When Do Police Need Search Warrants?
This question has plagued American lawmakers since before America existed. Beginning in the colony of Massachusetts in 1751, authorities began issuing writs of assistance. These general warrants authorized the search of a particular premise without specifying the nature of the criminal activity. They basically had no expiration date and were even transferrable. Their use died out by the late 1760s after a howl of protests from colonists that the writs violated their rights as British subjects. In response to this...
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