Supreme Court Curbs Warrantless Home Entry for Misdemeanors (3)

Police can’t automatically pursue fleeing misdemeanor suspects into homes without warrants, the U.S. Supreme Court said in its latest decision bolstering home protections against law enforcement entry.

“A great many misdemeanor pursuits involve exigencies allowing warrantless entry,” Justice Elena Kagan wrote for the court on Wednesday in vacating a California state court decision. “But whether a given one does so turns on the particular facts of the case.”

The Fourth Amendment dispute posed a test for the justices between balancing the sanctity of the home against law enforcement interests. Lower courts were divided over whether misdemeanor pursuits categorically allow warrantless ...