Criminal Procedure Flashcards
What seizure is subject to Fourth Amendment Protection?
Any exercise of control by a government agent over a person or thing
Do all arrests require probable cause?
Yes
What is probable cause?
Reasonably prudent person would believe that a suspect has committed or is in the process of committing a crime
When does an arrest require a warrant?
Public: Not required
Emergency: Not required
Private Home: Required
Do police need probable cause to compel you to come to the police station for fingerprinting and questioning?
Yes
What is a Terry Stop?
Police can detain someone based on reasonable suspicion and articulable facts. (If based on informant’s tip, then there must be indicia of reliability)
When can police make a traffic stop?
When they have a reasonable suspicion that a law has been, or is being, violated.
Does stopping a car constitute a seizure?
Yes, of everyone in the car
Is a drug sniffing dog test an illegal search?
No, it is not a search, and the sniff test can be the basis for probable cause.
What is the framework question for search and seizure fact patterns in the essay?
Does Defendant have a 4th Amend right because there was a search or seizure concerning a place or thing in which the Defendant had a reasonable expectation of privacy? Or does the search involve the physical intrusion of a constitutionally protected area?
What is the framework question for search warrant fact patterns in the essay?
Did the police officer have a valid warrant showing probable cause that was reasonably precise as to the place to be searched and items to be seized? If not, do they satisfy a warrantless search exception?
What actors constitute the government for purposes of the 4th Amend?
- public police
- private individual acting on behalf of police
- private police, if they are deputized
How do you determine if a Fourth Amendment claimant has standing?
You have to determine if they have a reasonable expectation of privacy in the person or thing searched or seized
What do courts consider in determining whether a person has a reasonable expectation of privacy?
totality of the circumstances
What are the three places of automatic standing / where person is guaranteed to have expectation of privacy?
- Owns the premises
- Lives on the premises
- overnight guest in the premises
What are the 8 things you have NO reasonable expectation of privacy in?
Voice // Handwriting // Paint on your car // bank account records // Areas outside the home and related buildings (e.g., barn) // Garbage at the curb // land visible from public (even plane) // smell of one’s car and luggage
What do you need for a search warrant?
Probable cause
How do you show probable cause for a search warrant?
- Fair probability of finding contraband
2. state with particularity the place to be searched the things to be seized
What is the constitutional arrest rule?
No search warrant necessary for an arrest made contemporaneously with a constitutional arrest. (Doesn’t have to be simultaneous)
What is the rule of inventory search?
Ok to take an inventory of a person that has been arrested
What is the automobile exception to search warrant requirement?
Police may search a car if they believe it contains contraband or evidence of a crime. They may also search containers in the car that may contain evidence of a crime. But can’t search a container smaller than the thing they’re hunting for.