What Is The Importance Of The Fourth Amendment

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The Fourth Amendment states that, “the rights of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.” This means that citizens of the United States of America are entitled to privacy and freedom from the government. With most things, there are limits set out to that privacy. Police officers can search your premises, which includes your car and your property. They can do this to look for and seize stolen materials, evidence of a crime, and illegal items such as: drugs, weed, or any illegal substance. Because of the fourth amendment, …show more content…

There are limits to their power. Throughout history, there have been several cases that helped shed light on the rules and regulations of searches and seizures. If I was given the opportunity to give a basic course to police officers about the legal boundaries of searches and seizures that is to guide them in their activity, I would inform them on the correct manner of handling a search and seizures to stop any unlawful behavior.
In the first lesson of the course, I would inform the police officers to know the difference in between reasonable suspicion and probable cause. Before even going into huge detail about that, I would make sure the first thing you have is a warrant because you need one before any search. In the infamous case, Arizona vs. Hicks, we truly learn the difference between the two words and the importance of a search warrant. A quick brief of