Open Fields Doctrine and Its Relevance to the U.S. Constitution

What is the open fields doctrine?

According to the definition provided by Black's Law Dictionary (1990), the open fields doctrine "permits police officers to enter and search a field without a warrant. The term 'open fields' may include any unoccupied or undeveloped area outside of the curtilage (Oliver v. U.S., 466 U.S. 170, 104 S.Ct., 1735" (1091). For the purposes of searches and seizures, the term curtilage refers to "those outbuildings which are directly and intimately connected with the habitation and in proximity thereto and the land or grounds surrounding the dwelling which are necessary and convenient and habitually used for family purposes and carrying on domestic employment" (Black's, 384). In Dow Chemical v. United States, 476 U.S. 227, 106, S.Ct. 1819, Chief Justice Burger likewise pointed out that, "The open areas of an industrial plant complex are not analogous...
[ View Full Essay]