final Flashcards
4th Amendment Analysis
- is it implicated
- does the person search/seized have standing to challenge?
- was there a warrant
- was it a valid warrant
- warrantless exceptions
- exclusionary rule
- terry doctrine
Is it a search of a person?
-subjective expectation of privacy
-would society objectively think the expectation is reasonable?
(Katz)
=4th implicated
Trespass of home/curtilage
=4th implicated Consider: 1. proximity of the area of home 2. nature of use of area 3. steps taken by owner to prevent observation of area 4. is the area enclosed
is it a search of an object?
did the police interfere with the possessory interest of the person who owns/posses the object?
(Hicks)
Is it a seizure of a person?
yes - if police used physical force
no - ask if:
1. was there a show of authority to which the defendant submitted?
test for show of authority during seizure or person?
would a reasonable person under all of the circumstances have felt free to walk away?
- if no, it is a seizure
- if somewhere enclosed and cannot physically walk away them would a reasonable person under all the circumstances felt free to terminate encounter?
Is there standing to challenge search/seizure?
- always standing to challenge search or seizure of his or her person?
- a thief never has standing to challenge search or seizure of his or her person or of the object stolen
- the operator of a rental car has standing
- must have meaningful connection to a home that is searched
burden for challenging standing
the government. if the government/judge does not question standing tha presumed to exist
after 4th has been implicated and there is standing to challenge search/seizure ask…
did police have a warrant and was it valid
valid warrant must:
- be supported by probable cause that the person is about to commit a crime or believe the place to be searched contains the object to be seized
- issued by a neutral and detached magistrate
- be supported by an affidavit signed under oath
- describe with specificity the place/person to be searched
- describe with specificity the items to be seized
Test under a totality of the circumstance to determine if probable cause exists
- information from an informant
- experience of police officer
- arrestee’s prior criminal record
- information from witness/victim
- furtive gestures or flight
- nature of area ex: high crime
- common enterprise among actors
questions to ask about an informant when determining probable cause
- basis of knowledge shown?
- reliability of information demonstrated?
- self-verifying detail?
- can the information be corroborated?
when executing a lawful warrant police must:
- knock and announce their presence before entering
2. wait a reasonable period of time after knocking and announcing before entering
when executing a lawful warrant police may:
- detain all occupants during the period of the search
- bring an occupant who has left before police go inside back into the premises if they are in the immediate vicinity of the home
- in sight of vicinity and ease of reentry from where occupant is located
- use reasonable methods to detain the occupants including handcuffing
if no warrant what exceptions apply?
- exigent circumstances
- search incident to a lawful arrest
- automobile exception
- plain view and plain touch
- consent
- inventory search
exigent circumstances
- true emergency not created by police
- emergency must be such that the warrantless intrusion is imperative:
- chasing felon
- providing aid to victim
- providing assistance to those threatened with injury
- rationale = protect against danger and to prevent destruction of evidence