Criminal Procedure I: Preliminary Perspectives on the Fourth Amendment

These flashcards cover pivotal concepts surrounding the Fourth Amendment, including key cases, definitions, and doctrines related to criminal procedure.

Fourth Amendment

Protects against unreasonable searches and seizures, requiring probable cause for warrants.

Exclusionary Rule

Prevents evidence obtained through unconstitutional means from being used in court.

Reasonableness Clause

Part of the Fourth Amendment ensuring people are secure against unreasonable searches.

Warrant Clause

Part of the Fourth Amendment demanding warrants be issued with probable cause.

Government Action

Only state actions, not private investigations, trigger the exclusionary rule.

Judicial Integrity

The principle that courts must maintain the Constitution by not sanctioning unlawful conduct.

Deterrence

A policy aimed at preventing illegal police conduct by excluding improperly obtained evidence.

Weeks v. United States

Established the exclusionary rule applies to federal trials concerning evidence obtained without a warrant.

Silver Platter Doctrine

Allowed federal courts to admit evidence obtained illegally by state officers.

Wolf v. Colorado

Determined that the Fourth Amendment applies to states but the exclusionary rule did not.

Mapp v. Ohio

Applied the exclusionary rule to state trials for the first time, reinforcing Fourth Amendment protections.

Katz v. United States

Expanded the definition of a search to include violations of reasonable expectations of privacy.

Assumed-Risk Doctrine

The concept that individuals cannot expect privacy from their conversations with others since those others may betray their trust.

Third Party Doctrine

The principle that a person cannot expect privacy in information voluntarily shared with third parties.

Curtilage

The area immediately surrounding a home, which has some reasonable expectation of privacy.

Open Fields

Areas outside the curtilage where there is no reasonable expectation of privacy.

Chimel v. California

Set forth the permissible scope of searches incident to lawful arrests.

Probable Cause

A reasonable belief that a crime has been committed, justifying search and arrest warrants.

Brennan Structure

A test outlining the elements necessary for establishing probable cause.

Totality of the Circumstances Standard

A flexible approach to determine probable cause based on all relevant information at hand.

Terry v. Ohio

Established the 'stop and frisk' doctrine allowing brief stops based on reasonable suspicion.

Miranda Doctrine

The requirement that police inform suspects of their rights before custodial interrogation.

Public Safety Exception

Allows police to question suspects without Miranda warnings if public safety is threatened.

Consent Searches

Searches conducted with the voluntary consent of the individual.

Plain View Doctrine

Permits officers to seize evidence in plain sight without a warrant.

Inventory Searches

Searches of impounded vehicles without a warrant or probable cause, conducted for administrative purposes.

Inevitable Discovery Rule

Allows evidence to be admitted if it would have been found through lawful means, regardless of initial unlawful search.