Principles Criminal Investigation Chapter 4

The U.S. Supreme Court has established requirements for using informants to establish probable cause. Although a two-pronged test was initially adopted, it was later abandoned in favor of a totality of the circumstances test. Which court case was responsible for this more practical concept?

Illinois v. Gates

A keen sense of smell enables a dog to complete a building search in _____ when it would otherwise take two or three officers an hour to conduct the same search.

10 minutes

Warrantless searches of vehicles are often justified because of a vehicle's inherent mobility. Which two conditions were established by Carroll v. United States regarding whether an automobile may searched without a warrant?

Probable cause exists for the search and the vehicle would be gone before a search warrant could be obtained.

The exclusionary rule established that the police cannot introduce evidence into court obtained by an unreasonable search and seizure, regardless of how relevant it is to a case. What was the finding of Mapp v. Ohio with regard to this rule?

The exclusionary rule applied also to courts at the state level.

The most important factor in determining the legality of a warrantless trash inspection is the physical location of the retrieved trash. Police cannot trespass to gain access to the trash location, and, generally, the trash must not be located within the curtilage, which the Supreme Court has described as "the area to which extends the intimate activity associated with the sanctity of a man's home and the privacies of life." In other words, curtilage is that portion of a residence that is not open to the public. Which court case further defined the curtilage question?

United States v. Dunn

The Fourth Amendment requires the issuance of search warrants wherein technology aids in effectuation of an investigation. In which of the following cases does the Court affirm that attaching a global positioning system device to a suspect's vehicle in an effort to obtain information requires a search warrant?

United States v. Jones (2012)

When should a dead body be searched?

after the coroner has given permission

Which doctrine requires that searchers consider the probable size and shape of evidence they seek?

elephant-in-a-matchbox

United States v. Leon determined that evidence that is illegally obtained by the police may be admissible in court if the police were truly not aware they were violating a suspect's Fourth Amendment rights due to a faulty warrant. This is referred to as the _____.

good-faith doctrine

In Nix v. Williams, the Supreme Court reviewed a case in which police persuaded a defendant to make incriminating statements and reveal where he had left a 10-year-old victim's body. The Court ruled that because a widespread search was already taking place for the body, evidence (the body) stemming from Williams' statements was allowed. This ruling created which exception to the exclusionary rule?

inevitable-discovery doctrine

Dogs can track and capture suspects and are ideally suited to assist in searching _____.

large areas with poor visibility

A lane search, in which the area is partitioned into lanes, _____.

may involve any number of police personnel

In Chimel v. California, courts ruled that a search incidental to a lawful arrest must be made simultaneously with the arrest and _____.

must be confined to the area within the suspect's immediate control

School searches, searches of highly regulated businesses (such as firearms dealers, pawnshops, and junkyards), employment and educational drug screening, and the immediate search for "evanescent" evidence require _____.

no warrant

A centuries-old rule that the courts have consistently upheld is that officers must announce their presence and intent prior to entering a dwelling with a search warrant. This protects a citizen's right to privacy as well as reducing the possibility of violence to both the occupants and the police. An exception may be allowed if there is advance knowledge that the suspect may be heavily armed or if explosives may be present. This exception is best known as the _____.

no-knock warrant

Anything material and relevant to the crime being investigated is known as _____.

physical evidence

A police officer is walking down a public sidewalk and happens to observe several guns inside a parked vehicle. Without entering the vehicle, he is easily able to obtain the serial numbers and ascertains that they are stolen. This unconcealed evidence seen by the officer engaged in a lawful activity is admissible in court under which rule?

plain-view evidence

To obtain either arrest warrants or search warrants, the key issue officers must present to a judge, while under oath or affirmation, is that there is _____.

probable cause

Which amendment to the U.S. Constitution forbids unreasonable searches and seizures?

the Fourth Amendment

The Supreme Court has ruled that searches of vehicles incident to and contemporaneous with a lawful arrest are legal and valid. This search is limited to _____.

the entire passenger compartment of the vehicle

The Supreme Court has long upheld traffic checkpoints at the country's borders to serve the national interest. However, in Brown v. Texas, a balancing test was established to determine the constitutionality of roadblocks. This balancing test evaluated the lawfulness of roadblocks and considers three factors: the gravity of the public concerns served by establishing the roadblock, the degree to which the roadblock is likely to succeed in serving the public interest, and _____.

the severity with which the roadblock interferes with individual liberty

All searches must be conducted under the authority of a warrant unless _____.

there are exigent circumstances

If no one has entered the scene between the time the crime was committed and when the police arrived, and if the scene was immediately secured, the scene is considered a(n) _____.

uncontaminated scene

Metal detectors are needed in most _____.

underwater searches

In United States v. Ramirez, the Court said that if officers attempting to serve a search warrant are not admitted by occupants following a knock-notice announcement, forcible entry may be made. The Court further stated that _____.

unnecessary damage to the structure may make the entry unreasonable and negate the search