Search and Seizure Flashcards
Seizure
taking a possession or arresting a person, affects possessory interest
Search
governmental intrusion into an area someone has a reasonable expectation of privacy, affects privacy interests
Warrant requirements apply to:
The government and it’s agents (i.e. us)
Exceptions for warrants
plain view, emergency circumstances, permission (consensual search), good faith (honest mistake), bad warrant (would have found anyway)
To search legally: (acronym)
CREW
C.R.E.W.
Consent
Recognized Exceptions
Warrant
4th Amendment
Unreasonable / warrantless search and seizure
What constitutes a search?
- was the gov’t involved?
- has the individual by his conduct exhibited an actual expectation of privacy?
- Individual expectation that society is prepared to recognize as reasonable
Plainview
knowingly exposing evidence to the public (severed head in the backseat)
Reasons for warrantless seizure
- legitimately on the premises
- Discover evidence / fruit of crime / contraband in plain view
- Officer must have probable cause to believe evidence is contraband (no noodling!)
Reasonable Suspicion: Detentions
can detain at reasonable suspicion to see if they “might” or “has” done it (considered a seizure of persons)
What crimes do I see, what facts support it, more than hunch. All observations have to be made prior to the stop.
Probable Cause: Detentions
an officer believes they have evidence to establish they “probably” committed a crime, (seizure of evidence and persons - arrest)
Terry v Ohio (Searches)
established purpose and permissions for seizure of persons potentially engaged in criminal activity via investigatory detentions
first have to stop because you believe a crime is afoot
armed and dangerous, officer safety
Sources for Probable Cause
personal observations of officer, information from witnesses / confidential informants, hearsay (if properly documented)
Importance of documentation
If you don’t document what happened, it didn’t happen according to the courts
Types of Citizen Contacts
Consensual, Investigatory Stop, Stop and Frisk (only for officer safety), Arrest
Investigatory Detention
Must have articulable reason why you detained subject, must fall within a reasonable time frame, cannot move suspect (movement = arrest)
purpose of suspicion is reasonable
scope and character
To detain
you must think and be able to say why you think something criminal is happening
To frisk
identify and articulate why you think they are armed and pose a risk to your safety
Terry Frisks are not searches T or F
False, searching for weapons even for officer safety is “invading privacy”, but you only need reasonable suspicion