Assignment: Constitutional Policing

Police must obey the law in their effort to control crime. Legal restrictions may hurt the efficiency of police but by obeying the law, police gain social legitimacy. When a police officer violates the law, they jeopardize the rights of the accused and the rights of the innocent. The Fourth Amendment of the Constitution states:

"The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable search 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 seized."

Read Weeks v. United States, Silverthorne Lumber Company, Inc., Et Al. v. United States, and Mapp v. Ohio. For each court case, address the following:

Explain the main issue or question involved in the case.

Explain the precedent or laws the court used in order to come to its ultimate conclusion.

Explain how the court applied the law to the facts of the case.

Identify the conclusion and restate the issue to provide the final answer.

How have these three cases formed the standards of constitutional searches and seizures in the United States?

The paper must be three to four pages in length and formatted according to APA style. You must use at least two scholarly resources from the Ashford University Library, other than the textbook, to support your claims. Cite your sources within the text of your paper and on the reference page. For information regarding APA, including samples and tutorials, visit the Ashford Writing Center, located within the Learning Resources tab on the left navigation toolbar.