Reading Assignment for Section 4.2

Read the following subsection from our online textbook: Section 4.2: Miscellaneous Searches.

Note: This section spans multiple pages, so be sure to review all pages to fully understand the material.

What You Will Learn

In this section, you’ll explore a variety of unique and specialized search scenarios under the Fourth Amendment. From container searches to the concept of abandoned property, you’ll learn how legal precedents shape these practices. You’ll also dive into the complexities of narcotics field tests, technological surveillance, and airborne searches, gaining insight into how modern challenges impact privacy protections and law enforcement techniques.

Student Learning Outcomes for Section 4.2

• SLO 1: Explain the legal standards for container searches, including the impact of key cases such as U.S. v. Chadwick (1977), California v. Acevedo (1991), and Wyoming v. Houghton (1999).
• SLO 2: Analyze the concept of abandoned property and its implications for warrantless searches, referencing Hester v. United States (1924), Abel v. United States (1960), and California v. Greenwood (1988).
• SLO 3: Evaluate the role of narcotics field tests in establishing probable cause and the constitutional considerations addressed in Brinegar v. United States (1949), United States v. Jacobsen (1984), and Florida v. Harris (2013).
• SLO 4: Assess the legal challenges posed by technological surveillance methods, including thermal imaging, GPS tracking, and computer searches, through cases like Katz v. United States (1967), Kyllo v. United States (2001), Riley v. California (2014), and Carpenter v. United States (2018).
• SLO 5: Summarize the rules governing airborne surveillance and the limits of privacy protections under the Fourth Amendment, citing decisions in Florida v. Riley (1989), California v. Ciraolo (1986), and Dow Chemical Co. v. United States (1986).