Case Law Index
federal2001
Additional Highlights:Fourth AmendmentThermal ImagingHome Privacy
Kyllo v. United States
United States Supreme Court
Key Holding
Using a thermal imaging device to detect heat patterns within a home constitutes a search under the Fourth Amendment and requires a warrant.
Case Summary
Kyllo v. United States held that using sense-enhancing technology not in general public use to obtain information about the interior of a home that could not otherwise be known without physical intrusion constitutes a Fourth Amendment search, protecting the home's privacy against technological surveillance.
Primary Source: https://www.courtlistener.com/opinion/118395/bush-v-gore/