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Kyllo v. United States Case Brief
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Case Brief Summary & Legal Analysis
tl;dr: Police used a thermal imager without a warrant to scan a home for heat consistent with marijuana grow lamps. The Supreme Court held this was a Fourth Amendment “search” because it used sense-enhancing technology not in general public use to obtain information about the home’s interior.
Legal Significance: Established that using sense-enhancing technology not in general public use to obtain information from inside a home that would otherwise require physical intrusion constitutes a Fourth Amendment search, creating a new “bright-line” rule to protect the home from technological surveillance.
Kyllo v. United States Law School Study Guide
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Case Facts & Court Holding
Key Facts & Case Background
Federal agents suspected that Danny Kyllo was growing marijuana in his home using high-intensity lamps. To investigate, an agent used an Agema Thermovision 210 thermal imager from a public street to scan the exterior of Kyllo’s residence. Thermal imagers detect infrared radiation, which is invisible to the naked eye, and translate it into visual images representing relative heat levels. The scan revealed that the roof over the garage and a side wall were significantly warmer than the rest of the house and neighboring homes, a fact consistent with the use of grow lamps. This thermal imaging data, along with other evidence, was used to secure a warrant to search the home. The subsequent search revealed more than 100 marijuana plants. Kyllo moved to suppress the evidence, arguing the warrantless thermal scan was an unconstitutional search.
Court Holding & Legal Precedent
Issue: Does the use of a thermal-imaging device from a public vantage point to detect relative amounts of heat within a private home constitute a “search” within the meaning of the Fourth Amendment?
Yes. The use of a thermal imager to scan a home constitutes Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. D
IRAC Legal Analysis
Complete IRAC Analysis for Higher Grades
IRAC (Issue, Rule, Analysis, Conclusion) is the exact format professors want to see in your exam answers. Our exclusive Flash-to-Full briefs combine holding, analysis, and rule statements formatted to match what A+ students produce in exams. These structured briefs help reinforce the essential legal reasoning patterns expected in law school.
Legal Issue
Does the use of a thermal-imaging device from a public vantage point to detect relative amounts of heat within a private home constitute a “search” within the meaning of the Fourth Amendment?
Conclusion
The decision established a crucial bulwark against technological surveillance of the home, Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis
Legal Rule
Where the Government uses a device that is not in general public Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis au
Legal Analysis
The Court, in an opinion by Justice Scalia, held that the government's Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. Lorem ipsum dolo
Flash-to-Full Case Opinions
Flash Summary
- Using a thermal imager to scan a home from a public