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Visitors in the Home--When Do They Have Fourth Amendment Protection?

NCJ Number
178304
Author(s)
Joseph C. Coleman
Date Published
March 1999
Length
20 pages
Annotation
This handbook presents legal information, case reviews and procedural guidelines for police officers.
Abstract
The Fourth Amendment protects individuals from unreasonable searches and seizures by police or other agents of the Federal Government or any State governmental entity. The handbook examines a U.S. Supreme Court ruling that this protection applies to people, not places and Supreme Court explanations of what some have construed as contradictory rulings. It discusses Fourth Amendment wordage and Fourth Amendment protection with regard to: visitor in the home; overnight guest in the home; mere presence in the home; use of home with permission; commercial property; and the workplace. The handbook also includes procedural guidelines for police officers when dealing with persons who are hearing impaired.