Garbage Essay -- essays research papers fc

On May 16, 1988, the Supreme Court ruled that police officers, without a warrant, have the right to inspect curbside rubbish for evidence. â€Å"Justice Byron R. White’s opinion for the majority said the privacy of garbage bags left outside the home and its immediate surroundings is not protected by the Fourth Amendment because people have no ‘subjective expectation of privacy’ in their garbage ‘that society accepts as objectively reasonable’† (Taylor 559-560). The Supreme Court’s ruling on curbside rubbish is fair because people voluntarily leave their trash at the curb for collection.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Fourth Amendment to the United States Constitution states â€Å"The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.† This basically means police officers cannot come into a home and just rummage through personal belongings. However, many people feel the Supreme Court’s ruling is a violation of the Fourth Amendment because they feel rummaging through garbage is rummaging through their personal belongings. A person’s trash is private and can reveal very personal information. â€Å"A search of trash, like a search of the bedroom, can relate intimate details about sexual practices, health and personal...