Sheriff Search and Seizure Laws 3

Question 1

Katz v. United States (1967) fundamentally changed Fourth Amendment analysis by holding that the amendment protects:

Accepted Answer

People's reasonable expectations of privacy, not merely physical locations or property

Answer

Katz established the 'reasonable expectation of privacy' test, shifting the Fourth Amendment analysis from property-based concepts to whether a person has a subjective expectation of privacy that society recognizes as reasonable.

Question 2

Which of the following scenarios would most clearly justify a Terry investigative stop based on reasonable articulable suspicion?

Accepted Answer

A person closely matching the detailed description of an armed robbery suspect is seen one block from the crime scene minutes after the offense

Answer

Matching a specific suspect description and proximity in time and place to a recent crime provides concrete, articulable facts supporting reasonable suspicion for an investigative stop.

Question 3

The 'fruit of the poisonous tree' doctrine holds that:

Accepted Answer

Evidence discovered as a direct result of an illegal search or seizure is itself inadmissible

Answer

The fruit of the poisonous tree doctrine, an extension of the exclusionary rule articulated in Wong Sun v. United States (1963), bars evidence that is derived from or tainted by an initial unconstitutional search or seizure.

Question 4

Under Fourth Amendment case law, may a deputy sheriff search garbage bags a resident has placed at the curb for collection without a warrant?

Accepted Answer

Yes, because a person has no reasonable expectation of privacy in garbage voluntarily exposed to the public

Answer

California v. Greenwood (1988) held that people have no reasonable expectation of privacy in garbage left at the curbside for collection because it is knowingly exposed to the public.

Question 5

The 'open fields' doctrine, originating in Hester v. United States (1924), provides that law enforcement officers:

Accepted Answer

May enter and observe open fields without a warrant because there is no reasonable expectation of privacy in such areas

Answer

The open fields doctrine holds that the Fourth Amendment does not protect open fields, even if privately owned and posted with 'No Trespassing' signs, because they are not the type of place where people have a reasonable expectation of privacy.

Sheriff - Deputy Sheriff Exam Practice Test

Sheriff - Deputy Sheriff Exam Practice Test

Sheriff Search and Seizure Laws 3