How Do You Spell MENDENHALL ORDER?

Pronunciation: [mˈɛndənhˌɔːl ˈɔːdə] (IPA)

The Mendenhall Order is a legal term used in the United States to refer to an order of a federal judge that requires the government to disclose information related to national security. The spelling of this word can be described using IPA phonetic transcription as /ˈmɛndənhɔl ˈɔrdər/. The first syllable is pronounced like "men," followed by "dən" and then "hɔl." The word "order" is pronounced with stress on the first syllable, and the "er" is pronounced like "ər."

Meaning and Definition
Etymology
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MENDENHALL ORDER Meaning and Definition

  1. A Mendenhall order refers to a judicial ruling that allows law enforcement authorities to detain an individual for a brief period without any arrest or warrant, while investigating a potential crime. This legal term takes its name from Mendenhall v. United States, a landmark Supreme Court case that established the scope and limitations of such detentions.

    In a Mendenhall order, law enforcement officers have the authority to stop and question an individual based on reasonable suspicion that a crime has been committed, is being committed, or is about to be committed. The duration of the detention should be limited to the time necessary to confirm or dispel the suspicion through questioning or investigation. This order does not grant police the power to search the individual or their belongings without consent or probable cause, nor does it permit them to make an arrest. If, during the questioning, the officer develops sufficient probable cause for arrest, they can then make a formal arrest or seek a warrant.

    The objective of a Mendenhall order is to strike a balance between preserving public safety and individual rights. It enables law enforcement to conduct preliminary investigations and ascertain any potential threats to public order while preventing unnecessary intrusions into personal freedom. By allowing limited detentions based on reasonable suspicion, this order supports the principles of due process and protects individuals from arbitrary or baseless interference by the police.

Etymology of MENDENHALL ORDER

The term "Mendenhall order" is named after the American physicist Thomas C. Mendenhall, who was the Superintendent of Standard Weights and Measures from 1894 to 1897. However, the term "Mendenhall order" itself does not have a specific etymology beyond being associated with Thomas C. Mendenhall. It refers to a statistical concept known as "Mendenhall's Order Statistics", which relates to the ordering of a set of numbers in ascending or descending order. Thomas C. Mendenhall made significant contributions to the field of statistics, and the term "Mendenhall order" is used to denote this particular concept in statistical analysis.