# I murder my granny, the cops search my house. Constitutional? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 10, 2010, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-murder-my-granny-the-cops-search-my-house-constitutional/556649 "2010-10-10T01:25:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2010, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-murder-my-granny-the-cops-search-my-house-constitutional/556649/41 "2010-10-11T22:29:09Z")
Gee, you’ve spent a tremendous amount of time thinking about this. I wonder why. ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_Robson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gary_robson/32/3448_2.png) [@Gary\_Robson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_Robson)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2010, 2:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-murder-my-granny-the-cops-search-my-house-constitutional/556649/42 "2010-10-12T02:02:57Z")
> [@A\_Voice\_of\_Sanity](#): > > I’m confused. I don’t know why you’re confused. Please look at the description of this forum: > [@Main Forum Page](#): > > Got a **factual question** for the Teeming Millions (and possibly Cecil) to consider? Post it here. That means GQ is not for open-ended questions or political debates. ---
**Author:** ![Lakai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/9de0a6/32.png) [@Lakai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lakai)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2010, 2:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-murder-my-granny-the-cops-search-my-house-constitutional/556649/43 "2010-10-12T02:59:15Z")
> [@kidchameleon](#): > > > [@Thalion](#): > > > > That’s not quite accurate. Any search without a warrant is _per se_ unreasonable, unless one of the “jealously guarded” exceptions to the warrant requirement is present. These include consent, exigent circumstances, protective search, open view, plain view and search incident to arrest. > > Is there a difference between open view and plain view? Open view means the officer wasn’t in a constitutionally protected area when he saw the item. Plain view means he was. Open view still requires an officer to get a warrant. Plain view does not. If you’re in a public street and see heroin inside a house, that’s open view. You still need to get a warrant to go inside the house and seize the heroin. If you’re in the house because you have a valid search warrant to look for guns, and you see heroin, that’s plain view. You can seize the herion without the warrant ---
**Author:** ![kidchameleon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/898d66/32.png) [@kidchameleon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kidchameleon)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2010, 3:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-murder-my-granny-the-cops-search-my-house-constitutional/556649/44 "2010-10-12T03:08:18Z")
Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![Tripler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripler/32/21807_2.png) [@Tripler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tripler)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2010, 3:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-murder-my-granny-the-cops-search-my-house-constitutional/556649/45 "2010-10-12T03:45:02Z")
> [@A\_Voice\_of\_Sanity](#): > > The search warrants for Scott Peterson remain sealed to this day. No one knows why, but the suspicion is that the MPD lied to get them and, if so, the whole case may collapse. [Sidebar, yer Honor!] Are _all_ warrants sealed, or are they usually open and public knowledge? I mean, if my neighbors get searched some random Super Tuesday, can I go into public records two months later and find out why (i.e. do I have to do a FOIA request–or the local/state equivalent)? I’m curious to see how warrants are worded–how strict or ‘loose’ they are. [/Sidebar] Tripler . . . at least, that’s what my counsel recommends I start researching. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-murder-my-granny-the-cops-search-my-house-constitutional/556649.md?page=2)