October 15, 2025 – Suppose the police want to get illegal drugs off the streets.

So they begin stopping pedestrians at gunpoint, shoving them against walls, frisking them, and searching their belongings. They also force their way into random houses — including yours, maybe — to search for drugs.

The police would likely seize some drugs and arrest some dealers this way. But the great majority of people frightened, humiliated, and invaded would be entirely innocent.

Can the police do that? The Constitution provides a clear answer: No.

The Fourth Amendment is clear: “The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated.” It allows only searches with a warrant issued “upon probable cause, suppo

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