The Supreme Court seemed skeptical of arguments on Oct. 15 that officers should have probable cause before entering someone’s home during a potential emergency.
Instead, the justices seemed sympathetic to police officers’ decision to enter the home of a Montana man who was thought to be on the brink of suicide. Oral argument in the case, known as Case v. Montana, focused on the level of suspicion or certainty authorities should have under the Fourth Amendment of the Constitution when confronting that type of situation.
The Fourth Amendment states: “The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.”…