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Preferred term

exigent circumstances  

Definition

  • The term exigent circumstances covers an assortment of emergency situations that excuse the need for an arrest or search warrant or release officers from a warrant requirement to “knock and announce” their presence before entering a residence. The Fourth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution explicitly protects privacy in the home, and the U.S. Supreme Court has interpreted it to mean that, in the absence of consent or an emergency, an officer may not enter a home to make an arrest without first obtaining a warrant. [Source: Encyclopedia of the Fourth Amendment; Exigent Circumstances]

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URI

https://concepts.sagepub.com/social-science/concept/exigent_circumstances

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