Reading Assignment for Section 3.1

Read the following subsection from our online textbook: Section 3.1: The Role of the Constitution

What You Will Learn

In this section, you’ll explore how the U.S. Constitution shapes law enforcement practices, focusing on the protections provided by the Bill of Rights and the Fourteenth Amendment’s Due Process Clause. You’ll examine key Supreme Court decisions that defined rules for searches, seizures, and suspects’ rights, as well as landmark cases that balanced individual protections with practical policing needs. Finally, you’ll analyze constitutional guidelines for the use of force and consider how modern technology and public scrutiny influence accountability and reform efforts in policing today.

Student Learning Outcomes for Section 3.1

• SLO 1: Explain the impact of the Fourteenth Amendment’s Due Process Clause on extending Bill of Rights protections to state and local law enforcement agencies.
• SLO 2: Analyze key Supreme Court decisions, including Wolf v. Colorado and Mapp v. Ohio, and their role in shaping constitutional protections against unlawful searches and seizures.
• SLO 3: Evaluate the Warren Court’s landmark rulings, such as Gideon v. Wainwright, Escobedo v. Illinois, and Miranda v. Arizona, and assess their influence on criminal procedure and law enforcement practices.
• SLO 4: Describe the Burger Court’s contributions to balancing individual rights with practical law enforcement needs, focusing on cases like United States v. Leon and New York v. Belton.
• SLO 5: Assess the constitutional framework governing police use of deadly force, including Tennessee v. Garner, and discuss how modern technology and public scrutiny impact accountability and reforms in law enforcement practices.