Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor and a group of high school students discuss the Fourth Amendment right against unreasonable search and seizure and the importance of the exclusionary rule. This video complements the documentary Search and Seizure: Mapp v. Ohio.
Georgia v. Randolph (2006)
Does a wife’s consent to a search of the home outweigh the refusal of a search by the husband who is present at the time of the search? This case summary shows how the Supreme Court answered that question in 2006.
Making Our Fourth Amendment Right Real
This lesson plan is based on the Annenberg Classroom video “Search and Seizure: Mapp v. Ohio,” which explores the landmark search-and-seizure case that makes state governments also responsible for protecting our Fourth Amendment right. With the exclusionary rule, this right becomes real for all of us.
Fourth Amendment: Search and Seizure
Most Americans are unaware about when and where Fourth Amendment rights are at issue. This lesson will allow students to examine the text and interpretations of the Fourth Amendment to describe key terms and ideas like searches, seizures, and privacy, as well as define some of the key debates about where the Fourth Amendment is headed in an age of technology.
Arizona v. Gant (2009)
What must police officers demonstrate when arresting the owner of a vehicle in order to conduct a search of the vehicle without a warrant? This case summary shows how the Supreme Court answered this question in 2009.
Ferguson v. City of Charleston (2001)
Is involuntary drug testing of pregnant women and reporting the results to law enforcement officers an unreasonable search? This case summary shows how the Supreme Court answered that question in 2001.
Florida v. Jardines (2013)
Is the use of a trained drug-sniff dog on the porch of a home a Fourth Amendment search requiring probable cause? This case summary shows how the Supreme Court answered that question in 2013.
Illinois v. Caballes (2005)
Does the Fourth Amendment’s requirement of “reasonable, articulable suspicion” for a search apply to a drug detection dog sniff? This case summary shows how the Supreme Court answered that question in 2005.
Kyllo v. U.S. (2001)
Is the warrantless use of a thermal imaging device to detect heat emissions from an individual’s home a reasonable search? This case summary shows how the Supreme Court answered that question in 2001.
Search and Seizure: Mapp v. Ohio
This documentary explores the Fourth Amendment case Mapp v. Ohio in which the Supreme Court ruled that evidence illegally obtained by police is not admissible in state courts. The 1961 case redefined the rights of the accused. A PDF lesson plan accompanies this video.