This course addresses the constitutional limits on police investigations. It focuses primarily on the Fourth Amendment law governing searches and seizures, as well as on the constraints that the Fifth and Sixth Amendments impose on police questioning. Topics include the meaning of the terms “search” and “seizure” (especially in an era of electronic surveillance); the warrant requirement and its many exceptions; the rules governing stop-and-frisk and police use of force; the rules governing police interrogations (including the rights to remain silent or to have a lawyer present); and the available legal remedies for constitutional violations. The course will be graded on a letter-grade basis for all students and will satisfy the constitutional law II requirement. Grades will be based upon an open-book, in-class final exam.
Textbooks ( * denotes required )
See Instructor/syllabus For Course Materials 2025
*
Ponomarenko, Maria