Fourth Amendment exceptions

The Fourth Amendment protects against unreasonable searches and seizures, but there are exceptions where authorities don’t need a warrant or probable cause. These include plain view (detecting evidence in plain sight), consent (if someone agrees to a search), searches incident to arrest (searching someone after arrest), exigent circumstances (urgent situations like risking destruction of evidence or safety threats), and stop-and-frisk (brief frisk for weapons if suspicion exists). These exceptions balance individual privacy with practical law enforcement needs while still respecting constitutional rights.