricted area or otherwise exert coercive control, turning the encounter into a seizure that would require probable cause. So Royer establishes that talking to and approaching someone is permissible under the Fourth Amendment, while actual detention or coercive restraint crosses the line.

Other cases in the list deal with different aspects of stops, detentions, or searches, but Royer is the one that directly establishes that mere approach and conversation do not violate the Fourth Amendment.