Oliver v. United States
United States Supreme Court
466 U.S. 170 (1984)
Relevant factsFree
Officers entered Oliver's (defendant's) farm, past locked gates, fences, woods, and "No Trespassing" signs, without a warrant or probable cause, and discovered a marijuana field over a mile from his house; the district court suppressed the evidence, finding Oliver had a reasonable expectation of privacy given his efforts to secure the land, but the en banc Sixth Circuit reversed, applying the open-fields doctrine, and the Supreme Court granted certiorari.
IssueFree
Whether a police search without a warrant or probable cause of an open field, where the owner has taken steps to establish privacy such as fencing, gating, and posting signs, violates the Fourth Amendment.