Key Supreme Court Cases and Legal Principles

These flashcards cover critical Supreme Court cases and legal principles related to the 4th and 5th Amendments, focusing on search and seizure, due process, and procedural protections.

Knock and announce

A 4th Amendment requirement indicating police must announce their presence before entering a residence.

Pretext arrest

An arrest that is made under the pretense of a legitimate reason, but is really aimed at conducting a search or investigation without probable cause.

Totality of circumstances

A legal standard that considers all relevant factors in a case to determine if a reasonable suspicion or probable cause exists.

Automobile exception

A legal principle allowing police to search a vehicle without a warrant if they have probable cause.

Miranda rights

The rights to silence and legal counsel that must be informed to a detainee during custodial interrogation.

Due process

A constitutional guarantee that a law shall not be unfair, arbitrary, or unreasonable; all legal proceedings will be fair.

Exclusionary rule

A legal rule that prohibits evidence obtained in violation of a defendant's constitutional rights from being used in court.

Entrapment

A defense that argues a defendant was induced by law enforcement to commit a crime they would not have otherwise committed.

Inevitable discovery rule

An exception to the exclusionary rule where evidence that would have been found legally is allowed, even if initially discovered through illegal means.

Custodial interrogation

An interrogation by law enforcement after a person has been taken into custody, requiring Miranda warnings.