Florida v. Riley
United States Supreme Court
488 U.S. 445 (1989)
Relevant factsFree
Acting on an anonymous tip, an officer flew over Riley's (defendant) rural property in a helicopter at 400 feet and saw marijuana plants through openings in the roof of a partially enclosed greenhouse located near the home but screened from ground-level view; that observation supported a warrant, and marijuana was found and Riley was charged. The Florida Supreme Court held the aerial observation was a search requiring a warrant, and the U.S. Supreme Court granted certiorari.
IssueFree
Whether aerial observation of an area within the curtilage of a home from a helicopter at an altitude of 400 feet constitutes a search requiring a warrant under the Fourth Amendment.