A. Preliminary Concerns
- Only applies to Government Action:
- Government officials
- (1) Federal (4th Amendment)
- (2) State (Mapp v. Ohio)
- (3) Implicated by government asking permission of others to take/get things such as landlords or PC techs finding child porn (Burdeau v. McDowell)
- Exceptions: doesn’t apply to nonresidents w/ property in another country (US v. Verdugo-Urquidez → “4th refers to a class of persons forming the Nat’l community or have sufficient connection to US)
B. Analytical Schools of Thought
- Normative: that there are principles inherent in our Constitution and the 4th that guides our understanding of what constitutes intrusive government action, privacy, etc. (ex: gov ought not be able to track individuals wantonly)
- Empirical: objective, statistical measures of privacy, intrusions, and what does or doesn’t constitute a violation of the 4th (ex: it is statistically unlikely that someone would be affected by this police behavior)
C. “Search”
- Physical Trespass (property) - still constitutes a ‘search’ if it is a physical trespass on persons, homes, papers, and effects (although make sure other exception doesn’t apply)
- Kyllo: (thermal imaging): (1) gov uses device not generally used by public to (2) explore details of home previously unknowable w/o physical trespass = search and presumptively unreasonable
- But see Knotts: GPS ‘beeper’ placed into barrel of chloroform then given to D. and driven around and left outside house = no 4th violation (public roads & no invasion of privacy of home)
- And see Karo: GPS ‘beeper’ placed w/ permission of informant into ether can and sold to D. who takes it home and then drives w/ it into other peoples homes → 4th ‘search’ b/c of in-home monitoring (not open to visual surveillance)
- US v. Jones: (GPS on wife’s car) → 1) vehicle is an ‘effect’ and 2) gov placement of GPS device on the vehicle constitutes ‘search’ (so need warrant)
- *Also under Dog Sniffs*: Florida v. Jardines: dog sniffing in curtilage of home & home = search w/in 4th b/c of sacred property area despite limited capacity
- Reasonable Expectation of Privacy (REP) - Katz v. Unit3d States (NOTE: If there is REP = “search” but question still remains if it is ‘reasonable’)
- Two Prong Test
- (1) Subjective: actual demonstrated intent of privacy
- (a) “Knowingly” not “purposefully → lower threshold for State b/c only requires knowledge not intent
- This is a critique and there should be a critique involving knowing v. purpose on exam
- (2) Objective: society will recognize that expectation of privacy as reasonable
- (a) Normative & Empirical reasoning (use both on exam)
- Doctrinal (‘Exceptions’) to REP:
- “False Friends”: NO REP in things said/given to friends/any other person - US v. White ‘criminals assume risk of association w/ other crim’
- (a) Lewis: undercover agents not subject to 4th
- (b) Lopez: recording by same undercover agent not 4th violation
- (c) Hoffa: ppl entrusted w/ info they later reveal = no 4th violation
- (d) On Lee: man overheard trusted convo = not subject to 4th
- “Third Party Doctrine”: Smith v. Maryland (pen registers): things disclosed to a third party are not subject to 4th violation (No REP)
- (a) Miller: bank records not subject to 4th protection
- (b) But See → Carpenter v. US: (CSLI Cell Phone GPS data) 1) contravenes public expectation of privacy (cell phone is so personal) & third-party doctrine not mechanical (no ‘meaningful way volunteer this info’)
- “Dog Sniffs”: US v. Place: canines only reveal absence or presence of contraband = contraband illegitimate = no REP
- (a) BUT SEE → Florida v. Jardines (Dog Sniffing Home Case) = using dogs to sniff w/in home & curtilage = search
- “Open Field”: No REP in ‘open field’ - Hester v. US & Oliver = “open field” = undeveloped/unoccupied area of/and outside curtilage of a home
- “Curtilage”: US v. Dunn: 4 Factors for Defining Curtilage:
- (a) Proximity of area claimed to be curtilage (of a home)
- (b) Is area included in an enclosure?
- (c) Nature of uses the area is put to?
- (d) Steps taken by resident to protect from observation by people passing by
- “Aerial Surveillance”
- (a) California v. Curtado: police could use private airplane to fly over yard and observe marijuana plants → no REP in police engaging in same behavior as civilians (ppl fly over homes)
- (b) Florida v. Riley: Police can use helicopter too!
- Garbage: California v. Greenwood: no REP in garbage left outside curtilage of home for trash removal (discarded items = no REP)
- Factors in REP Analysis
- Nature of place Observed (public v. private)
- Steps taken to enhance privacy (closing booth, cupping hands)
- Nature of object/activity (binary techniques, readily available equipment)
- Physical Nature of Intrusion (location of Observer)
D. Seizure: US v. Karo → occurs when “there is some meaningful interference w/ an individual’s possessory interests in that property” (quoting US v. Jacobsen)
E. Probable Cause: General Rule: warrant based on PC is necessary when police action = search (several exceptions discussed later); also generally used when arresting someone
- PC exists where facts and circumstances w/in affiant’s knowledge and of which they have reasonably trustworthy info are sufficient to warrant a man of reasonable caution to believe that:
- An offense has been committed by the person to be arrested; or
- Evidence subject to search and seizure will be found in the place to be searched
- Augilar-Spinelli Test: Two Pronged (OVERTURNED)
- “Basis of Knowledge” = establishing means by which affiant/informant came by info
- “Veracity” or “Reliability”: establishes that source of info is honest, trustworthy, credible
- TOTALITY OF CIRCUMSTANCES = ANALYSIS FOR PC (i.e. still knowledge and reliability but now it’s a continuum, the more you have of one the less you need of the other)
- Illinois v. Gates → FL Drug-Cation → removed formal 2 prong test and made TOC (above) b/c 80% of details from anonymous source proved to be true so police had PC
- PC DOES NOT MEAN PROBABLY & POLICE CAN BE MISTAKEN W/O CONSEQUENCE
- Franks v. Delaware: steps to challenge truthfulness of statements in affidavit
- D. must make “substantial prelim showing” that false statement was made “knowingly & intentionally” or w/ “reckless disregard”
- If shown, 4th requires hearing
- If perjury is established by preponderance of the evidence, affidavits remaining contents must be examined for PC
- If no PC established, warrant invalid and “fruits of tainted tree” suppressed.
- ONLY APPLIES TO POLICE OR DA UNDER OATH NOT INFORMANTS TO POLICE
- NO SLIDING SCALE → either objectively exists or it does not
- Subjective intent & motivations of officer seeking warrant or making arrest is IRRELEVANT