The court requires warrants
Until last week, police in at least 24 states could arrest a felony suspect in his home without a warrant. No longer. In a 6-3 decision on two New York cases, the Supreme Court ruled that lawmen everywhere need warrants for such arrests, except possibly in "exigent circumstances," like hot pursuit of a criminal. Otherwise, evidence seized at the time cannot be used by the prosecution.
In the majority opinion Justice John Paul Stevens noted that Fourth Amendment safeguards against unreasonable searches and seizures specifically mention "the right of the people to be secure in their ... houses." The...
To continue reading:
or
Log-In
