United States v. Dunn
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| United States v. Dunn | |
| Court | Supreme Court of the United States |
|---|---|
| Citation | |
| Date decided | March 1987 |
Facts
2 men were convicted of producing and possessing illegal drugs. Federal agent breached a fence to the 198-acre ranch of the suspects. They breached additional fences to peek into a barn not attached to the suspect's home in the property of the suspects.
Holding
Open fields around a home lack the 4th Amendment Constitutional protections of the home.
Reasons
It is okay for law enforcement officer to invade private property fields surrounding the home where a suspect dwells.
Rule
Open-fields doctrine
Comments
Curtilage is the area surrounding the abode where a person sleeps, lives, and eats. The curtilage has less protection than the central home for large residential estates.
