is it important to have a law in USA that prohibits unreasonable searches and seizures ?

Question

of homes, cars , and other property?

I mean would you support laws that clearly bar the police from randomly stopping you while you are driving and going through your cart, even though you were not speeding or did anything suspicious? How about laws that stop the police/government from going into your apartment while you are at work without a warrant from a judge? Or do you subscribe to the belief that if you have done nothing wrong or have nothing to hide, you should not mind the police doing their work?

Answer 1

Its important to have a law that prohibits unreasonable searches and seizures. As a nation, more and more rights are being lost everyday.

Answer 2

Supposedly there already is a law, called the Constitution. Unfortunately many Americans as well as MOST of the politicians and the storm-trooper types either are not familiar with the Constitution or choose to ignore it. The Constitution of the United States recognizes the right of an individual to be secure in their persons and their homes and requires probable cause, along with due process of law, which involves getting a warrant from a judge to search a place of residence. For automobiles, the "plain sight" doctrine applies, if the officer who pulls you over sees something suspicious, they can search your car. They DO, however, have to have some kind of probable cause, (a reason for initiating police action) for the traffic stop in the first place, along with something they saw to institute the search. These things need to be provable in court, or the whole case is should get tossed. That is the way it is SUPPOSED to be, but with our public education (indoctrination) system people are so ignorant of their rights they dont stand up for them. Rather than the right of personal security, they fight for their "right" to some kind of governmental handout or priveledge based on some special interest group (minority, handicapped, "alternative lifestyle" etc.). This is how our person freedom erodes, washed downstream one bit at a time.

Answer 3

The current laws more than protect our rights from unreasonable search and seizure. In fact, they may even be said to go too far. There have been many cases where, due to some clerical error or other mistake, important evidence has been excluded from trials. Personnaly, I would support a change in the law that would allow the evidence and simply punish those who made the error. A policeman or other investigator who violates the rule should be suspended and sent tuitored in the proper proceedures. If that person violates the rule again he/she should be held in contempt and be fined. If it happens again, they should be fired.

But I do not see how justice is served by excluding the evidence. That tips the scale way too far in favor of the accused at the expense of the victim. That is unjust.

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Answer 4

We already have that law. It's called the 4th amendment. The only part I know of that is being disputed is the mass car stoppages to check blood alcohol on drivers at random. I don't know how the last case turned out, though. And no, I would not allow the police to search my home without a warrant. They must have enough evidence to convince a judge that I had done something wrong before they search.

Answer 5

I was raised to believe that freedom and privacy is everyone's birthright.
I live in times that require we all pull together to 'stop the bad guys'.
Somewhere there is a crossover area in these two different ideas of how to live.

It is unfortunate, to say the least, that there are those who take these extreme views and use them for their own personal ends.
There are always those who act out, on both sides of the fence.

Just because I've done nothing wrong doesn't mean I want random search to be my lifestyle. It sucks, because if it was private there wouldn't be a random search. Therefore, you can get to the end of this equation your self. We do have random search in the name of homeland security, therefore we no longer have privacy.

The one major drawback to privacy is that hen the 'bad guys' get to do wrong behavior and think they are using the 'system' to get away with it. There are tradeoffs in every system. While I do not condone crime and have been the vicitm of crime several times in my life, I still want my privacy more, understanding that some stuff will occur, like hold ups and possibly death at the hands of a 'criminal'.
This is a harsh reality statement I'm glad you asked the question, but the answer is tough. Thanks :)

Answer 6

Not barring police would have dire results. Unfortunately, there is such a thing as the crooked cop. The end result would be that they would be authorized to invade privacy, to conduct full cavity strip searches, see everything a person owns, and become the criminal themselves. At that point, it would be hard to convict any policeman of crimes against anyone because they would be granted practically unlimited power, though they themselves are supposedly subject to governing laws. The USA is based on a balance of power (though it may seem elusive at times) and to remove such a balance would result in an increase in hatred toward cops for abusing excessive power.

Answer 7

Prohibiting unreasonable searches and seizures of property is a basic American Freedom™. If you've got nothing to hide in your apartment while you are work, then I don't see the problem. And besides, I'd believe the police, and judge issuing the warrant, would take the time to contact you alerting you of this situation.

Answer 8

It is a Constitutional right that the police are prohibited from search and seizure without a reasonable belief. Of course, I support this right.

Answer 9

I think it is a good idea to have laws that protect us from unreasonable searches and seizures. Without checks on the powers of our law enforcement, they could too easily become the pawns of a corrupt government.

Answer 10

It used to be called the 4th Amendment (See Bill of Rights)

Those were good times!

Edit: Let me give an example to those of you that say"If you've done nothing wrong, you have nothing to hide."

Your underage kid calls home from a party, says they've been drinking and need a ride home. You've strongly told them not to drink and plan to punish them but are glad they had the sense not to drive while drunk. You go get them and bring them home.

Now it just so happens you voted for the wrong guy for Sheriff (congress, mayor, you name it) so he is monitoring your phone calls. When you arrive home the police are waiting to arrest you for contributing to the deliquency of a minor. You're jailed and your kids are taken away by Child protective Services.

Think it can't happen. Just continue to let them take away your privacy and wait til you vote the wrong way.