Kyllo v. United States
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| Kyllo v. United States | |
| Court | Supreme Court of the United States |
|---|---|
| Citation | |
| Date decided | June 11, 2001 |
| Appealed from | 9th Circuit |
Facts
Police suspected Kyllo to be growing marijuana in his home. They used a thermal imaging device to scan his home.
Based on this thermal imaging, a magistrate issued a search warrant to the home of Kyllo where police found marijuana cultivation. Kyllo had been using a heat lamp to warm the marijuana plants.Issues
Was the home of Kyllo unreasonably searched?
Holding
Thermal imaging of a home constitutes a "search" under the 4th Amendment and may only be done with a search warrant.
Rule
When technology such as thermal imaging is used, then the Constitutional protections are strong.
