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The Fourth Amendment Handbook

The Fourth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution protects the “right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures.…” In doing so, it guarantees what Louis Brandeis called “the right to be let alone—the most comprehensive of rights and the right most valued by civilized men.”

Today, when so much of our time is spent online or on our cell phones, this right is as important as ever. New technologies raise new questions about the proper application of the Fourth Amendment, and our courts sometimes struggle to keep up with the dizzying pace of innovation. 

If you’re looking for a user-friendly reference guide to keep you up to speed on Fourth Amendment law, The Fourth Amendment Handbook is for you. Now in its fourth edition, this ABA publication begins with an introductory essay outlining the history of Fourth Amendment jurisprudence, followed by a survey of all Supreme Court Fourth Amendment cases through January 2019. The survey is organized in table form, and contains the case name, charge on arrest, authority for arrest, warrant clause applicability, exceptions to the warrant clause, and a summary of the decision. Cases that have been overruled are indicated with a flag next to the case name. There is also an alphabetical table of case names to help you locate a case within the survey.  

The Fourth Amendment Handbook is now available at the O’Quinn Law Library, on the New Books shelf next to the reference desk.      

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