Collins v. Virginia

A police officer recognizes a motorcycle under a tarp parked on the property of a home that was involved in a high-speed chase. The officer searches Facebook for the Defendant (Collins)’s profile and found photos of the motorcycle appearing to be parked in the same spot. Believing he had reasonable cause, the officer entered the property, without a warrant, and lifted the tarp covering the motorcycle. The motorcycle was located in an area walled on one side by the home and on two sides by a short brick wall. The officer observed the motorcycle’s VIN number, took additional photos, and determined that the motorcycle was stolen. Later, Collins returned to the home, and the officer arrested and found the key to the motorcycle on Collins’ person. Collins denied ownership of the bike and asserted that he didn’t ride the bike in months. At trial, Collins argued that the search was in violation of his Fourth Amendment rights because the walled area is considered a “curtilage” of the home. The state argued that the previous high-speed chase coupled with the Facebook photos was sufficient reasonable cause for the officer to enter the property.