Supreme Court limits police ability to conduct warrantless searches
(Worthy News) – The Supreme Court on Wednesday ruled that police cannot “categorically” justify a warrantless entry into a misdemeanor suspect’s home.
In a mostly unanimous decision, the court found that the Fourth Amendment generally protects people from impromptu police searches. The case is one of several Fourth Amendment disputes the high court has heard in the past year. Justice Elena Kagan wrote the court’s majority opinion. A number of justices also filed concurrences.
The case came out of a traffic stop in California. A patrolman spotted the suspect, Arthur Lange, playing loud music and honking his horn while driving on the highway. He believed Lange was drunk and followed him home. At Lange’s house, the patrolman entered Lange’s garage and charged him with drunk driving after smelling alcohol on his breath. [ Source: Washington Examiner (Read More…) ]