Reading Assignment for Section 3.2

Read the following subsection from our online textbook: Section 3.2: The Fourth Amendment

What You Will Learn

In this section, you’ll dive into the protections offered by the Fourth Amendment, focusing on privacy rights and safeguards against unreasonable searches and seizures. You’ll learn about the legal standards for obtaining warrants, the role of probable cause, and the exceptions that allow warrantless searches under specific circumstances. Finally, you’ll explore how the Exclusionary Rule and related doctrines protect individuals from illegal evidence use, as well as constitutional limits on police use of force.

Student Learning Outcomes for Section 3.2

• SLO 1: Explain the protections provided by the Fourth Amendment against unreasonable searches and seizures, including its emphasis on privacy and due process.
• SLO 2: Analyze the legal requirements for obtaining and executing search and arrest warrants, including the role of probable cause and judicial oversight.
• SLO 3: Identify and evaluate exceptions to the warrant requirement, such as exigent circumstances, consent searches, and the plain view doctrine, and assess their impact on constitutional protections.
• SLO 4: Describe the Exclusionary Rule and the Fruits of the Poisonous Tree doctrine, and assess their role in preventing the use of illegally obtained evidence in court.
• SLO 5: Discuss the constitutional limits on police use of deadly force, with a focus on the implications of Tennessee v. Garner and the balance between public safety and individual rights.