Justices Appear Poised to Uphold Emergency-Aid Warrant Exception

The US Supreme Court appeared inclined at oral argument Wednesday to affirm—but clarify—its “objective reasonable belief” standard for entering a person’s home without a warrant to render emergency aid.

The question before the court was whether the emergency-aid exception to the warrant requirement requires probable cause—that is, an assessment that there is a “fair probability” that someone requires urgent help.

Counsel for petitioner William Trevor Case urged the justices to hold that officials must have probable cause to believe an emergency exists before entering a home without a warrant. Montana, supported by the US, 34 states and the ...