Fourth Amendment Flashcards
Text of the Fourth Amendment
The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, no warrants shall issue but upon probable cause, supported by oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.
2 prong test to determine if there is a detention
- Mendenhall: if a reasonable person would no longer feel free to leave
- Hodari D.: if the officer physically contacted the suspect OR the suspect submitted to the officer’s authority
Definition of reasonable suspicion
less than probable cause, must be based on “specific and articulable facts”
3 step detention analysis (before search and seizure analysis)
- Is there a detention?
- Is the detention supported by “reasonable suspicion” that the D is involved in criminal activity?
- Has the legal detention become overly prolonged?
Legal detention overly prolonged?
Cops engaging in consensual interrogation?
Cops don’t have to tell people that they are free to go.
5 steps to Search and seizure analysis?
- Is there government conduct?
- Is there REOP in the place searched?
- Was there a valid search warrant?
- If not, do any of the exceptions to the warrant requirement apply?
- Are any remedies available?
What kind of action is unconstitutional without a warrant?
State action/ govt conduct. Search and seizure.
Includes use of devices not in the general, public use
2 tests to determine REOP
- Katz (privacy based)
2. Jones (trespass test)
2 fold Katz requirement
- Person have subjective, personal expectation of privacy?
2. Expectation one that society recognizes as reasonable?
Jones trespass test
Was there any physical intrusion by officers?
4 levels of EOP under Jones
- highest: homes/ hotels
- middle: business premises
- reduced: vehicles
- reduced: public action
curtilage
area outside of home that is protected
Ways to determine if curtilage of home is protected
Clearly marked
Steps taken by owner to keep people out
Open fields
Not protected under 4th Amend
How to determine if area is considered an open field
If owner gives leave for others to enter (even implicitly)
Public thoroughfare, public air space
When do the police need a warrant to enter home to make an arrest?
Always unless there is an exception.
Even if arrestee is in a 3rd party’s home (need warrant to search AND arrest warrant)
Requirement for searching business premises
Must show nexus between area searched and D’s workspace
Rules for EOP in public
What someone KNOWINGLY exposes to the public has no EOP.
What someone intends to keep private MAY be protected
5 generally recognized ways to establish REOP (use for analysis after Katz and Jones test)
- Legitimately on the premises at the time of the search AND a possessory interest in the item seized.
- Right to exclude others from the area searched.
- Continuing access to the area searched AND a possessory interest in the item seized.
- A valid bailment.
- D is personally seized by police.
What must D demonstrate to establish REOP?
one of the 5 generally recognized ways to establish REOP
Do overnight guests have a REOP in hosts’ homes?
Yes. If legitimately on the premises at the time of the search AND a possessory interest in the item seized.
Do invitees have a REOP in hosts’ homes?
Depends on the facts of the case. If there for extended time, continuous access, possessory interest in the item seized.
Definition of a seizure
meaningful interference with D’s possessory interest
4 effects police can seize
- contraband
- fruits of a crime
- instrumentalities of a crime
- evidence of a crime
2 best arguments AGAINST establishing REOP
purely commercial transaction
short period of time
8 exceptions to the warrant requirement
- search incident to lawful arrest
- vehicle exception
- exigency
- inventory
- consent by occupant or D
- plain view/ plain touch
- Special govt needs/ administrative inspection
- Terry stop
Search incident to lawful arrest
Contemporaneous search of:
- person being arrest (valid custodial arrest)
- the place in the immediate and complete control of the arrestee
Things cops can seize in the immediate and complete control of an arrestee incident to arrest.
- things connected with the crime
- means of committing crime
- fruits of crime
- weapons
- anything that would be used to escape custody
- a space large enough to hold a co-D
Why can cops search incident to arrest?
To avoid:
destruction of evidence
harm to officers or another
escape of arrestee
Automobile exception
Without a warrant, police may search a vehicle if they have probable cause to believe that the vehicle contains contraband.
What is the scope of the automobile exception?
Cops may search entire vehicle (even to the point of deconstructing it)
Once the item they are searching is found, the search must end immediately
What is the EOP of containers?
Full EOP in closed containers, but once a container enters a car, there is a lowered EOP
When can police search containers?
A. In a vehicle
1. When there is probable cause to believe there is contraband
- And if the item they are searching for can fit in the container
B. outside a vehicle
1. cops need a warrant
When can cops check a passenger compartment of a car?
- if it is within reaching/grabbing distance of an unsecured arrestee
- OR, even if not within wingspan, there is “reason to believe” the compartment contains evidence of the offense
When can cops search a trunk?
with a warrant, exigency, inventory searches, special govt needs, if it is within arrestee’s wingspan
Factors to determine if a motor vehicle is a residence
whether it has been moved recently location connection to utilities vehicle licensed mobility
What are the search requirements for passengers?
- passenger’s items can be searched if they meet container requirements or other vehicle exceptions
- passengers have a personal privacy interest in their person
- a reasonable passenger would not feel free to leave if driver’s car is pulled over
Examples of exigency
hot pursuit no time to get warrant and urgent police have a reasonable belief that evidence would be destroyed if they waited for the warrant to arrive smell of death or meth lab shots fired screams
2 requirements for inventory search
- not an evidence gathering search
2. standardized administrative procedure (routine operating procedure)